Southernmost Tip of India: Kanyakumari

The southernmost tip of the India consists of the Kumari Amman Temple (left) and the Vivekananda Memorial (right). This is a very popular destination for Indians. They are interested to speak with us and we realize those here are from all over. The statue is taller than the statue of liberty and this is the spot to come for the sunset.  Basically the Key West of India.
There is a long line to get tickets to ride the boat over to the temple.  It costs 75 Rupees and you wouldn't believe how long the line was....think Disney out the door.  Shaji took us to a preferred line that was 300 rupees ($3.60) for us to ride the boat.  Honestly, I would not have gone if we had to stand in that long of a line.  It's hot and personal space does not exist.

We still waited in line with others who paid the higher fee.  People stand so close and try to push you.  When we finally got released to walk onto the boat dock, they separated the males and females.  It was a little uncomfortable but thankfully Marshall and I have no trouble spotting each other because we are the only white people in the crowd.  We all had to get a life jacket as we boarded the boat.




Can you find Waldo in that picture?  We each took pictures of the other's group.


We are standing at the intersection of the Indian Ocean, the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.  The waves were big and it was very rough.
  

Marshall was approached and asked to say hello to some man's wife who was on facetime or something like that.  Then he asked to take pictures of us.  Another man asked if we could have a picture with us while at the temple.
 
The temple has a memorial where Mahatma Ghandi's ashes were kept before immersion. We discussed burial with Shaji, our driver on the way home. Cremation (burning to him) is common and you take the ashes to a river and this is where you pour the ashes. He was interested in our practice. He shared that that in the past, people would just be buried and bones are uncovered all the time at construction sites because of this practice.



The Vivekanada Memorial marks the spot where Swami Vivekananda meditated before attending the World Religious Conference in Chicago in 1893. He traveled the world sharing their religion and is very famous and well respected in India.  

We were not allowed to visit this site as it was undergoing a major renovation. Plus, they are not connected so it is a separate ferry ride.



Front of the hotel


Shaji took us to lunch at a nice hotel that overlooks the south end of India.  Marshall and Shaji had prawn biryani and I tried the Butter Chicken Curry but found that even that was too spicy for me.   I can always order chicken fried rice and be happy!

View from the resort



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