பகவதியம்மன் திருக்கோயில், கன்னியாகுமரி
Also known as the Devi Kanyakumari Temple or Kumari Amman Temple, this is an ancient temple on the very southern tip of mainland India. It is dedicated to the Goddess. It lies at the confluence of three water bodies the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal and the greater Indian Ocean - a Triveni Sangam. Apart from the geographical significance, it also has a long and celebrated history. It is mentioned in the Hindu Vedic literature including the Upanishads. Legend says that it was built by the sage Parashurama himself. The ancient Greek work the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea mentions it at the beginning of the first millennium. There is a legend that ancient mariners were able to see the bright and large nose ring of the idol of the Goddess from far out at sea. It is believed that the east gate of the temple complex is always kept closed so that the idol is not visible from the sea and thus will not confuse sailors.
For all its celebrated past, it is not a very large temple. It does not have very impressive architecture either . It has four stone musical columns from which sounds of different musical instruments emanate when pounded upon. The Ay, the Pandians and other dynasties have controlled the temple at different times. During British colonial times the kings of Travancore maintained this temple. Although it lies so exposed to the ocean, there is no recorded history of any great destruction or plunder.
It is a place of great spiritual significance. Many come here to find peace and tranquility. Swami Vivekananda, the great modern Hindu sage started the major part of his spiritual journey here at Kanyakumari.
We visited in August 2019. We were based in Kanyakumari.
Credits: Google Maps
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