Places
Located on the shore, the Kumari Amman or the Kanyakumari Temple is dedicated to the virgin goddess Parvati who performed penances to marry Lord Shiva. She wears a diamond nose-ring of unmistakable splendor that sparkles brilliantly to be visible even from the sea. The temple and the adjoining picturesque Ghat overlooking the shore, is a major tourist attraction.
Southeast of the temple, two rocks fork out. Travel in a ferry to the Vivekananda Rock Memorial that marks the place where Swami Vivekananda meditated and arrived at his world mission. You can sit in the serene atmosphere and meditate in the dhyana mandapam. Nearby at Sripada Parai, one can see the memorial with the footprints of goddess Kanyakumari .
Other attractions include the Gandhi Memorial at the spot where the urn containing the Mahatma’s ashes was kept for public viewing. Resembling central Indian Hindu temples, the memorial was so designed that on Mahatma Gandhi's birthday (October 2), the first rays of the sun fall on the exact place where the ashes of the father of the nation were kept. The Government Museum here contains a collection including old coins, whalebones, tribal objects, bronze sculptures, and woodcarvings.
Constructed in Gothic style, a church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary with a tower of 153 feet and crowned with a golden cross, adorns the eastern coast of Kanyakumari. The granite round shaped fort known as Vattakkottai on the seashore was constructed to ward off naval invaders in ancient days. The Guhanatheeswara temple erected by Raja Raja Chola is among the must see historical monuments at Kanyakumari.