A memorable trip to the southern tip of the Indian Subcontinent. The countryside just mesmerises anyone and everyone travelling through it.
Trip legs:
Kanyakumari Beach
Vattakottai (Circual Fort) - Ref Wikipedia
ThottiPalam (Mathur Aqueduct) - Ref Wikipedia
Aralvaimozhi (Largest wind farm of Asia) - Ref Wikipedia
Vivekananda Rock Memorial, Kanyakumari Beach - Fully lit up during the night time, waiting for the sunrise.
Sunrise at the Kanyakumari Beach is something you can never forget and one of the must do activities while visitng India. You can never forget because 1. Duh... the beautiful sunrise. 2. Hundreds of people, commoners, pilgrims and tourists gather there for the Surya Namaskaram (Sun Salutation) making it harder for you to get a sight at the scene and that much more worth it. My advice, be there early - like an hour early. You have lot of other things to keep you occupied, like the temples at the shore, vendors providing you variety of small bites, you won't feel bored.
The beautiful sunrise at Cape Comorin. Oh yeah, the British knew Kanyakumari as Cape Comorin throughout their rule.
My brothers enjoying the sight of sun rising between the Vivekananda Rock Memorial and Thiruvalluvar Statue
Vivekananda Rock Memorial - built in 1970 to honour Swami Vivekananda who is said to have attained enlightenment on this rock.
Thiruvalluvar Statue - is a 133 ft. tall statue of the great tamil poet and philosopher Thiruvalluvar who wrote 133 chapters of Thirukural - a great tamil literary work on various aspects of life. The statue alone is 95 ft. mounted on a 38 ft. pedestal to symbolize the 38 chapters of Virtue in Thirukural.
Vivekananda Rock Memorial and Thiruvalluvar Statue - this is a piece of rock 500 meters off the shores of Kanyakumari. One importance of this place is that it is situated at the very southern tip of India and this is the only place in India (and the world, if I can speculate and stretch a bit) where one can see both the sunrise and the sunset, over the horizon, from the same location. Those who are lucky can see the moonrise and sunset at the same time.
This is one end of the secret tunnel, approximately 30 km long, between Vattakottai (Circular Fort) in Kanyakumari and Padmanabhapuram Palace in Thuckalay.
Vattakottai Beach - Fishermen readying the nets for their next catch.
Inside Vattakottai - The fort's well.
Vattakottai - Inside fort walls, on the top deck overlooking the sea and nearby coconut grove
Top Deck of Vattakottai
Thottipalam (Mathur Aqueduct) or the Mathur Hanging Trough is an aqueduct built in the 1960s as a drought relief measure to carry water for irrigation in Kanyakumari Disctrict. It is built across the Parazhiyar river. It is the tallest and longest aqueducts in South Asia.
Aralvaimozhi - At the edge of the Wind farm. Rain clouds over the Western Ghats.
Lush green countryside is always a sight we all long for.
End of the Western Ghats of India.
