Sunrise at the Tip of India

🚆	Nagercoil Junction (NCJ) 23kms | Tirunelveli (TEN) 111kms
✈️	Trivandrum International Airport (TRV) 123kms

Bharatmata Sadanam Kanyakumari

Just 2km from the southernmost point of India in Kanyakumari, there is the township of Vivekanandapuram, also referred to as the Vivekananda Kendra. The town of Kanyakumari has its links firmly established with Swami Vivekananda, through the most famous landmark in the town (or rather a little “away” from it into the sea) in the form the Vivekananda Rock Memorial.

The Rock Memorial itself was constructed to commemorate the fact that Swami Vivekananda swam to that very rock in 1892 and meditated there for 3 days, before attaining enlightenment there. It’s said that it was here that he gained the resolve which led to the foundation for his long impacting actions taken in the future, including the famous speech at the World Parliament of Religions in the very next year. The Vivekananda Rock Memorial was opened in 1971, the initial idea of its construction having been conceived in 1962 itself as part of the birth centenary celebrations of Swami Vivekananda.

The campus of Vivekanandapuram was also set up as part of the efforts, along with the setting up of the organization called Vivekananda Kendra, which is headquartered here. The campus contains several buildings which act as guesthouses for people who wish to visit the place and spend some time there. And it also contains a few temples, including this one which also houses the Ramayana Darshanam on its ground floor and the Bharat Mata Sadanam on its first floor. Both the floors are out of bounds for photography (which is a pity really!). The ground floor showcases a series of giant ornate paintings, about 100 of them, each about 4ft x 3ft, depicting the entire story of the Ramayana in a serial manner. Walking through the floor is quite an experience, which is beyond just the divinity that associates with this. The first floor has a giant statue of the Bharat Mata, a figurative representation of the country of India as a goddess. The floor also includes several other statues including those of Kumari, the sitting deity of Kanyakumari and of Swami Vivekananda.

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🚆	Nagercoil Junction (NCJ) 22kms | Tirunelveli (TEN) 109kms
✈️	Trivandrum International Airport (TRV) 122kms

Meenakshi Amman Temple Madurai

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🚆	Madurai Junction (MDU) 1kms | Kodaikanal Road (KQN) 55kms
✈️	Madurai Airport (IXM) 14kms

Thirumalai Nayak Mahal Madurai

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🚆	Madurai Junction (MDU) 2kms | Kodaikanal Road (KQN) 56kms
✈️	Madurai Airport (IXM) 14kms

Kiliyur Falls Yercaud

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🚆	Salem Junction (SA) 25kms | Erode Junction (ED) 110kms
✈️	Tiruchirappalli International Airport (TRZ) 191kms

Brihadeeswara Temple Entrance

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🚆	Ariyalur (ALU) 61kms | Srirangam (SRGM) 72kms
✈️	Tiruchirappalli International Airport (TRZ) 68kms

Pillars | Ranganathaswamy Temple

The majestic pillars of the Sri Ranganatha Swamy temple, in Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu. Considered to be one of the largest temples in the world, it is built on an island of the river Kaveri, the island itself being referred to as Srirangam. Apart from the Gopurams, these symmetrically lined pillars are a distinct feature of the temples in South India, specifically those in Tamil Nadu.

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🚆	Srirangam (SRGM) 1kms | Tiruchchirapali (TPJ) 11kms
✈️	Tiruchirappalli International Airport (TRZ) 16kms

Madurai Meenakshi Temple Gopuram

Madurai Meenakshi Temple

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🚆	Madurai Junction (MDU) 1kms | Kodaikanal Road (KQN) 55kms
✈️	Madurai Airport (IXM) 14kms