Kanniyakumari Things to Do

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Indira Gandhi Point is considered the southern tip of India. Also, the paths leading to the point are lined with small shops selling products made out of shells, and a number of other trinkets. Even if you aren't buying those, it is quite interesting have a look around.

There also number of street vendors selling ice cream, sugar cane juice, and so on. If you are not squeamish about street food, go ahead and indulge in those as you look at Thiruvalluvar statue and Vivekananda Memorial.

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This is an ideal thing to do either in the morning before it gets too hot, or in late afternoon just after the heat subsides a bit. Be prepared to be sun-burnt a bit.

There is this rocky ledge that lies between the watch tower and Indira Gandhi Point. Sort of on the beach side of Gandhi Mandapam. It is awesome to beach bum there.

Take a mat or something, or even just lie on the rock for nap. There are these little water plants, snails, fern, and so on growing in the nooks and crannies of these rocks. Take time to look at those. This spot is not as frequented by tourists as the Indira Gandhi Point or the watch tower. Nonetheless there are people that come and go. It is an interesting place to people watch.

Owing to the fact that Kanyakumari is a cape, you can watch both sunrise and sunset from the beach. There are a number of places where you can plonk yourself for the nature's show.

There's the Indira Gandhi Point. There are rocky places along the Beach Road - between Indira Gandhi Point and the watch tower. And then, there is the watch tower itself.

One thing you have to be prepared for though is the number of people that will be watching the show with you. There is no such thing as enjoying the sunrise/sunset in privacy. But the beauty of it is, you might end up striking conversation with the fellow-watchers which is always a pleasure when travelling.

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The statue is set on a rock some 500 metres from the shore and next to the Vivekananda Memorial. It's dedicated to Saint Thiruvalluvar an author of the philosophical work 'Thirukkural', written in Tamil about the Indian way of life.

The statue was inaugurated on the 1st of January 2000. It's 133 feet high, this signifies the 133 chapters of the 'Thirukkural'.

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The memorial stands on one of two rocks some 500 metres from the shore. It was built in 1970 to honour the visit of the spiritual teacher Swami Vivekananda in 1892. He swam to the rock and meditated about the past, present and future of India. This gave him enlightenment and he became a social reformer.

On the rock you'll find a memorial hall, meditation hall and an assembly hall. The rock is reached by a ferry, after leaving the rock the ferry stops at the nearby Thiruvalluvar Statue before returning to the mainland.

The ferry cost 20 rupees and admission to the rock 10 rupees.

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The temple is situated about 11km from Kanyakumari. It's unique in India as it is dedicated to three different deities. The beautiful entrance tower rises 134 feet and is covered with sculptures and statues from Hindu mythology. Once inside, the temple contains many shrines as well as many statues and pieces of art.

The highlight for me was the musical pillars. Four large pillars each formed by a group of smaller pillars and all carved from a single stone. Each of the smaller pillars produces a different musical note when tapped.

Unfortunately no pictures can be taken in the temple. Also male visitors as well as having to walk round barefoot have to be bare chested as well.

This circular museum is just to the left (south side) as you look at the train station so it's not with all the other tourist sites along the coast. It exhibits photographs of Gandhi's visit to Kanyakumari plus some photos and paintings from the town’s history. Not overly interesting but you might as well pop in if you're booking train tickets.

Open: 9.30am-9pm. Admission: Rs10.

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Established in 1991, the Government Museum is situated very close to the beach. It has large collections of sundry objects such as old coins, whalebones, tribal objects, bronze sculptures and woodcarvings. The museum also displays a variety of specimens relating to art, archaeology, anthropology, numismatics and philately.

Open: 9.30am-5pm every day except Fridays. Admission: Rs100.