Special Foods - Kanyakumari

Kanyakumari, which was famous as “Cape Comorin” in the past, is situated in Tamil Nadu, India. The town is located at the southernmost tip of Indian mainland. Kanyakumari rests at the position where the Indian Ocean, the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea join. Here we listed few Famous Food Items Of Kanyakumari.

Palm fruit juice:This is a healthy natural drink that you can find on the roadsides of Kanyakumari during summer. Palm fruits are mixed with Sarbath and some chilling ice and it’s ready to serve. It is helpful to reduce painful urinations, heart rashes and acidity. So you must try to have this when you are there in Kanyakumari

Banana chips:Our Kanyakumari is famous for it’s Banana Chips. Anyone who comes to visit Kanyakumari for the first time will be surely impressed and attracted to the taste and the fame for Banana Chips.  The pleasant aroma of the coconut oil which is been used to fry those chips and the light amount of salt and pepper that would be added to bring it’s flavor will never fail to make someone to fall in love with Banana Chips. And to see how banana chips is made is another great experience that you can’t easily get to see anywhere other than Kanyakumari.

 

Jack fruit:Well there are many verities of Jackfruits found in Kanyakumari. So are so reddish in color and some are yellow. Some are large in size and others are very small. Ripened Jackfruits are sold in markets. And chips are made from unripe Jackfruits which would be served as snacks with tea. For Kanyakumari travel we gives the best option.

Appam:You might have heard about Dosa. But Appam is Kanyakumari’s recipe that you won’t easily find elsewhere. The mixture used to make Appam is top secret. It is made on a wok and fry cooked one side and steam cooked on the other.

Pazha sarbath:Wanna beat the heat? Pazha sarbath is available for you in our Kanyakumari. Normally you can see those shops on roadsides during summer. This is made out of mixture of fruits like Banana, Apple, Pineapple, Grapes, Pomegranates and so on which is been minced nicely and mixed with ice and sarbath. It will surely keep you hydrated and energetic and helps you to beat the summer.

Beaten Rice:We call Beaten Rice as Aval in Tamil language. In North India it is known as Poha. Beaten Rice is so famous in Indian sub continental region. In North India we will get spicy, yellow colored Poha with some Namkins to add the flavor. But we KKians have our own style of making. It is made by sprinkling water over the Beaten Rice and adding coconut and jiggery. You won’t get this recipe in any hotels. It is homemade dish.

Pazha Appam:Another uniqueness of Kanyakumari District. It’s called Pazha Bajji. If you go to a local tea stall, you could see some small yellow colored cylindrical edibles. Yeah! That is Pazha Bajji. Ripened bananas were dipped into Maida batter and fried till they turn yellow. To get into the banana you must first go through the yellow batter and finally you will get to taste the banana. It will surely be a new experience for outsiders.

Maravazhi Kilangu (Tapioca Cassava)With Fish:

Tapioca is mostly cultivated in Kaniyakumari. When this season comes, farmers dig it out from the field and sell it freshly. Tapioca will be peeled and cut into pieces and boiled in water with salt for taste. When it is been cooked properly, water will be removed and served with Fish Curry.

                          Aviyal:

        

                Munthirikothu:

           Puttu:

Sothavilai shallow water Beach - Kanyakumari

LOCATION (CLICK HERE)

The southernmost tip of peninsular India, Kanyakumari is a famous tourist destination in the state of Tamil Nadu. If you think this wonderful spot is all about ancient temples, religious significance and wondrous monuments, then you really need to visit it again. The region in and around Kanyakumari is also home to several charming beaches that are no less than heaven for beach lovers. These seaside beauties are all you need to relax your body and rejuvenate your mind and soul. 

Sothavilai Beach The Sotha Vilai Beach is one of the most famous beaches that can be found in the entire district of Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu. This beach is an offbeat attraction, which means that many people do not know about it, but the beach does deserve more attention than what it gets. The glorious beach stretches for over 4 kilometres, which makes it one of the longest natural beaches in the entire state.it is one of the cleanest beaches in the district as it is a little away from human habitation and not very much frequented by tourists and hence a haven for children who wish to enjoy building sand castles. For the adults who boast of their stamina it offers shallow waters and not-so-frightening waves to try swimming and the views that this attraction offers cannot be put into words. The glistening white sand with high dunes and the clear, pure water extending indefinitely to meet the horizon miles and miles away is indeed a sight to behold.

