Kanyakumari – II
Continued from Kanyakumari – I
Back at Kanyakumari, getting to Vivekananda Rock Memorial is an effort. I am not the only one headed that way; there is an army of pilgrims waiting to get to the place where the highly revered monk meditated. There is a queue to get tickets for the boat, another to get into the boat, yet another to buy tickets to get into the island once you alight from the boat. The boat itself is packed tightly. Sitting inside, I feel like chickens transported in their cramped cells. The contractors who run the boats, who prefer to call themselves as a ‘Shipping Company’, enforce the passengers into wearing life jackets, but it is a pointless effort. It is impossible even to get out of the boat in case of an accident: on the top is a metaled roof which prevents your exit, and seating and the thick crowd of people around you prevent you from rushing out through the passage. The island is bustling with tourists and it is hard to get a quiet moment. Surrounded by the sea, it is a beautiful place where I wished to spend the whole day, but changed my mind quickly and returned to mainland.
The rock memorial blends well with its surrounding, but the Thiruvalluvar statue in the neighbouring rock doesn’t. Unlike the structure of the memorial which merges smoothly with the rock, the statue feels out of place, rising suddenly and steeply from its base. It’s built by binding many pieces of rock into one, and their ugly joints are visible from as far as the mainland. The rock is littered with broken boulders, and silvery metal pillars installed at its base to provide lighting add to the ugliness. I am surprised to see a seemingly half cooked product from the same person – Eknath Ranade – who elaborately planned and worked for the Vivekananda Memorial.
That afternoon, I take a stroll in the leafy environs of Vivekananda Kendra. The Kendra is a spiritual center setup by Eknath Ranade, the person who worked on establishing the Vivekananda Memorial. The large 100-acre campus has a small forest where I spot a few peacocks running around. The campus adjoins a quiet sandy beach, which I could have all for myself for a long time. Its peaceful environs were motivation enough, the next morning I checked out from my hotel, and moved into the campus.
View Kanyakumari in a larger map
Map of Kanyakumari with places to see
I spent most of my remaining time wandering within the town, not missing sunrise and sunset everyday, looking for peacocks in Vivekananda Kendra or having moments of solitudes at the beach. The sunrise, sunset, pleasing breeze on the shore and the superb greenery kept me in Kanyakumari for longer than I initially planned. I kept postponing my return for a couple of days, but eventually had to leave and make a long journey back home.
Kanyakumari Information
Needless to say, Kanyakumari is the southern tip of mainland India. It is also the confluence of three seas – Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea. On the southernmost tip is the Kanyakumari Temple. Said to be 1000 year old, it is a popular pilgrimage destination. Vivekananda Rock, a large boulder jutting out of the sea, is the place where Swami Vivekananda meditated during later part of 19th century. The memorial for the monk built on the rock attracts pilgrims in drones. Vivekananda Center near Kanyakumari Temple, a museum that has frames portraying the life of Vivekananda with pictures and stories is ignored by most visitors but is worth visiting.
Being a cape at the southern edge, you can witness both sunrise and sunset over the sea. Both are not to be missed, especially in winter days when you can see colorful sunsets.
Padmanabhapuram Palace, once the abode of Travancore Kings is an hour by bus from Kanyakumari. Take the frequently available bus from Kanyakumari to Thuckalay, from where the palace is 3km ride on auto-rickshaw. On the way is Shuchindram, 15 minutes by bus from Kanyakumari, which has a Shiva temple with a tall gopura, adjoining a large tank.
The Vivekananda Kendra, located in a 100-acre leafy campus conducts multi-day meditation courses. Call them to find out the dates and book ahead.
Accommodation is in plenty in Kanyakumari, but can often get booked out with pilgrims arriving in large groups. TTDC Hotel is worth staying it, so is the quiet Vivekananda Kendra.