Top 8 Places Near Kanyakumari That You Should Definitely Visit

Kanyakumari lies in the southern tip of India and it is special for so many reasons. The confluence of the three main oceans and the fact that it is a wonderful beach, all adds to the charm of the place. However, people associate Kanyakumari with only a few chosen monuments like the temple of Goddess Kanya, the Vivekananda Rock Memorial and the Statue of Thiruvallavur. However, just a little way off this charming city, there are some other wonderful places to visit and they will make a great trip if you are on an extended vacation. Here are some of the places to visit outside Kanyakumari which will lend new vigor to your travels.

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Top 8 Places to Visit Near Kanyakumari:

1. Padmanabhapuram Palace
2. Vattakotai Fort
3. Thanumalayan Temple
4. Mathur Aqueduct
5. Our Lady Ransom Church
6. View Tower
7. Chitharal Jain Monuments
8. Witness the Tribeni Sangam

1. Padmanabhapuram Palace

This stunning palace is renowned for its Kerala style of architecture although the region is in Tamil Nadu. The palace was initially the residence of the rulers of Travancore. Do not expect a flashy and ornamented building as most other palaces usually are. Rather, the overall architecture is very simple and unique and wood is used extensively. The Venad Ruler, Iravi Verma Kulasekhara Perumal gave away this place to Thucklay around the year 1601 AD. The palace looked quite different back then till in 1750 it was heavily renovated by King Marthanda Verma and ruled with the name of Padmanabha Dasa, thus giving the palace and the surrounding his name. He had devoted the entire kingdom to Lord Padmanabha, a manifestation of Lord Vishnu, and who was the family deity of their dynasty. The wood work is not only strong, but are covered with intricate floral carvings and fascinating murals from the 17^th and 18^th century. The palace has black granite floor and there are picture of Lord Krishna adorning the walls. You will also find musical instruments made from mahogany carefully preserved and there are windows of colored mica. The palace has some truly amazing things to see like the medicinal bed of the King which is said to cure one of all illnesses if you lie on it. There are secret underground passages and there is a wonderful temple of Goddess Saraswati inside the temple. The temple has brass hangings which are from the era of the rulers and they are lighted to this day.

2. Vattakotai Fort

There are few places on the planet which will offer you a glimpse of the sea and the hills at the same time and the Vattakotai Fort is one of them. You can see on one side of the fort and if you look the other way, you will see the Western Ghats spread out before you. This seaside fort once formed a major line of defense. The fort was built around the 18^th century by the Capatin Eusachias De Lannoy, who was a chief commander of the army of Travancore when it was under the Dutch. He was an ex- Dutch naval officer who worked for the Dutch East India Company and he chose the perfect spot for the fort. It can be said that the fort truly served its purpose in the earlier days. At present, the fort is under the care of the Archeological Department and has been renovated as tourists from Kanyakumari have started visiting this place recently in huge numbers. The fort is about 7 km from the main city. If you head to the beach from here you will find that the beach has black sand because of the high level of minerals that are mixed with the soil.

3. Thanumalayan Temple

If you love visiting old temple and admire their architecture, then this temple will surely win your heart. This temple has a calm and serene ambience and even if you are not religious, you should come here to experience the spirituality of the place. It is a major center for the Hindu worshippers and the temple is located about 13 km from the main city. The Gopuram to the temple is itself a whopping 7 storeys tall which can be seen from a long way off. The temple is full of intricate carvings and you will find idols and paintings inside. The temple stands on Suchindram, which was built in the 17^th century and worshippers pray to all three major gods of Hindu culture- Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. It is said that this is how the temple gets its name as Thanu refers to Lord Shiva, Mal to Lord Vishnu and Ayan to Lord Brahma.

4. Mathur Aqueduct

This aqueduct happens to be the highest and longest of all the aqueducts in South Asia. It is carved over the Pahruli River and has an immensely strong foundation built with 28 pillars. It is also known by the name of Mathur Hanging Trough. The aqueduct serves the very important purpose of carrying water from one hill to another for irrigation. It is situated about 60 km away from Kanyakumari but the trip there is worth it as you will encounter stunning natural beauty around. It is one of the most scenic places to visit around Kanyakumari. If you come here during the winters, you will hear many unknown birds and will see the hills around come alive with all kinds of flowers and orchids.

5. Our Lady Ransom Church

One of the best ways to reconnect with your spiritual side is to visit a church because it is one of the calmest places to worship. The Lady of Ransom Church is a stunning example of architecture and is only a little way off the beach. It is entirely white in color and it is a major site to visit. The church has beautiful stained glasswork on the doors and windows and there is a gold alter which has the statue of Mother Mary and Jesus Christ, along with the other disciples. The statues are all intricately carved and almost lifelike. It is believed that one of the disciples of Lord Jesus himself, St. Thomas, came to these parts to preach Christianity which is why this region comprises of so many Christians, forming about 50% of the main population.

6. View Tower

The View Tower is located right at the border of Kanyakumari and it will offer you splendid views of the city at a sweeping glance. It is definitely one of the top tourist spots of the city. You will be able to see the Kumari Amman Temple, the statue of Thruvallavur and the Vivekananda Rock memorial all at once. There are also telescopes attached to the top of the tower so that you will be able to see distant objects of interest with ease. You will be able to look far out into the sea and catch sight of the beautiful tourist spots from once place. The tower is open from 5 am to 7 pm.

7. Chitharal Jain Monuments

The Jain architecture of the 9^th century will surely impress you and will offer you a deep insight about the religious diversity of the region. You will find many monuments of different religion here and the Chithraj Monument is situated in a little village of Ahmedabad which still continue to draw tourists. This Jain temple was actually a place of shelter for the monks of the Digambara Sect of Jainism. The village was made Thirucharanthapulli. Moreover, this village was also once a Jain training center and although the village is laregely in ruins, it is still worth a visit. Along with the main temple, the village is also well known for caves which house the rock cut figures of the Tirthankaras and the other deities. The Jain Tamil King Mahendravarman I was the first person to introduce Jainism to this region. Much later in 1250 AD, the temple was transformed into a Hindu one and the Goddess Bhagwati was worshipped here. There are 9 stone inscriptions in all and there are statues of 23 Jain Tirthankaras which have still survived for over a thousand years.

8. Witness the Tribeni Sangam

The confluence of Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean is a magical place and the sunrise and sunset here will leave for a loss of words. You have to come here to witness the amazing sunrise and sunset here and during the months of October to February, you can see them happening simultaneously- that is while the sun sets in the west, the moon is already up at the other side and the next morning when the moon sets, you could see the sun rising in the east. This is truly a spectacular phenomenon and many tourists come here and wait here for hours to catch a glimpse of this amazing phenomenon.

You will find a number of attractions not only in Kanyakumari, but also in the vicinity nearby. If you are looking for offbeat places to visit in Kanyakumari during the vacation, away from the chaos of the more touristy places, then a trip to the places to visit near Kanyakumari would be a most relaxing and educative one.