Sunday, October 18, 2009

Kanyakumari







Kanyakumari is located at the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent. The small temple dedicated to Kanyakumari is located on the seashore, in the town known by the same name. Kanyakumari was referred to by the British as Cape Commorin.
Kanyakumari represents the site where the spiritual leader Swami Vivekananda spent days in meditation upon a rock off of the coast. Vivekananda rock is built as a memorial. There is also a recently built memorial to Tiruvalluvar, the author of the philosophical work
Legend says that demon Banasura was havoc to the people of this world, and that Mahavishnu requested the Gods and the humans to request Paraasakthi to vanquish the demon. Answering the prayers of the oppressed, Shakti appeared as a young virgin girl at Kanyakumari and commenced penance with the desire of marrying Shiva at Suchindram.
Legend has it that the celestial Sage Narada fixed the midnight hour as the auspicious time for the wedding. When Shiva's procession reached a site by name Vazhukkumpaarai, Narada crowed, heralding daybreak, and that Shiva assuming that the auspicious hour was past, returned to Suchindram. The disappointed Goddess decided to spend her life in Kanyakumari as a virgin, and that all the food prepared for the wedding was laid waste and that it turned into the colored sand seen on the southern shores of the subcontinent.
The demon Banasura upon hearing of Shakti's story proceeded to Kanyakumari to win her hand in marriage by force, and this led to a fierce battle in which he was slain by her by using her chakrayuda.
The temple: The black stone image of Kanyakumari in the sanctum bearing a garland is an enchanting one. Of particular significance is the glittering nose ring that is visible from a distance. Legend has it that the light emanating from this nose ring misguided arriving ships and caused them to crash onto the rocky coast. There is a door now, to the east of the shrine which is opened only five times a year. There are also shrines to Vijayasundari and Balasundari, friends and playmates of the Goddess in her youthful form. There are a total of 11 theerthams associated with the temple in the ocean surrounding the area. The confluence of the seas, at the southern tip of the subcontinent has been held sacred for centuries. Kanyakumari was installed and worshipped by Parasurama.


places of interest


Devi Kumari Temple, Swami Vivekananda rock, Saint Thiruvalluvar statue, Gandhi memorial mandapam, sunrise and sunset at kanyakumari.

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