Kanyakumari

coastal city in the state of Tamil Nadu on main land India's southern tip

Kanyakumari (US: /kənˈjʌkʊmɑːr/); lit. "The Virgin Princess" (also known as Cape Comorin) is a town in Kanyakumari District in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. The town is at the southern tip of Indian subcontinent. The As southernmost town in India, it is sometimes called 'The Land's End'.

Kanyakumari
Cape Comorin
Vivekananda Rock Memorial, Kanyakumari
Vivekananda Rock Memorial, Kanyakumari
Nickname(s): 
Cape Comorin, Kumari, Thiruvenisangam
Kanyakumari is located in Tamil Nadu
Kanyakumari
Kanyakumari
Kanyakumari is located in India
Kanyakumari
Kanyakumari
Coordinates: 8°05′02″N 77°32′46″E / 8.084°N 77.546°E / 8.084; 77.546
CountryIndia
StateTamil Nadu
DistrictKanyakumari
Named forDevi Kanya Kumari
Government
 • TypeTown Panchayat
 • BodyKanyakumari Town Panchayat
 • District CollectorArvind
 • Member of ParliamentVijay Vasanth
 • Member of Legislative AssemblyThalavai Sundaram
Area
 • Total25.89 km2 (10.00 sq mi)
Elevation
30 m (100 ft)
Population
 (2012)
 • Total29,761
 • Density665/km2 (1,720/sq mi)
Languages
 • OfficialTamil
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN
629 702
Telephone code91-4652 & 91-4651
Vehicle registrationTN 74 & TN 75
Websitewww.kanniyakumari.nic.in

Kanyakumari is a popular tourist destination in India. It is famous for its ocean sunrise, sunset and moonrise. It also has the 133-foot (41 m) Thiruvalluvar Statue and Vivekananda Rock Memorial off the coast. The town is a pilgrimage centre.[1] Kanyakumari is bordered on the west, south and east by the Laccadive Sea.[2] It has a coastal line of 71.5 kilometres (44.4 mi) stretched on the three sides.[3]

The town is 90 kilometres (56 mi) km south of Thiruvananthapuram city. It is about 20 kilometres (12 mi) south of Nagercoil, the headquarters of Kanyakumari District.

On the shores of the town is a temple dedicated to Goddess Kanyakumari (the virgin Goddess). That is how the town got its name.[4] Kanyakumari has been a city since the Sangam period. It and has been referred to in old Malayalam literature and in the writings of Ptolemy and Marco Polo.[4][5][6]

References

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  1. "India Getaways: 16 Reasons Why You Should be Holidaying in Tamil Nadu | Nat Geo Traveller India". Archived from the original on 25 June 2022. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
  2. "Limits of Oceans and Seas, 3rd edition" (PDF). International Hydrographic Organization. 1953. p. 21. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 October 2011. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  3. Kanniyakumari
  4. 4.0 4.1 "Kanyakumari Beach and Sunset". Archived from the original on 24 January 2021. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
  5. Kanakasabhai, V (1997). The Malayalees Eighteen Hundred Years Ago. Asian Educational Services. p. 10. ISBN 8120601505.
  6. Abraham, Shinu (2003). "Chera, Chola, Pandya: using archaeological evidence to identify the Tamil kingdoms of early historic South India". Asian Perspectives. 42 (2): 207–223. doi:10.1353/asi.2003.0031. hdl:10125/17189. S2CID 153420843. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 20 June 2022.