Sothavilai Beach has quite shallow waters, it is an ideal place for swimming and enjoying a water bath. You can also find a few resting cottages at the beach, and a view tower at the beach which is visited by a large number of tourists each day to enjoy the magnificent panoramic views. Unfortunately, the beach was damaged severely by the massive tsunami that hit the nation back in 2004. The concerned authorities, however, with their constant efforts, refurbished and reconstructed the beach; and this famous tourist destination has been attracting tourists ever since.

Karumparai Most Beautiful Natural Falls - Kanyakumar

 Karumparai Falls, located in the Keeriparai Reserve Forest on the Pazhayar River is a scenic beauty and cool place. The place is very much enchanting. It is suitable for a picnic and bath. It is one of the most beautiful natural falls in Kanyakumari district. location view (clickhere)

Karumparai Falls is located around 32 km from Kanyakumari and 25 km from Nagercoil. Reaching here is not much difficulty. It is a great place for a one day picnic with family or friends. It is better to bring some foods and water as there are no much shop’s available here. Any how the place is safe as there is a forest check post and everyone is checked here. The surrounding forest is the living place of wildlife. It is also one of the best places in Kanyakumari district for Bird Watching.

 The flow of water and the greenery around the falls gives the visitor and wonderful experience. The water of the falls is very clean and comes through the forest touching many rare herbs and hence the water has some medicinal properties and hence it is good for taking a natural bath. Everything seems so serene and picturesque. A great place for relaxation and enjoy nature.

                                                                      Near the Karumparai Falls, there is a small temple dedicated to Goddess Kali.The other good water falls here is the Kalikesam Falls we alredy discussed.https://makenatureindia.blogspot.com/2020/11/kalikesam-eco-forest-kanyakumari.html
The area located is very much undeveloped.There are no much shops for food except a small tea shop.Not much facilities are available here.

Nearest Railway Station: Nagercoil Junction, about 26 km.
Nearest Airport: Trivandrum International Airport.
Bus services are available from Anna Bus Stand, Nagercoil.

Rich heavy mineral - Kanyakumari

       

The Mineral Separation Plant at Manavalakurichi is the oldest plant of its kind. india. It is located 25km north of Kanyakumari at Manavalakurichi in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The plant has operated under various ownerships since 1910. Between 1965 and 1967, Indian Rare Earths Limited (IREL) procured all the mineral separation and recovery plants in India including the plant at Manavalakurichi. 

The plant mines and processes sand in the production of industrial minerals such as ilmenite, rutile, monazite, zircon, sillimanite, and garnet. The plant conducts dry mining of beach washings, which are then processed through wet gravity separation equipment. Through the separation process, heavy minerals are isolated using their individual specific gravity, electrical conductivity, magnetic susceptibility, and surface characteristics. In addition to mineral separation, the Manavalakurichi Plant is also home to a zirconium oxide plant that chemically treats zircon to form zircon frit (which is used by the Nuclear Fuel Complex to produce zircaloy components). Operations at Manavalakurichi have occasionally raised environmental protests from local fishermen.

1,200 year old Temple & one of the 108 Divya desams - Kanyakumari

 

Thiruvattar Sree Adikesava Perumal Temple is situated 6 km north-east of Marthandam and 30 km north-west of Nagercoil (in Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu). The temple is surrounded on three sides by rivers (Kothai,Parali and Thamirabarani). Paraliyar takes a turn in this place and it is called vattaru and when the temple of Adikeasav Perumal was created it came to be known as Thriuvattaru.

This Temple is older than Padmanabha Swamy Temple at Thiruvananthapuram. Its structure is similar to that of Padmanabha Swamy Temple. The style and the architechture of this temple is taken as the sample to construct the Padmanabha Swamy Temple. The idol of Adikesava and Sree Padmanabha are installed in such a way that they face each other. The lord is lying on his snake couch and has to be viewed through three doors. We could see Lord Shiva near the Lord Adikesava Perumal inside the sannidhi.

