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Post by spindrift1 on May 25, 2013 18:17:44 GMT
May I present the wonderfully photogenic Cape Comorin! Kanyakumari is the Land's End of India and is famous for overlooking three seas - the Arabian sea, the Bay of Bengal and the Indian ocean. If you are fortunate to be here on a full moon night then you will witness the sun rising over the Indian ocean at the same time as the moon sets over the Arabian sea! We missed the full moon by one week. Every religious Hindu will come here once in a lifetime to take a holy bathe in the sea and to make offerings to his/her ancestors. On Christmas Day 1892, Swami Vivekananda swam to the island to spend the night meditating on Mother India and the validity of her Great Traditions in the face of the challenge of modernity. Here he resolved to 'dedicate himself to the service of the Motherland and to spread the message of the Vedas'. And so he did. Swami Vivekananda was the disciple of Sri Ramakrishna. People also come here just to see the sun rise; every morning singing and chanting starts well before dawn and is broadcast throughout the town. I think these chants must be ragas to welcome the new day. Everyone tumbles out onto their balconies or onto the jetty to watch the sun rise. It is indeed a wonderful sight.
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Post by htmb on May 25, 2013 21:49:37 GMT
Beautiful, spindrift! I assume the statue with scaffolding is undergoing maintenance. Is that correct?
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Post by bixaorellana on May 26, 2013 2:29:12 GMT
Your OP reads like the beginning of a story with all elements, including fantasy. Certainly the view of the place fits that!
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Post by Deleted on May 26, 2013 7:20:05 GMT
That is a church in the foreground?
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Post by spindrift1 on May 26, 2013 10:06:45 GMT
htmb - yes the statue is undergoing maintenance. It's such a huge statue and I think it spoils the view! I said as much on Trip Adviser but they refused to publish my comment!
yes, Kerouac, this is a church. There are many churches in Kanyakumari and many Catholics. Indeed once we started travelling on the road up the west coast we found churches everywhere. St Francis Xavier made great inroads converting people from Goa downwards. Many Jesuits and missionaries followed.
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Post by spindrift1 on May 26, 2013 18:18:16 GMT
Kanyakumari on the map of India Instead of our driver taking 6 hours to reach our destination, he took 4 hours! When we arrived in the town we had to search for a hotel. This was not difficult because no sooner than we realised that the Hotel Maadhini overlooked the sea and had balconies than we immediately moved in! Our rooms would face the rising sun. This was the view from our balconies. to the left: to the right: looking down: straight ahead was the breakwater where people went to view the sunrise - those that didn't have a balcony... The first morning I woke just ten minutes too late. The sun had already risen. I felt so frustrated. I would make sure that I would wake on time the following morning.
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Post by spindrift1 on May 26, 2013 19:30:06 GMT
Kanyakumari takes its name from the Hindu goddess Kanyakumari. Kumari means 'virgin goddess'. She is also known as Kanya Devi and she blesses those who come to the town and her temple. The Kumari Amman temple is 3,000 years old.
In his work on ancient India, Ptolemy had identified Cape Comorin as a centre of the pearl trade.
Kanyakumari has been a great centre for art, trade, commerce and religion for many centuries. According to christain legends Christianity came to these shores in AD52 brought by the Apostle St. Thomas, then in the 16th century St Francis Xavier continued to spread the word....
There are two rocky islets offshore - one is the Vivekananda Rock Memorial (where the temple-like building is) and it is reached by ferry; the other is the 133ft statue of the Tamil poet and saint Thiruvalluvar, covered with scaffolding during my visit.
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Post by spindrift1 on May 26, 2013 20:28:50 GMT
After breakfast we walked towards the jetty with the idea of taking the ferry to the island. It was a Sunday and we joined a queue of hundreds, if not a thousand, people also waiting to go. The sun beat down on us even though it was early. Someone kindly told us that if we were willing to pay double we could skip the long queue and go at once to the front! We did this although I felt uneasy about it. Almost immediately we were told to board the ferry. We read the Thiruvalluvar poster on the way - and set off for the island.
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Post by anshjain97 on May 27, 2013 2:11:10 GMT
The sunrise picture is nice- the way it shines over the boats.
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Post by Deleted on May 27, 2013 3:58:00 GMT
I have seen that South Indian sun before -- even when it is just above the horizon it is already fiery hot!
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Post by spindrift1 on May 27, 2013 11:10:34 GMT
Yes, I was really concerned about getting sunstroke that day with the sun overhead at midday and no shade on the island. The ferries run all day every day. The ride over takes about 5 minutes. It is a lot of fun. There are pilgrims from all over India. We talked to some from Gujarat, Punjab, Maharashtra.... Everyone was very friendly and I was mobbed by a crowd of schoolboys who wanted their pictures taken! The ferry heading for the island. On arrival we headed to the place where the teachings of Vivekananda were explained in brief: This is what I read:
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Post by bixaorellana on May 27, 2013 12:54:09 GMT
Wow, Spindrift ~~ this is my favorite part of your monumental visit to India so far. Can't wait to see more. You don't exaggerate when you say it's "wonderfully photogenic". The ferry ride sounds like so much fun. Do you know if you all were there during some kind of peak season, or do that many pilgrims come all year round?
