Kanyakumari-Day 1

But seriously, all toilet stories aside, the trip to Kanyakumari was WONDERFUL!!! It was so good to get out of Chennai and see a different part of India. (Yes, I know it's still Tamil Nadu, but the landscape was so different!) Seeing the greenery all around made me remember why I told everyone that I wanted to retire to Kerela when I came back from my vacation in December. It's so beautiful!!! (Pictures to follow soon, I promise...)

Upon arrival in Kanyakumari, we hiked to the station (traveling 3rd class does have it's disadvantages-we were in the almost last car!), and headed to check in at our hotel. We had our pick of rooms and after choosing one, we settled in, showered and headed off for a full day of sightseeing. First, we took the ferry to the island temple and statue. I hate to admit, but I was comparing the safety standards of the ferry with those in the US the whole time. The sea was a bit rough that day and they never firmly tied the boat to the dock, hence it tended to drift away from the dock a bit. That didn't seem to bother the staff, they just pulled or pushed you off as quickly as if it had been right up against it. :)









Not only is it the meeting point of the three bodies of water (Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal & Indian Ocean) at the southern tip of India, Kanyakumari apparantly is also quite the pilgramage spot, so we there are a lot of temples and shrines to visit. On the first island there are two-a temple devoted to Lady Kanyakumari, an incarnation of the goddess Parvathi (with what looks like a footprint in the stone) and a shrine dedicated to Swami Vivekananda. On the second island there is a 133-foot-tall statue dedicated to the poet-saint Thiruvalluvar.

We came back to shore, not much more safely, and decided to eat and rest for a bit. Unfortunately, when we set out to see the sunset, we realized that it was too cloudy to see much. However, on the way to sunset point, we passed by the Gandhi Mandapam, where the Mahatma's ashes were kept until they were submerged in the sea.








We also stopped by to visit the shore temple, dedicated to the goddess Parvathi. There is a story that two Americans were saved by rowing to shore by the light shining off of the diamond stud in the statue's nose, however the doors directly to the seashore are now closed. The "vendors" selling oil and other religous items in the temple gave me an interesting perspective on the story of Jesus and the moneychangers in the Bible.