Kanyakumari district

For other uses of Kanyakumari, see Kanyakumari (disambiguation).

I.THANI Kanyakumari District
Nickname(s):  "The Lands End" Kanyakumari - Vivekananda Rock Memorial and Thiruvalluvar Statue at sunrise
Population
• Total	1,676,034
Website	www.kanyakumari.tn.nic.in/test/index.htm

Kanyakumari District (Template:Lang-ta, (also spelled Kanniyakumari or Kanniakumari District)) is a district of Tamil Nadu state, India; it is the southernmost land area of mainland India.

Kanyakumari District is the smallest of the 32 districts of Tamil Nadu state. The district takes its name from the tourist town of Kanyakumari, which is at the tip of the Indian Peninsula and faces the Indian Ocean. The administrative capital of the district is Nagercoil, which is 20 km from Kanyakumari town. The district has the best literacy rate in the state and is considered the best educated district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu by the HRD Ministry. It is the third most developed district in the state and is leading in most of the parameters. The District is also represented by a large population of NRI's in the Gulf. It was ranked third in a comprehensive Economic Environment index ranking of districts in Tamil Nadu not including Chennai prepared by the Institute for Financial Management and Research in August 2009.

The district is known as "The District of Ponds" or "The Lands End" It has two protected areas:

1. Kanyakumari Wildlife Sanctuary

2. Suchindram Theroor Birds Sanctuary

Location

Tiruvalluvar statue in Kanyakumari, the southermost town in mainland India

Kanyakumari District is located at the southern tip of peninsular India and bordered by Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala state to the west and Tirunelveli District of Tamil Nadu to the north and east. It is also sometimes referred to as "Land's End".

The district lies between 77° 15' and 77° 36' of the eastern longitudes and 8° 03' and 8° 35' of the northern Latitudes. The south-eastern boundary (coastal) is the Gulf of Mannar (Bay of Bengal), while on the South and the South West, the boundaries are the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea.

Administrative divisions

• No. of Taluks - 4 (Tovala, Agastheeswaram, Kalkulam, Vilavancode)
• Blocks - 9
• Municipalities - 4 (Nagercoil, Padmanabhapuram, Colachel, Kuzhithurai)
• Village Panchayats - 99
• Special category village panchayats - 56.

Recorded History

Father of Kanyakumari

Nesamony who accepted the leadership of the TTNC was a native of Palliady in Vilavancode Taluk. He was born on 12 June 1895 in a middle class family as the second son of Appolose and Gnanammal at his mother’s birth place, Maranconam in Kalkulam Taluk. As he was born in Kalkulam Taluk and brought up in Vilavancode Taluk, he might have obtained direct and first-hand experience of the Nair oppression on the Nadars. Perhaps that might be the motivation for him to liberate his people from the clutches of the Nairs.

Nesamony completed his degree course at Trivandrum Maharaja’s College and started his life as a teacher. As he had interest in public life, he joined the Law College, studied law and registered himself as a Lawyer in 1921 at Nagercoil Sessions Court23. His knowledge in law, the style of argument and presentation attracted the judges many times and that reputation placed him on the list of very eminent criminal lawyers in Travancore.

As he was a reputed lawyer, many young advocates irrespective of caste or religion wished to become his juniors. They gained much from him and later contributed to the society as lawyers and politicians. A few among them were Chidambaranathan Nadar, Ponnappan Nadar, Gopalakrishnan, Fakrudeen Adam and Razak. The TTNC president Sam Nathaniel was also his junior.

Nesamony was very closely associated with the religious organisation in which he was a member24. He was made Neyyoor District Secretary in 1933 and in the same year he was elected to the Travancore Mission Council. The Council elected him as its secretary. When the question of Union was on its agenda it benefitted much by making use of his personal influence. In 1939, he wrote the Constitution and Rules of the Church Council. He was elected to the post of Vice-President in the South Travancore Diocese and when it was bifurcated in the year 1959, he became the Vice-President of Kanyakumari Diocese, CSI and in that position he served until his last.

Nesamony was called to serve the public. He was elected as the President of Nagercoil Lawyers’ Association in 194325. In the same year, he was elected as the chairman of the Nagercoil Municipal Council. He served as a member of Sri Mulam Assembly of Travancore, a member of the Madras State Assembly and a member of the Parliament or the Lok Sabha.

The short period he served as Municipal Chairman is remembered even today. During his period, he improved the finance of the Municipality, rescuing it from a state of bankruptcy, added the suburban areas with the existing area of the Municipality, provided street lights and drinking water to the town and started a Rehabilitation Centre for the beggars. As a representative in the Sri Mulam Assembly, his speech on adult franchise was hailed as a land mark. Seeing his great and extra-ordinary capacity the then Dewan, Ramaswamy Iyer appointed him as a member of the Senate of the Travancore University.

When the freedom of India was nearing, the Malayalees wanted to form Kerala State extending from Kanyakumari to Kasarcode. Nesamony was called to counter the proposal of the Malayalees by the respectable citizens of the Tamil areas. He never hesitated to shoulder the great burden entrusted to him by the people. Nesamony carried TTNC across the oppressed people of Kalkulam, Vilavancode, Neyyatinkarai, Deviculam, Peermade and Chittoor Taluks. It was made the sole political as well as welfare organisation of 15 lakh of Tamilians of Travancore. Nesamony was the uncrowned monarch of the Tamils27 and so he was crowned by the people with the title, “Kumari Thanthai” (Father of Kanyakumari)

Palace at Padmanabhapuram, the capital of the ertswhile state of Travancore ; The capital was later shifted to Trivandrum

Kanyakumari District takes its name from the town of Kanyakumari, at the southern tip of India. (In many Indian languages Kumari means virgin girl). Thus, Kanyakumari District is also sometimes called Kumari District. Kanyakumari town is named after the goddess Kanyakumari Amman, a 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.

