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Kanyakumari

Kanyakumari (also spelt as Kanniyakumari) district is bounded by Tirunelveli
district in the north and northeast, by Kerala state in the northwest and
confluence of Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean in the west and south. The coastline
is almost regular except for some points of land projecting into the sea
at Cape Comorin. Kanyakumari is the district headquarters of the district
of the same name.
At the southern most land tip of India, where the Arabian Sea, the Indian
Ocean and the Bay of Bengal meet, lies Kannyakumari, an important pilgrim
centre. Kannyakumari is famous for its beach and the spectacular sunrises
and sunsets, especially on full moon days. Kanyakumari is also famous
for its vast green stretches of paddy fields, rich forests, coconut groves
and mineral sands.
The Origin of Name
Kannyakumari has been named after the Goddess Kannyakumari Amman who is
the popular deity of the area. Legend has it that the Goddess Parvati
in one of her incarnations as Devi Kanniya did penance on one of the rocks
of this land's end to obtain the hand of Lord Shiva.
Location
Kanyakumari is the southern most district of Tamil Nadu. The district
lies between 77o 15' and 77o 36' of the eastern longitudes and 8o 03'
and 8o 35' of the northern Latitudes. The District is bound by Tirunelveli
District on the North and the east. The South Eastern boundary is the
Gulf of Mannar. On the South and the South West, the boundaries are the
Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea. On the West and North West it is bound
by Kerala.
The History 
Kanniyakumari district, once known as "The Granary of Travancore"
lies at the southwestern part of Indian peninsula. It was in Travancore
for a long time and then merged with Tamil Nadu in 1956 under the State
Linguistic Reorganisation Act.
At the southernmost tip of India, where the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean
and the Bay of Bengal meet, lies Kanyakumari, an important pilgrimage
site. The Kumari Amman temple, here, is dedicated to Parvati as Devi -
Kanya - the virgin goddess who did penance to obtain the hand of Lord
Shiva.
Two rocks reach out of the ocean, south-east of the Kumari Amman temple.
One of these is Sri Padaparai, where the footprints of the virgin goddess
are to be seen. On this rock, Swami Vivekananda is said to have sat in
deep meditation; and here stands the Vivekananda Rock Memorial, built
in 1970.