Continued from Part I.
Inside the memorial there is a quote from Gandhi about Kanyakumari -
" I am writing this at the Cape, in front of the sea, where three waters meet and furnish a sight unequalled in the world. For this is no port of call for vessels. Like the goddess, the waters around are virgin."
At the center of the first floor there is a garnite pedestal like structure which marks the spot where the ashes of Gandhiji were placed before immersion.
At the center of the first floor there is a garnite pedestal like structure which marks the spot where the ashes of Gandhiji were placed before immersion.
From the ground floor there are stairs to the first floor, which has got a balcony and from there you can move on to the next floor as well. I was able to see most parts of the town and also far away I saw a watch tower. We decided that it would be our next stop. After taking some photos, we got down collected our footwear and proceeded towards the tower.
There was yet another ticket counter , the entrance fee was something like Rs.10 or so. I don't know why they were collecting money even for this place! To get to the top there was a spiral pathway built central to the structure. Even though the sunset was more than 1 hr away, the watch tower was almost half full, people already took up places where they thought they might get the best view. We found a spot for ourselves. Down below us lay the ocean, bathed in the red and gold hue of the setting sun. It was a sight to see. The sea was shimmering as the waves broke the surface as they traversed towards the shore and soon enough the pinkish hue of the horizon starting shifting towards a more deep red. And then the sun came out of the clouds. He was making one last final appearance before finally making his grand exit for the day. Hands down I'll admit that this was one of the best sunsets I've seen, the magnificence of it is indescribable. I was at a loss for words. There was nothing to do but soak in the moment. Enjoy one of the most played out drama's in the history of the world. The end of day and the start of the night.
Our next destination was an aquarium that we stumbled upon on our way back to the hotel. They had a notice board that said 'No Photography' and I was too naive to break that 'written rule'. Now when I think about I should have take some pics. What can I say about the place ? It was pretty cramped up and they was a very big queue leading into the place. The entrance fee was Rs.30 per person, but it's really worth it if you consider the variety of fishes on display. Here is a pic of some turtles inside the place, taken by my colleague who visited a few months later.
Moving on, the next place as a small park. The dilapidated state of the place might be the reason why so many were avoiding it. But when you've traveled 5 hrs on a crowded train to visit a place, when you are a 'tourist' you should suspend your judgment and get on with it, put your prejudices on hold. The main attraction of the place were some rides for kids, a fountain and an emu (yep, that's right, an Emu) . After some digging around on google I came to know that the name of the park was Tamil Annai Park - which can we roughly translated to 'Mother Tamil'. There were granite slabs inscribed with short verses from Thiruvalluvar's Tirukkurals.
There was also a Museum which was closed, it was around 7:30 by now. And we started making our way back towards the room. Another place you should try and visit is the Tsunami memorial. As we got to the main road there was an exhibition based on Swami Vivekanada. It was called the Wandering Monk Exhibition. If you are not too fond of reading then avoid this place at all costs. The life and teachings of Swami Vivekanda are depicted in the numerous panels that adorn the walls. Each one with a detailed description about the sage. It makes for a really good read and the area was well maintained and clean. After dinner we decided to call it a day and head back. We had planned to see the sunrise tomorrow morning.
Our next destination was an aquarium that we stumbled upon on our way back to the hotel. They had a notice board that said 'No Photography' and I was too naive to break that 'written rule'. Now when I think about I should have take some pics. What can I say about the place ? It was pretty cramped up and they was a very big queue leading into the place. The entrance fee was Rs.30 per person, but it's really worth it if you consider the variety of fishes on display. Here is a pic of some turtles inside the place, taken by my colleague who visited a few months later.
Moving on, the next place as a small park. The dilapidated state of the place might be the reason why so many were avoiding it. But when you've traveled 5 hrs on a crowded train to visit a place, when you are a 'tourist' you should suspend your judgment and get on with it, put your prejudices on hold. The main attraction of the place were some rides for kids, a fountain and an emu (yep, that's right, an Emu) . After some digging around on google I came to know that the name of the park was Tamil Annai Park - which can we roughly translated to 'Mother Tamil'. There were granite slabs inscribed with short verses from Thiruvalluvar's Tirukkurals.
There was also a Museum which was closed, it was around 7:30 by now. And we started making our way back towards the room. Another place you should try and visit is the Tsunami memorial. As we got to the main road there was an exhibition based on Swami Vivekanada. It was called the Wandering Monk Exhibition. If you are not too fond of reading then avoid this place at all costs. The life and teachings of Swami Vivekanda are depicted in the numerous panels that adorn the walls. Each one with a detailed description about the sage. It makes for a really good read and the area was well maintained and clean. After dinner we decided to call it a day and head back. We had planned to see the sunrise tomorrow morning.