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Post by htmb on May 27, 2013 13:39:30 GMT
The name Swami Vivekenanda seemed familiar to me and then I realized why. Gurudev Yogi Amrit Desai, who has an institute not far from where I live, is a follower of Swami Vivekenanda. I took yoga classes from one of his students for a few years.
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Post by spindrift1 on May 28, 2013 11:20:23 GMT
Bixa - believers flock to Kanyakumari all the year round however numbers increase when there are festivals and at the time of the full moon every month htmb - it is interesting to me that there is an institute near you that follows Swami Vivekenanda who, in turn, followed Sri Ramakrishna A link to the website of Vivekanadna - www.vivekananda.org/quotes.aspx
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Post by spindrift1 on May 28, 2013 11:33:35 GMT
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Post by anshjain97 on May 28, 2013 13:49:34 GMT
Really, a great thread. FAR more interesting than I thought Kanyakumari would be, given what I've heard about it elsewhere.
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Post by nycgirl on May 28, 2013 16:17:04 GMT
Charming place. I really like your photos of the locals, too.
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Post by spindrift1 on May 28, 2013 17:51:59 GMT
Thanks Ansh and nycg... Ansh - I, also, had heard very negative things about Kanyakumari and even discussed skipping out on this part of our trip. My friend, however, was determined to go so I capitulated. I am glad that I did this now. It turned out to be one of our special places. I think that most people are put off by the stink and mess on the beaches. They look great from above where we were staying, but when you walk down and stroll around on ground level, then it's shockingly filthy. I am sure there is not and has not been any plumbing in the little town on the seashore. But added to this detritus is plastic of every description and old rags including the devotees clothes/sarees flung into the sea and then washed up. But the town itself is rather charming up on the hill. The simple (very simple) restaurants sell only veg meals which is only right and the food is good and there are many stalls selling conch shells for blowing during pujas. Around the temple and right next to the sea there is a large area set up with stalls for selling clothing and other necessities. This comes alive at night. We enjoyed ourselves in Kanyakumari and were sorry to leave. I would return there...
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Post by anshjain97 on May 29, 2013 0:27:42 GMT
Cheers, spindrift. Have added Kanyakumari to my rather short list of short breaks.
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Post by lugg on May 29, 2013 6:41:46 GMT
Fascinating , it looks such a lovely place ... and then I read your commentary about the filth and stink It must have been very special indeed to overcome this and still find it such an enjoyable place . The sun rise photo is fab and so are the photos of the girls and boys
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Post by spindrift1 on May 29, 2013 17:59:34 GMT
Ansh - I am sure you will enjoy Kanyakumari! Try and stay in one of the hotels with balconies that face the sea. I found the temple to be fascinating in every way. It was here we were taken into the sanctum sanctorum - don't miss this.
Lugg - yes, it was special! once away from the beach area there was no stink!
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Post by spindrift1 on May 29, 2013 18:06:57 GMT
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Post by spindrift1 on May 29, 2013 20:17:44 GMT
Kanyakumari is famous for its sunrises so I thought I would first show the sun setting behind the town. Our hotel is to the left of the sun and you an see that it has ugly balconies. Never mind. and the next morning, bright and early, 5.40am to be precise, I tumbled out of bed to photograph the sunrise..... plenty more to come
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Post by bixaorellana on May 29, 2013 20:46:54 GMT
What a stunning sunset sequence! My reaction was the same as Lugg's. I'm very interested to see the rest of this thread, as you obviously enjoyed it there, but must have avoided the beach after the first day. believers flock to Kanyakumari all the year round however numbers increase when there are festivals and at the time of the full moon every month I looked up April 7 and saw that you all were there when the moon was dark. Can't imagine the crowds when it's full! Thanks for showing the rocks. I'm fascinated by spots that mark the far borders of places. Love your photos, particularly the top right one of the women in @21. And I hope you don't mind, but I got a laugh at this: Kids!! India ~ | | | V Mexico ~ ;D ;D ;D
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Post by spindrift1 on May 29, 2013 20:52:50 GMT
Yes! Similar! Happy kids....love it! Could you send me the link to the website about cycles of the moon? I would love to see this....
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Post by spindrift1 on May 29, 2013 21:40:13 GMT
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Post by bixaorellana on May 30, 2013 0:39:53 GMT
Great colors. Boy, there are shrines everywhere!
Re: moon ~~ I just googled "moon phase april 7". If you google "moon phases", you'll get hits to many sites.
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Post by anshjain97 on May 30, 2013 2:57:55 GMT
Great colours!
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Post by spindrift1 on May 30, 2013 12:29:05 GMT
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Post by spindrift1 on May 30, 2013 12:38:56 GMT
At last we walked towards the Kumari Amman Temple. According to legend the kanya (virgin) goddess Devi single-handedly conquered evil forces and secured freedom for the world.
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