The rhythm of Kanyakumari

Kanyakumari! The word conjures up images of a virgin princess, but interestingly, this picturesque place of Hindu worship is dedicated to Goddess Parvathi, the wife of Shiva. Kanyakumari, also known as Cape Comorin has a population of 20,000 and is the 'Land's End' of the Indian subcontinent. This is a blessed land, a punyathirtha where the waters of the Indian Ocean, the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea intermingle. Daily, people flock to the bathing ghat to purify themselves in the waters thereby cleansing their souls before paying homage to the Devi Amman Temple. 

Having arrived at Kanyakumari early morning, we began a familiarization tour. The first thing that struck me was that my jeans and short blouse were almost a violation of the sanctity of the little village, and there ensued a search for white kurtas to make me more locally acceptable! 

We book into Hotel Maadhini, an upmarket little hotel with balconies virtually overhanging the village. The village appears untouched by consumerism. One finds abject poverty, families living in ramshackle houses, beggars, and street vendors. But for what it lacks in terms of material riches, it makes up in spiritual significance 

While we have a quick breakfast at the Saravana, a popular eaterie in the sleepy town, waiters tell us that during the April-May season, the price of every item increases 100%. In this village by the sea, the main livelihood is fishing. Dozens of boats could be seen in the morning, returning to the shore. Women help men to market the fish. Seated on the fishing boats, the village barber is seen shaving a fisherman using outdated equipment. But all that seems to settle comfortably into the Kanyakumari ambience. Its rustic life is not stirred by intrusions of the rest of the world.

Dream come true

It was a childhood dream come true for me when I visited Vivekanandapuram. As we made the short journey on a ramshackle boat, the sea-view of the twin rocks was magnificent. The memorial stands on one rocky islet about 400 km offshore where Swami Vivekananda meditated in 1892 before embarking on a spiritual journey around the world. The Mandapam was built in 1970 by grateful Indians who pooled their resources to build a grand memorial for their spiritual guru to celebrate his birth centenary. The memorial reflects architectural styles from all over India. 

The Memorial seeks to prove that during the few years of his public mission, Swami Vivekananda crammed in the work of many lifetimes and demonstrated his inexhaustible love of mankind. Sister Gargi (Marie Louise Burke) once noted that Swamiji was so extraordinary that those who came within his orbit could not miss his grandeur. 

The first among the Mandapams is the Sri Pada Mandapam, a natural projection of the rock which is believed to be the footprint of Goddess Parvathi in one of her incarnations as Kanya. Legend says that Parvathi visited Kanyakumari seeking the hand of Shiva. Beyond the Mandapam lies the Hanuman Hill. It is believed that Hanuman in his haste to transport medicinal herbs to Rama who was fighting Ravana in Sri Lanka carried a portion of the Himalayas, and in his haste dropped a portion in Kanyakumari which is famous even today for its rare herbs!

Next is Sabha Mandapam where an impressive statue of Vivekananda stands in the centre. This is the place where he is supposed to have acquired great wisdom. It is believed that he was seated on the particular rock upon which his statue has been built. And it is here that I stumbled upon a photograph of Swamiji, along with a host of other world religious leaders including Sri Lanka's Anagarika Dharmapala, at the World Parliament of Religions way back in 1893 in Chicago. 

But what touched me most was the Dhyana Mandapam, a unique meditation room. People quietly sit and meditate in the dark room where a single green light illuminates an engraved 'Om' sign. 

On the other rock, stands the majestic 135 foot statue of Thiruvalluvar, the great Tamil poet who wrote the Thirukkural.

Evening is a spiritual affair in Kanyakumari. We make more discoveries by visiting the Kumari Amman Temple. Legend has it that Devi Kanyakumari singlehandedly conquered demons and secured freedom for the world. Pilgrims visit the town mainly to invoke her blessings and to thank her for ensuring freedom for humanity. A car festival is held between May and June when an idol of the goddess is taken in procession. Between September and October, devotees celebrate the Navaratri Festival (nine nights), to celebrate the Devi's victory over demons. It is no wonder that barren women come here to appeal to the warrior goddess to bless their lives, as do men, who seek various favours.

Close to the Amman temple stands the simple cream and blue Gandhi memorial, an Orissa style structure that attracts the visitor's eye by its absolute simplicity. This was the place where some of Mahatma Gandhi's ashes were stored until they were scattered in the sea. The building has been designed in a unique way so that on Gandhi's birthday, October 2, the sun's rays fall on the place where his ashes were kept.

Sunset on the beach

Dusk means much activity on the Kanyakumari beach, especially at the place known as the "sunset viewing point." People of all ages flock to the beach. Women in glamorous saris, their hair adorned with flowers, children, youth and even men patiently waiting to view the sunset. Some fulfil their vows and bathe in the pure waters of the ghat fed by the three seas while some remain in quiet prayer. Meanwhile the vendors also do a little business by selling glass bangles, chains, shell products and little trinkets among the ice cream sellers and the peanut vendors.

It is said that Chitrapurima (April full moon day) is one of the best times to view the sunset and moonrise over the ocean. Pilgrims come here in large groups and though the beaches are popular, this is essentially a pilgrimage town- a place for spirituality. 

Hotel Maadhini organized a sightseeing tour for us the following day and the journey began with a visit to the Vivekananda Museum which records vivid details of the extensive journey undertaken by the Swami Vivekananda in his quest for religious revival. It is a place to discover the spirit of Vivekananda and I could understand the wisdom in the old saying: ' To know Swami Vivekananda is to know India.' 

Our next stop was the magnificent Suchindram Temple, where Lords Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are depicted in one form and where the famous eleven musical pillars are found. It has ancient records inscribed in Tamil, Sanskrit and Pali. 

Suchindram I noted with awe was more than a place of religious worship, it was a work of art. The 5,000-year-old structure has many inner shrines, each being more than 1,500 years old.

There are rows and rows of statues, each significant, with its own divine tale. One of its most outstanding features is the hallway with 1117 granite carved statues of goddesses bearing traditional oil lamps. I could well imagine the beauty of the hall when the lamps are lit at eventide! 

A beautiful statue of Nandi, the vehicle of Shiva made out of seashells alone adorned the next hall, near the eleven musical pillars and the Kathakali pillars. As I pressed my ear against the pillars, I seemed to hear the rhythm of India itself. The pillars are a great manifestation of the heights of Indian art. 

It is here again that you find the world's only female statue of Lord Ganesha, known as Wigneshwari and the 18 foot statue of Hanuman, the monkey god. The statues are liberally covered with butter and the poosaris bless devotees by rubbing a bit of butter on their eyes. 

Next we went to the Century circular fort in Vattakottai, an 18th Century stone creation where the seashore resembles a rainbow with its multi-coloured mineral sands, with hues ranging from black, brown and purplish bronze to brick red! Yes, I had my fill in Kanyakumari.