It is one of the 108 holy Vishnu temples (105 located in India, 1 in Nepal and 2 in the non physical world). Architecture of this temple is Kerala Style. This temple is older than the Sri Padamanabhaswamy temple in Trivandrum. The architecture and style of this temple has been followed by Sri Padamanabhaswamy temple in Trivandrum. Compared to Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple in Trivandrum this temple is small.

Differences between two temples are, in Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple Trivandrum Lord Vishnu facing towards east and in Sri Adikesavaperumal temple towards west. In this temple status of Lord Vishnu is made up of Kaduku (mustard), chippi (lime powder) and sarkara (jaggery). Sculptures and mural paintings of this temple are amazing. Really we have to appreciate the sculptors those who designed the temple.

Lord Brahma performed a Yaga without Saraswathi Devi and as a result of Saraswathi's angry, two asuras by name Kesan and Kesi emerged out of the Yagagni (sacrificial fire). They were troubling the three worlds. The Devas approached Vishnu and requested him to find a solution. Lord Mahavishnu in the form of Kesava Perumal fought with Kesan. Perumal threw Kesan who fell on top of Mahendragiri and Perumal blew His conch.Instantaneously, Adisesha wound himself around Kesan thus disabling the asura to move and immediately Perumal laid on Adisesha thus putting His weight. When the asura tried to get out of Adisesha's coils, Perumal made 12 Shivalingams to stand as guard around the asura and Perumal. These famous Shiva Temples are Thirumala, Thikkurussi, Thrupparappu, Thirunandhikkara, Ponmana, Pannippakam, Kalkkulam, Melankodu, Thiruvidaikkodu, Thiruvithamkode, Thiruppanrikkode and Thirunattalam. Even today, the worship to Lord Shiva on Sivarathiri day - The famous Shivalaya ottam - is said to be complete only when the devotee after visiting the 12 Shiva shrines ends his trip in the Perumal Temple.

Kesi who saw her brother defeated wanted to avenge and hence she along with her friend, Kothai took the form of rivers and encircled the temple with the intention of submerging the temple. At that time, it is believed that Bhoomi devi raised the temple . Hence, the temple is situated at a height of 55 feet from the ground level. The image of the Gopuram clearly indicates this. The rivers joined with Arabian Sea at a place known as Moovaatru mukham. The rivers were cursed by Perumal and they repented for their action. Perumal forgave them and had a dip in Moovaatru mukham. Even today, during Painguni utsavam, Perumal comes on golden Garuda and has dip in the river thus enacting the saapa vimochana incident.

In 1740 the men of the Nawab of Arcot looted this temple and the golden idol (ulsava vigraham). It was so heavy. He kept the idol along with rubbish in a lumber room. Every day, the idol would come on top and in spite of being tied down with ropes, the idol would come to the top. At that time, the Nawab's wife developed serious illness which could not be cured by anyone. Perumal appeared in the dream of the temple priest and ordered him to go to Nawab's palace and inform the Nawab that if the idol was returned, his wife would be cured of illness. The Nawab acted accordingly and his wife was cured. The Nawab gifted a silver plate and a cap to Perumal and this is used at the time of Sheeveli everyday.He also provided the fund for conducting annual puja -Thiru Alla Pooja. When the priest who was bringing back the idol halted in a place for completing his evening rituals, the idol got stuck to the ground. Later under the supervision of the King, suddhi kalasam was performed and this is carried out every year during the last day of the utsavam in the month of Tulam. The idol is taken from Thiruvattaru to River Parali on the golden Garuda.

This temple is noted for its beautiful sculptures in stone and wood. The Ottakkal Mandapam (single stone hall) made of single stone 3 feet thick is a marvel. The inscriptions in the Balikkal mandapam belongs to the period of Rajendra Chozhan I (A.D 1013-1045). It refers the deity as the 'thiruvattaru pallikondu arulkindra perumal'. Udaya marthanda mandapam has exquisite wood carvings and the highlight is the wedding procession of Lord Ganapathi. The corridor has 222 salabhanjikas (feminine forms holding a lamp), and are unique. There is also a small shrine for Lord Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy near the river and opposite to the Adikesava Perumal Temple.

Devasahayam Mount Shrine - Kanyakumari

Devasahayam Mount Shrine

To spend some quality time, visit Devasahayam Mount shrine which is located at Aralvaimozhi, Kanyakumari district. The travel was so fun.railway track and bricks soolai (a place where bricks are made). It was an exciting experience as it was the first time I had seen one.

