Kanyakumari Bhagavathy Amman Temple

• Three seas, one shore. The temple stands where the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean meet. Pilgrims bathe at the confluence before darshan.
• Sunset and moonrise together. It is the only place in India where, on a full-moon evening, you can watch the sun set and the moon rise from the same spot at almost the same time.
• Sunrise all year, sunset in season. Sunrise over the sea is visible year-round. Sunset over the water is visible only from about October 15 to March 15.
• The shining nose ring. The Goddess's diamond nose ring is said to have shone so brightly that sailors once mistook it for a lighthouse.
• Sands from a wedding that never happened. The multi-coloured sands and rice-like pebbles on the shore are said to be the wedding feast, turned to sand when the marriage did not take place.

• The presiding deity is Devi Kanya Kumari, depicted as a youthful virgin goddess.
• She holds a rosary in her right hand, a sign of meditation and penance.
• Worshipped as a form of Shakti, she is believed to grant courage, prosperity and spiritual strength.

• Believed to be over 3,000 years old, with references in the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Puranas.
• Patronised by the Pandya, Chola and Nayak dynasties, each of which added to its architecture.

Best time to visit: October to March. See every temple month by month in the yatra calendar.

By air

Thiruvananthapuram International Airport is about 90 km away and well connected to major Indian cities.

By train

Kanyakumari Railway Station is about 1 km from the temple, with trains from Chennai, Bengaluru, Thiruvananthapuram and other cities.

By road

Highways and regular buses connect it to Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Taxis and tour services are easy to find.

Locally

Auto-rickshaws and cycle-rickshaws cover the town.

Before you go

Dress code

Traditional attire preferred: dhoti or shirt for men, saree or salwar for women.

Photography

Not allowed inside the sanctum.