Kanyakumari sits on the southern end of the Indian sub-continent making it the Finis Terra, the end of the world, for India. We are drawn to such places. So we headed there next.
Three seas, the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea, and the Bay of Bengal come together at this sacred point.
Many, many pilgrims, often dressed in black, crowded the city to see the monument to the philosopher-statesman Vivekananda who one time walked from the Himalayas to this point of land. They were also there to visit the Kumari Amman temple.
![Monument to Vivekananda.](graphics/N8508KanyakumariIsland.jpg)
Monument to Vivekananda who died in 1902 and a statue of an ancient Tamil poet, Thiruvalluvar, The former is on an island where Vivekananda swam to and meditated in 1892 deciding to take Indian philosophy overseas. (13 Dec 2013)
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![](graphics/N8590KanyakumariGhat.jpg)
Pilgrims and tourists standing around on the ghats at the tip of India, at the end of the world, the finis terra of India. (17 Dec 2013)
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![](graphics/N8545KanyakumariMomAndPup.jpg)
A Kanyakumari pup and his mom. (13 Dec 2013)
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![Kanyakumari Catholic church.](graphics/N8519KanyakumariCathChch.jpg)
The first thing to press itself on us in Kanyakumari was this Catholic church that was in the midst of a ten-day celebration. Very loud music blasted out of its megaphones for 12 hours every day (13 Dec 2013)
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![Interior of the Catholic church of Kanyakumari.](graphics/N8547LanyakumariChurchInterior.jpg)
Interior of the Catholic church of Kanyakumari. (14 Dec 2013)
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![Street cafes in Kanyakumari serving evening meals.](graphics/N8572KanyakumariStreetEatiery.jpg)
Street cafes in Kanyakumari serving evening meals. (15 Dec 2013)
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![Fishing boats in Kanyakumari.](graphics/N8555KanyakumarBuildings.jpg)
Fishing boats in a small harbor. (14 Dec 2013)
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![](graphics/N8591Kanyakumaridresses.jpg)
Bright clothed tourists or pilgrims. (17 Dec 2013)
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![A pihen.](graphics/N8566KanyakumarPiHen.jpg)
A pihen. (15 Dec 2013)
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![](graphics/N8576KanyakumariKids.jpg)
Tourist children, curious as any other Indian. Taken on the island with Kanyakumari in the background. (16 Dec 2013)
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![Shiva temple north of Kanyakumari.](graphics/N8585KanyakumariShiva.jpg)
A Shiva temple north of Kanyakumari. Thousands were going to a holy day ceremony. We were caught in a huge crowd. It was too much. We escaped, returned to our rickshaw, and retreated to Kanyakumari. (17 Dec 2013)
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![](graphics/N8578KanyakumariGarbage.jpg)
Like in several other places in India, garbage cans, when they are there, come in some odd shapes. This one says, “Use me.” (16 Dec 2013)
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