The shrine had steps carved through rocks and also a church and a chapel. As we started climbing the steps.The climb was not so easy but as we climbed higher, the view was a treat to watch. It was the best place to click photos as mountains, windmills, greenery and the beautiful sky shared the same frame.

As a sunset lover, I was mesmerised by its beauty. This is a perfect place for nature lovers, trekkers and photographers. Don’t forget to visit Devasahayam Mount shrine when you visit Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu in India.

Legend and beliefs : Devasahayam Pillai was an 18th century convert from Hinduism to Christianity in the southern part of India.He may have been an official in the court of the Travancore king, Maharaja Marthanda Varma, during which time he came under the influence of the former Dutch naval commander, Captain Eustachius De Lannoy.

He is believed by Roman Catholics to have been martyred. In 2004, the Tamil Nadu branch of the Catholic Bishops' Council in India recommended Devasahayam Pillai for the process of beatification to the Vatican.This led to arguments as some Hindus believe that there is no evidence of religious persecution in Travancore during that period, and that Pillai was executed for sedition

Early Life : Devasahayam Pillai (named Neelakanta Pillai at birth) was born into an affluent Nair-caste family at Nattalam in the present-day Kanyakumari District, on 23 April 1712.His father Vasudevan Namboodiri, hailed from Kayamkulam, in present-day Kerala state, and was working as a priest at Sri Adi Kesava Perumal temple in Thiruvattar in present-day Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu. In the Nair matriarchal traditions of the day, Devasahayam Pillai was raised-up by his maternal uncle, and was inculcated with Hindu beliefs and traditions early on. Devasahayam’s family had much influence in the royal palace of Maharaja Marthanda Varma, king of Travancore, and Devasahayam went into the service of the royal palace as a young man. His capabilities and enthusiasm did not go unnoticed in the palace, as he was soon put in charge of state affairs as an official under Ramayyan Dalawa, the Dewan of Travancore.

Conversion  to Christianity :

In 1741, Captain Eustachius De Lannoy, a Dutch naval commander, was sent on command of a Dutch naval expedition by the Dutch East India Company to capture Colachel, a port under the control of Travancore. In the battle (Battle of Colachel) that followed between the Travancore forces and De Lannoy’s men, the Dutchmen were vanquished. Many Dutchmen, including De Lannoy and his assistant Donadi.

De Lannoy and the Dutchmen were later pardoned by the king, on condition that they serve in the Travancore army. De Lannoy later earned the trust of the king and went on to become the commander of the Travancore armed forces, winning many battles and annexing various adjacent territories to Travancore.

It was during their influential roles under the King of Travancore that Devasahayam Pillai and De Lannoy became well acquainted. De Lannoy’s Christian faith interested Devasahayam and De Lannoy enlightened him on the faith, leading to his conversion in 1745.

On Devasahayam’s acceptance of the Christian faith, he was baptized at the church at Vadakkankulam village (in the present Tirunelveli District of Tamilnadu), where the Jesuits had a mission under Rev. Fr.R.Battari Italus S.J. Neelakanda Pillai, his name at birth, was then changed into Devasahayam (means God's help in Tamil/Malayalam for Lazarus) after receiving baptism.

Orders based on accusations and charges :

Roman Catholic sources allege that the Brahmin chief priest of the kingdom and members of the royal household and the Nair community brought false charges on Devasahayam to the Dewan, Ramayyan Dalawa, and that Devasahayam was divested of his portfolio in the administration and was later accused of treason and of divulging state secrets to rivals and Europeans. He was initially ordered to be taken on a buffalo to Kuzhumaikkad, where he would be executed and finished-off. But the original Royal order was altered later several times to finally to be taken on a buffalo back to Aralvaimozhy border for a meaningful punishment of banishment after carrying out a series of tortures by ten different karyakkars on the advice of ministers.

Other traditions and beliefs :

Devasahayam was marched to Aralvaimozhy by soldiers, over the period of a few days. As was customary in those days for very cruel criminals, his body was painted with red and black spots, and he was intentionally marched through populated areas, sitting backward on top of a water buffalo (the mythical vehicle or vahana of Yama, the lord of death in Hinduism) throughout South Travancore from Padmanabhapuram palace. On the way en-route, he was daily beaten with eighty stripes, pepper rubbed in his wounds and nostrils, exposed to the sun, and given only stagnant water to drink.

