Kanyakumari

Kanyakumari District is the third-most advanced district in Tamil Nadu. It had a population of 1,676,034, as of 2001. It is 71.27% urbanised as per Census 2001

The district has a literacy rate of 98%, the highest in the state.

Its a district of scenic beauty with pleasant sholas hill top forests, beautiful grass lands, panoramic valleys, top hillocks, singing streams, vast stretches of rubber plantations, valuable teak plantations and excellent climate. Mahendragiri, Maramalai, Sea field and Balamore estate, Ecology farm, Kalikesam, Pechiparai Dam, Perunchani Dam, Upper Kodayar, Maruthamparai and Mukkudal

Thiruparappu:

The Kodayar River makes its descent at Thiruparappu The water fall at this place is about 13km. from Pechiparai dam. The river bed is rocky and about 300 feet in length. The water falls from a height of nearly 50 feet and the water flows for about seven months in a year. The whole bed above the falls is one rocky mass which extends 250 m upstream where the Thirparappu weir has been constructed for supplying water to the paddy fields.

On either side of the river, on the left bank of the river in between the water falls and the weir, there is a temple dedicated to Siva enclosed by strong fortification. The District Administration has recently constructed a swimming pool for children over here which is very popular among the children.

Padbanathapuram is an important tourist attraction in Kanniyakumari District. It was an ancient Capital of the Travancore rulers until 1798 A.D. There is a palace inside the fort that spreads over an area of 6 acres. The palace is known for it antiques, including the armoury of the royal family. The woodwork in this palace is intricate. This Palace is maintained by the Govt.of Kerala Tourism Board.

Other tourist locations include Thirparappu Waterfalls, Thiruvalluvar Statue in Kanniyakumari. One can take a bus from Thiruvananthapuram or Nagercoil and get down at Thuckalay, which is two kilometers away from Padbanathapuram. The nearest places around this old capital city of South travancore is Marunthukottai (It is a very old fort having weapons storage facility), Saralvilai, Kumarakoil (Lord. Siva Temple), Moolachel, Charode, Manali, Udaygiri fort



The Thiruvalluvar Statue is a 133 feet (40.5 m) tall stone sculpture of the Tamil poet and saint Tiruvalluvar, author of the Thirukkural. It was completed in 2000 and is located atop a small island near the town of Kanyakumari, where three oceans meet; the Bay of Bengal, the Indian Ocean, and the Arabian Sea


Vivekananda Rock Memorial is a sacred monument and popular tourist attraction in Kanyakumari, India. The memorial stands on one of two rocks located about 500 meters off mainland India'ssouthernmost tip.


Kalikesam is a scenic picnic spot in the Kanyakumari district in Tamil Nadu, India which is famous for its thick forest and rubber plantations. The Kali temple situated here attracts many pilgrims. There is a rocky river with crystal clear water. It is a nice place for people who love peace and nature.


Vattakottai Fort, or Circular Fort, is a fort near Kanyakumari, right on the sea-shore, built under the orders of De Lannoy during the reign of Marthanda varma (1729-58 AD). The view from the top of the fort, of the sea and the palm-fringed beach below is fantastic.

Mathur Hanging Trough, near Thiruvattar in the District, is an aqueduct that carries irrigation water through a canal between two hills. The canal itself goes above a small river. Built on very high pillars, it is said to be one of the biggest aqueducts, both in height and length, in Asia. The view from the middle of the aqueduct of the surrounding hills and vegetation and the small river flowing down below is superb.

Kodhayar (called Kodhayar Lower Camp) – is about 60 km and takes travellers through some exciting hill roads (motorable roads) with some thrilling 'hair-pin bends' and U-turns - Kodhayar forests are famous for bisons, though there are other wild animals too. Access to some areas need prior permission from the Forest Department.

Pechiparai Reservoir, about 30 km from the town, in the hills, and also Perunchaani and Chittar dams are a must-see for the nature-lover (with clouds touching the top of the hills around the dams on a misty day !).

Muttom, a coastal village, is another popular place with tourists. The terrain in this village and its surroundings is hilly and from a height one can have an idyllic view of the place, with a Portuguese style church standing in the middle of the village. The beach-area is somewhat rocky. There is also a 100-year old lighthouse. The lighthouse, though near the sea, is situated on a land mass some 105 feet (32 m) above sea level. Another attractive feature of this area, is a reddish ravine-like area with casurina trees near the seaside. This place with very popular with Tamil and Keralite film-makers