Bhagavathy Amman Temple is in Cape Kanyakumari, which is the south tip of India, in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is situated on the convergence of the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean, and the Bay of Bengal.

Shree Bhagavathy is Kanyakumari. “Kanya” means “virgin” and “Kumari” means “girl”. The Devi is in the form of a girl child. She is also called Shree Baala Bhadra, Durga, Parvati, Devi Kumari and Kanya Devi. Devotees also worship her as Shree Bhadrakali.

Shree Bhagavathy is believed to give peace of mind and spiritual energy. It is seen that devotees usually get teary eyed when they worship the Goddess with complete faith and concentration.

Legend

Devi Kanyakumari is worshipped since the Vedic times. There is a mention of this Goddess in Ramayana and Mahabharata, plus the Sangam works of Purananooru, Manimekalai and Narayana Upanishad.

It is believed that Sage Parashurama sanctified this temple. Bhagavathy Amman Temple is considered a Shakti Peetha. In the Hindu religion, Goddess is referred to as “Shakti” and “peetha” means “abode.” There are 51 Shakti Peetha that are associated to the 51 alphabets of Sanskrit.

Legend says that this Shakti Peeth came into being when the corpse of Goddess Sati Devi fell and Lord Shiva carried it, wandering in sorrow throughout Aryavartha.

According to another legend, a demon king called Banasura worshipped Lord Shiva. He obtained the blessing that only a virgin could kill him. Later, he became the ruler of the three worlds and tormented devas, saints, and sages. To fight him, devas worshipped Goddess Sati or Parvati, who appeared as Kanyakumari (virgin girl) to kill the demon. One fine day, the demon tried to woo the girl. She denied his marriage proposal and fought fiercely with the demon, killing him at Kanyakumari.

Temple Festivals

The following festivals are celebrated at Bhagavathy Amman Temple:

• The 9-day Navratri Festival in September-October. Tourists can see the artistic talent of music artists who perform at the Navratri Mandapam.
• Chaitry Poornima Festival on the full moon day of May.
• The 10-day Vaisakha Festival in May-June. This also embodies Thoni Ezhunellathu. During this festival, devotees take the procession of Devi in mornings and evenings. Thoni takes place on the 9th day of the Vaisakha Festival.
• Kalabham Festival on the last Friday of the month of Aadi or Karkidaka, which falls in July-August. On this day, devotees smear Devi’s idol with sandalwood paste.

Rituals at Bhagavathy Amman Temple are carried out in the Keralite manner. The shrine of the temple opens in the western door. The eastern door of the temple is opened occasionally, such as on Kalabham Festival day, during Navratri, and in the Kaartikai months of November-December.

Temple Timings

The temple is open all days from 4:30 am to 12:00 pm and from 4:00 pm to 8:15 pm.

Best Time to Visit

The best time to visit Kanyakumari is from October to March.

How to Reach

By Air

Trivandrum International Airport is the nearest airport to Kanyakumari, at about 67 km. The airport links this place to gulf countries too. From the airport, tourists can take a cab to Kanyakumari.

By Train

Kanyakumari Express runs through Bangalore and Mumbai. The Trivandrum Central Railway Station is the nearest one. It connects the place to most Indian cities. Once tourists reach the Central station, they can board another train or hire a cab to Kanyakumari city.

By Bus

Thanks to Tamil Nadu and Kanyakumari Road Transport Corporation, tourists can avail themselves buses to most of the big cities of South India. Regular, AC and deluxe buses are available between Kanyakumari and Trivandrum, Chennai, and Bangalore.

Tourists can also hire a vehicle from nearby cities of Kanyakumari. The scenic countryside of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka are connected to Kanyakumari splendidly through a network of roads and highways.