While halting at Puliyoorkurichi, not far away from the Padmanabhapuram Palace of the Travancore king, it is believed by Christians that God quenched his thirst by letting water gush through a small hole on a rock, the very place where he knelt to pray. The water hole is still to be found in the compound of a church at Puliyoorkurichi, about 15 km from Nagercoil.

It is also believed that the leaves of a neem (Margosa) tree in the village of Peruvilai, to which he had been tied while being marched to Aralvaimozhy, cured illnesses of sick people in the village and around. Many more miracles are attributed to Devasahayam Pillai.

Death : In 1752, the original order of the King and his Dewan was to deport him from Travancore, into the Pandya country, at Aralvaimozhy. He was let off in the forested hills near Aralvaimozhy. There, he is believed to have begun deep meditations, and the people from the adjacent villages began visiting the holy man. Christian sources allege that at this time, high caste Hindus plotted to do away with Devasahayam.

Some people believe that the soldiers went up the forested hills and tried to shoot Devasahayam, but were unable to fire; after which he took the gun in his hands, blessed it and gave it back to the soldiers to shoot him to death, if they wished to. The soldiers took the gun back and fired at him five times. His body was then carelessly thrown out near the foothills at Kattadimalai.

It was at Kattadimali in Kanyakumari district that Devasahayam Pillai died on 14 January 1752. His mortal remains were interred near the altar inside St. Xavier's church, Kottar, which is a Cathedral now in Nagercoil.

In 1780, Kariattil Ouseph Malpan submitted a petition to the Vatican for canonization of Devasahayam Pillai.

At the beginning of the 21st century, many Christian devotees started offering prayers at his tomb. After a series of initiatives and much deliberation, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI), Tamil Nadu council, later in 2004, duly recommended his beatification, following scrutiny of available historical evidence, in consultation with others.

Devasahayam Pillai is now considered one of the endless list of servants of God.

Places of Interest : DevasahyamPillaiis believed to be buried in the Cathedral of St. Francis Xavier at Kottar in Nagercoil.

Devasahyam Pillai’s clothes and other belongings are kept in a church in the small town of Vadakkankulam, in Tirunelveli District of Tamilnadu State, India. They are exposed at the church on 15 August every year, the feast of the Assumption of Mary. His wife was buried in the cemetery there.

Puliyoorkurichi, location of the water fountain believed to have quenched Devasahayam’s thirst, is on the Nagercoil - Trivandrum highway.

Aralvaimozhy, where Devasahayam was killed, is also on the Nagercoil - Tirunelveli highway. At that spot on the hillock (called Kaattadimalai), devotees believe that at the moment of martyrdom, most of the rocks

were broken into pieces and one piece that fell down rang like a church bell. This is called the Bell Rock.

It is still there and when striked with a stone it makes Bell sound. It is believed to cure diseases and give answers for prayers of the devotees void of religion. So people come here every Friday to offer their prayers at the Bell rock.

Kalikesam Eco Forest - Kanyakumari

The Kalikesam Falls is located in the Kanyakumari district of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Kalikesam falls along with several other small cascades are encased in the Kanyakumari Wildlife Sanctuary. The long stream is pollution-free and adds to the natural charm of the place.There are a few small waterfalls in this area - the nicer ones being Vattaparai Falls and Kalikesam falls. There is a small Kali temple, next to the falls. This is a very serene and undeveloped place with only one small tea stall. One can enjoy water rushing through small mountain streams, ferns and pebbles in the rainforests. The falls are surrounded by forest on all sides and forms part of an active animal corridor. The long stream is pollution-free. People are allowed to take a natural bath here and it is believed that the water from the stream has some medicinal effects.

This is a serene and peaceful place. It is unlike the most popular falls in this district, the Tirparappu Water Falls on the Kodayar River, which has become a typical crowded tourist spot.

The access to the Kalikesam Falls is only through a private vehicle, as there is no public transportation facility available. There are no man-made facilities at the Kalikesam Falls. A small shop selling tea and biscuits is the sole facility in the area. The road leading to the area of the falls is also in a bad and severe condition. Due to this, the entire area is under developed and lacks even the basic infrastructural facilities.