A day in Kanyakumari

On my way back from Kuttalam, I was wanting to do something for the next day since it was a Sunday.  Sometimes you need a day when you can just be.  I enquired with the  Kerala Tourism Development Corporation, Thiruvananthapuram and booked my seat for a one day trip to Kanyakumari.

To enjoy the beauty of Kanyakumari, we started our journey from  Thiruvananthapuram early morning at around 7.30 am. Though we were heading to this coastal town in Tamil Nadu state, located at the southernmost tip of India, we decided to stop at a few places in between.

MARVEL AT THE ARCHITECTURE OF PADMANABHAPURAM PALACE

First spot on the way was Padmanabhapuram Palace – The biggest wooden palace in Asia. Situated near Thuckalay, at the foot of the Veli Hills,  it was the erstwhile capital of the Princely State of Travancore.  The fort complex contains several important buildings like the King’s council Chamber, Thai Kottaram, Natakasala and a heritage museum.  This  is one of the property under the Kerala Government in Tamil Nadu. The other one is the Guest house in Kanyakumari.

VISIT TO THE SUCHINDRAM TEMPLE

Out next stop was at Suchindram Temple . This temple is dedicated to Stanumalaya (Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma). The 135 feet tall Gopura is carved into thousands of high relief, exquisitely rendered images of deities and  transcendental pastime scenes. Inside the temple you can watch  the 18 feet Hanuman Statue and the musical pillars.

Just right to the temple is a large water tank with a pillared mandapa, crowned by a vimana in Dravidian style at the center.

Finally, we reached our destination of the day, Kanyakumari. It was already lunch time. We had our lunch from a nearby restaurant. Our next place in the chart was Vivekananda Rock Memorial.

EXPLORE THE VIVEKANANDA ROCK MEMORIAL

Swami Vivekananda Rock Memorial  is a gigantically popular tourist destination in Kanyakumari and is situated on a little rocky island just off the coast, about 500 meters away from the mainland. Built in 1970, this place is an absolute gem.

You can avail ferry service to reach the rocks from the mainland for Rs.20 per person. We busied ourselves with doing nothing - watching the waves and balancing in our seat.

Upon reaching, you need to take an entry fee of Rs.10 per person.  Legend says that Swami Vivekananda came to Kanyakumari on 24.02.1892 and meditated on this rock for few days before his departure for Chicago to participate in the World Religious Conference in 1893.

The best experience is that you can spend some time for meditation at the back side of the Memorial and feel the power that Vivekananda might have felt.

Another building on the rock is Sripada mandapam, which is adjacent to Vivekananda Mandapam, where one can sit in a serene atmosphere and meditate.

Thiruvalluvar Statue is located on one of the two rocks which is adjacent to Swami Vivekananda Rock Memorial separated by about 70 meters. This 133 feet statue is the memorial of the great Tamil poet Saint Thiruvalluvar .

A visit here is one of the most unique things to do in Kanyakumari. Too soon it was time to leave the place and we headed back to the mainland.

RELAX IN TRIVENI SANGAM

Here, the Bay of Bengal meets the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea. A dip in the ‘Triveni Sangam’ (confluence of the three seas) at Kanyakumari is considered holy. This is the place where you can see both the sunrise and the sunset.

This place offers a number of beautiful spots to get your pictures clicked. It’s almost impossible to come up with a short phrase to describe this distinctive, genius space.

Sitting on the rocks with sea waves just an arm away is something that should be experienced and not explained. A short meditation can really make you feel so much one with yourself and you almost feel connected to the rest  of the world, and if you close your eyes, the sound of waves hitting the shores is the best music that you can ever hear.

VISIT TO THE TSUNAMI MEMORIAL

As the name suggests, this monument was built in the memory of those who died in the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.

DIVINE EXPERIENCE AT KUMARI BHAGAVATHY AMMAN TEMPLE

Probably the most famous place to visit in Kanyakumari is the Kumari Bhagvaty Amman Temple. According to legend, this 3000 years old temple is dedicated to the goddess Parvati who appeared in a form of Kanyakumari as the Kanya Devi, the virgin goddess.

 

HANG OUT AT GANDHI MEMORIAL

Visiting Gandhi Memorial is an altogether  different experience. It is said that after the assassination of Gandhiji  in 1948, the urn containing his ashes was kept here for the public to pay their homage before being immersed in the Triveni Sangam. The architectural style of Gandhi Memorial resembles that of Odisha temples. The height of the central dome is 79 feet, representing Gandhi’s age when he died. 

