Kanyakumari Temple is situated at the town of Kanyakumari, which is the cape of the southernmost tip of Indian peninsula, in the state of Tamil Nadu. Cape Comorin was the town’s name during British rule. The word Kanyakumari is composed of two words, namely Kanya and Kumari. Kanya means girl and kumari means adolescent virgin girl. The state of Tamil Nadu has the proud distinction of having numerous temples, dedicated to many divine entities. The temple at Kanyakumari draws huge crowds of devout and tourists alike. The place of Kanyakumari has a unique geographical feature. This is the place, where one can witness the confluence of three large water bodies, namely, Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea. The temple is also known as Kumari Amman in local language. This place is also regarded as Shakti Peeth, meaning the seat of benevolent power.

Legend

The temple is dedicated to virgin Goddess Kanyakumari. Legend has that the Goddess keeps eternal vigil and protects the country and people. Another mythological legend describes the sequence of event in captivating manners. As per the narration, Lord Shiva fell in love with a virgin adolescent girl and wanted to marry her. The virgin girl was destined to annihilate the devil forces of Banasura. Hence, divine forces lead by Narada, played a trick and the marriage could not be solemnized. Lord Shiva returned disappointed. Thereupon the girl also decided not to marry at all and remain virgin eternally. Destiny prevailed and saw the killing of Banasura, who wanted forcible marriage to the girl. Peace returned to the country, on the exit of devil forces.

History

The practice of worshipping Kanyakumari has origins in the Vedic era. The mention of the Goddess is found in the Ramayana and Mahabharata, the epics of ancient Indian civilization. It is the profound belief of Indian masses that Sage Parashurama consecrated the temple. Swami Vivekananda had visited Kanyakumari town and meditated on a rock in the sea. Rites and rituals at this temple are performed in Kerala Nambudiri style, which is little different from Tamil styles. The temple is believed to be 3000 years old.

Architecture

The temple is surrounded by a stone wall. The deity in standing posture faces east direction. Entrance to the temple is through the northern gate. Few steps away from outer corridor, Navarathri Mandapam is situated. Inner corridor can be reached by walking few paces along the pathway. Inner corridor has an idol of Indra Vinayaka. A small shrine dedicated to Tyaga Sundari is also present in the corridor. The main temple structure starts at this point. An image of Kal Bhairava, a divine figure and a holy well, known as Patal Ganga Teertha is also situated. A holy flag mast marks the entry to the sanctum Sanctorum.

The image of the Goddess stands as virgin girl. The idol is made of blue stone. The deity has rosary in her right hand, symbolizing penance. A sparkling diamond nose ring creates the effect of mystical radiance. The resplendent glow of the idol mesmerizes the devout.

Festivals

Vaishakha festival, which generally comes in the month of May, is celebrated with enthusiasm. During this festival, the idol is taken out in procession on various mounts. Car festival and the float festival are also celebrated with great fanfare. During Sandal festival, the idol is covered with sandal paste. Vast quantities of attractive flowers are used by devotees in the festival.

Navarathri Festival, which falls in the months of September or October, is very popular among the devotees. During nine days of the celebrations, the image of the deity is kept in the outer hall, known as Mandapam. Every night during the festival, colorful procession is taken out. Destruction of Banasura, the devil, is commemorated on Vijaya Dashami day, which is the concluding day for the nine day long festivities.

Temple Rituals

Every day Puja is carried out with religious fervor in Kerala traditions. The water from holy well inside temple complex is used for Abhishekam ritual meaning bathing the deity with holy water, amidst chanting of hymns. The repetitive chanting of specific hymns is part of daily Puja ritual.

Best time to Visit

The temple can be visited on any of the year. However, devotees prefer to pay obeisance on festival days. Navarathri Festival is a major attraction for most visitors. Darshan of the deity is permitted between 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

How to Reach

By Train

Kanyakumari is the terminating railway station. Railway network connects Kanyakumari to all important cities of India.

By Air

Nearest International airport is at Thiruvananthapuram, which is about 90 kms from Kanyakumari. Another International airport is in Chennai, which is about 700 kms away. Few more nearby airports are Madurai and Kochi which are 250 kms and 300 kms respectively. Daily flights from all these airports fly to various destinations in India and abroad.

By Road

Roads in Tamil Nadu are good. Road travel is hassle free. Buses and taxis at Kanyakumari are available for benefit of tourists.