Kanyakumari
Kanyakumari is a town and municipality in Kanyakumari district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India.
It is the southernmost tip of the contiguous Indian subcontinent and the southernmost city in mainland India, and thus it is informally referred to as "The Land's End". Kanyakumari town is about 90 kilometres (56 mi) from Thiruvananthapuram and 20 kilometres (12 mi) south of Nagercoil, the headquarters of Kanyakumari district.
Getting to Kanyakumari
Thiruvananthapuram (TRV IATA) of neighbouring state Kerala (Keralam), is the nearest international airport, with direct flights from the Middle East, Singapore, Maldives and Sri Lanka. And is served by Air-India, among others. From there it takes about three hours by train or bus or taxi.
- 01Kanyakumari
Buses are frequently available from Nagercoil, the closest major transport hub.
Worth seeing
The main attraction of Kanyakumari is the Vivekananda Rock and the Thiruvalluvar Statue. If you can escape from the crowds, you can visit Vivekanandapuram (the only peaceful area in Kanyakumari) maintained by the Ramakrishna Mission. It has its own lodging and boarding arrangements. If you'd like to see the sunset or sunrise, it is recommended that you see it from the beach at Vivekanandapuram.
- 01Vivekananda Rock Memorial
- 02Thiruvalluvar Statue
Thiruvalluvar Statue is dedicated to arguably the greatest Tamil poet, philosopher and saint, Thiruvalluvar.
- 03Vivekananda Kendra
Vivekanandapuram is the headquarters of the Vivekananda Kendra and the centre spreads over an area of 100 acres.
- 04Kanyakumari Bhagavathi Temple
Kanyakumari Devi Temple is the main reason for naming the place as Kannyakumari or the "Land of the unmarried girl".
- 05Our Lady of Ransom Church
On the shoreline of the Bay of Bengal, the 100-year-old Church of Our Lady of Ransom is dedicated to Mother Mary.
- 06Tsunami Memorial
Tsunami Memorial is a monument recognizing the tragic events of the 2004 tsunami that claimed the lives of many Kanyakumari denizens.
Things to do
Vivekananda Rock memorial has a special meditation room which is absolutely quiet. One could meditate there. People also wet their feet on the shores of the ocean before entering the temple as the waters considered sacred. Bathing is banned in many parts of the beach (though you may find some people bathing) due to a number of tourists dying each year from the powerful ocean waves.
- 01Baywatch
Baywatch is a water theme amusement park at Sunset Point and is home to India's first wax museum.
- 02Kanyakumari Beach
- 03View Tower
Where to eat
The food in Kanyakumari is more of the classic South Indian style. It is mostly vegetarian, and maybe even some Tamil favourites including idlis, sambar, dosa, and related are available. Typical South Indian vegetarian food is available. In some cases, they may serve you the food on the traditional banana leaf. South Indian food is more of an acquired taste for some people from the Western part of the world.
Getting around Kanyakumari the local way
- Get aroundAuto-rickshaws (tuk tuks) are available, along with buses.
From Wikivoyage: Kanyakumari, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Ravivg5 (CC BY-SA 3.0), Wikimedia Commons.