Gandhi Memorial Kanyakumari

HEADING HOME

In the evening,  we bid goodbye to Kanyakumari wishing to return back at any given opportunity. An ideal day when nothing was required but just to enjoy being.

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Road trip to Kuttalam

Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala, has many places that can be easily accessed over a long weekend. I was keen to go on a long drive in my Wagon R and so me and my friend decided to head to Kuttalam in the Kerala - Tamilnadu boarder.

The objective of the trip was to explore the road to Thenmala, Chenkotta and Kuttalam. The route offers an ideal option for those seeking solitude. You can find several temples at regular intervals and you will come across some of the most stunning landscapes.

Our Itinerary:
Thiruvananthapuram - Nedumangad - Palode - Kulathupuzha - Thenmala (73 kms) - Chenkotta - Kuttalam

I started early from Thiruvananthapuram so as to beat the city traffic. My friend joined me from Nedumangad . A little into the drive, I discovered that both of us are music lovers especially good old Malayalam songs, since both us are almost in the same age group.

First spot on the way was the Kulathupuzha Sastha temple, dedicated to Lord Ayyappa. But we skipped this to cover during our return journey as we had to reach Kuttalam by afternoon. After having some snacks from the roadside eateries, we again started our drive to Kuttalam. You will love the atmosphere and surroundings in this route.  Just as we made our way up the ghats it started drizzling. I opened the window of the car to let the cool breeze blow right into the car.

Our next stop was at Pallamvetti Mahadeva temple. People from far off places who do not have children come here with dresses for babies which are tied onto the branches of trees.

Our next stop was Saddledam Dam - the boating centre of Thenmala ecotourism centre and is located at Pallamvetty. Since monsoon season was over, there was less water in the Dam. The Dam premises has a unique scenic beauty and hillocks of high lush evergreen forests.

We had pit stop to take photograph of the newly constructed 13-arch flyover for Punaloor - Chenkotta Meter Gauge.   Punalur-Shencotta metre-gauge line is the century-old flyover along the Western Ghats near Thenmala.

By now we were driving along the hill road.  Good road condition and pleasant weather made our drive enjoyable.  The picturesque lush green surroundings is sure to mesmerise you. You will come across many monkeys in this area, jumping on the branches of trees, sitting along the road and grabbing food bags from tourists.

Finally, we reached near our destination for the day, Shencotta. Kuttalam is just 7 kms from Shencotta. Exceptionally picturesque drive with dense vegetated fields and accompanying river streams resulted in frequent halts for photography.

You will love the atmosphere and surroundings of this spot. Our  lunch was on our way to Kuttalam, a typical Non Veg Thali which offers locally sourced cuisine  in a very relaxed atmosphere. Chicken was highly featured in the menu. After having lunch, we again started our drive to Kuttalam.

We were lucky to see the majestic Kuttalam waterfalls.This is the most important spot in the region. As the monsoon season was over, water was flowing in a narrow lane.

Kuttalam waterfalls

And I walked towards my car bidding adieu to the place, where I vowed to come again.

We were lucky to see the beautiful view of  sun rays shining on the top of the hills during sunset on our way back to Shencotta.

The green drive and the pretty roads will leave you awed, while the idyllic beauty of the journey and the destination will make you cool.

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Photo Update: Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2016

This is the second time I got an opportunity to visit Kochi-Muziris Biennale for its 3rd edition and was thrilled with  the art installations. 

I started from Aspinwall House and then visited Greenix  and  Pepper House exhibits. On the way I stopped at various art installations, and clicked pictures of interesting art installations and information relating to them.

 Here then, is the Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2016, through my lens:

The Pyramid of Exiled Poets an installation by Slovenian litterateur Ales Steger  at Aspinwall House, Fort Kochi

The Sea of Pain, an installation by Chilean poet Raul Zurita at Aspinwall House, Fort Kochi

Dance of Death,  an installation by Yardena Kurulkar at Aspinwall House, Fort Kochi . Yardena Kurulkar creates a point of confrontation between life and death by mixing media with light bulbs

Big Dog, an installation by Chinese artist Liu Wei at Aspinwall House, Fort Kochi . Big Dog ia a large sculptural installation crafted primarily from oxhide dog chews.

Ghost Keeping, a sculptural installation by Romanian artist Istvan Csakany, depicting a textile factory at Aspinwall House, Fort Kochi .

Cut out Archive-Schoolpurchase in Coir an installation by Pranith Soyi at Pepper House, Fort Kochi.

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