The town of Kanyakumari is geographically a cape, and it was known earlier as Cape Comorin. Since ancient times, Kanyakumari District has consisted of two geographical areas, known locally as Nanjilnadu and Idainadu. The etymologists interpret the word Nanjilnadu as the country ("nadu") where there were (and still has) several agriculture plantations and fields. Nanjilnadu is mentioned in old Tamil literature as a rich agrarian area, where the town of Kottar, (today, a locality in Nagercoil) as a major commercial centre. Ancient temples and inscriptions reveal a major Jain influence in ancient times. The district is home to many practitioners of various branches of ancient India's health tradition, including siddha, ayurvedha, and varma kalai.

Chitral Jain carvings near to Marthandam

Nanjilnadu, which was formed by the present Agasteeswaram and Thovalai Taluks (administrative sub-divisions) of the district, was alternately under the rule of the Pandyas and the Cheras until the beginning of the thirteenth century. Idainadu, including Kalkulam and Vilavancode Taluks, was under the rule of Cheras. When the power of Cheras declined due to the rise of Hoysalas and western Chalukyas, the Venad (Travancore) chieftains (one of the only two part of full descendants of the Cheras - the other being the Mushikas) took advantage of the situation and gradually established their hold on many areas of Nanjilnadu. The annexation commenced by Veera Kerala Varma was to a large extent continued by his successors and completed by 1100 A.D.

For about four centuries, Venad was ruled by powerful kings who were consistently making incursions into the Pandyan territories. As a result the Vijayanagar kings proceeded against Venad. In 1609 Kanyakumari fell into the hands of Viswanatha Nayak of Madurai, while the remaining parts of Nanjilnadu was under Venad. Later Venad was expanded towards the Northern Kerala, and came to be known as Thiruvithamkoor or Travancore. Padmanabhapuram near Nagarcoil was the capital of Travancore.

In 1729, Anizham Thirunal, the Travancore king expanded his kingdom dome further, after putting down the insurgency of the Ettuveettil Pillamar. He defeated the forces of the Dutch East India Company under Eustachius De Lannoy in 1741 at the Battle of Colachel. In the later part of the 18th century, Chanda Sahib, a rebel commandant related to the Nawab of Arcot attacked Nagercoil and other areas. Travancore had to contend with such attacks and monetary demands from the Carnatic Nawabs or from their rebellious governors until the English fully supported the state of Travancore. In spite of the troubles encountered in the southern border of Venad, Marthanda Varma expanded the kingdom northwards to Aluva and expanded the kingdom of Travancore. As a result, the present day Kanyakumari District came to be known as Southern Travancore. In 1745, the capital was shifted from Padmanabhapuram (in present day Kanyakumari District) to Thiruvananthapuram.

Battle of Colachel took place at Colachel in Kanyakumari district

The rule of the Travancore royals finally ceased in 1947 when Travancore had to join the independent Indian Union. In 1949, Kanyakumari district became part of the newly constituted Travancore-Cochin state. The majority of the people of South Travancore Taluks (Kanyakumari District) were Tamil-speaking and a popular agitation for merging the Tamil majority areas of South Travancore to Madras State (now Tamil Nadu) was started during this period. The State Reorganisation Commission of India also recommended this. Accordingly, the Indian States Reorganisation Act of 1956 was passed and Kanyakumari District was formed on 1 November 1956 with the four Taluks, Viz., Agasteeswarem, Thovalai, Kalkulam and Vilavancode from Travancore, merged with Tamil Nadu. Thiru. R. Thirumalai, I.A.S., assumed charge as the first District Collector of Kanyakumari.

Though generally a peaceful place, violence flared up between Christians and Hindus in 1982 at the coastal village of Mandaicadu. In the subsequent violence and police shoot-outs in several parts of the coastal areas of the district and in Nagercoil, several people were killed.

On 26 December 2004, the Indian Ocean Tsunami that struck several countries of South Asia, South-East and Africa caused havoc in the coastal areas of the district, with the western coast of the district severely affected. Casualties were close to 900 and several hundreds were missing or injured. Social organizations from several countries and the Government have since been working on rehabilitating the affected people and property.

The land and geographical features

A ferry (Vallam) crossing the Thengapattnam Estuary

Kanyakumari is the smallest district in Tamil Nadu, with a land spread of 1,684 km² and has varied ecosystems - forests, wetlands, freshwater resources and marine as similar to Kerala.

The district, once called "The Granary of Travancore" is fertile, with hundreds of water bodies and a canal irrigation system. Rubber and spice plantations are found on the hilly terrain, while paddy fields, plantain and coconut plantations are found on the plains.

The district is generally hilly, with plains found near the coast. The land from the sea-coast gradually rises from sea-level to the Western-Ghats hills in the deep interior of the district. The District has 62 km of coast on the western side (Arabian Sea coast) and 6 km of coast on the eastern side (Gulf of Mannar/Bay of Bengal coast).

There are three important riverine ecosystems, which converge with the Arabian Sea. They are :

• Thengapattinam estuary, formed by the confluence of river Tampirabarani in between Thengapattinam and Eraiummanthurai.

• Valliyar estuary formed by the river Valloiyar near Kadiapattinam.

• Manakudy estuary formed by the confluence of river pazhaiyarin between East and West Manakudy villages.

Two minor estuaries—Pambar estuary near Colachel and Pantri estuary near Rajakkamangalam—are also located in the district. These are formed by excess water in the drainage canal during monsoon and the water drained from the irrigated fields.

Soil types

• Laterite soil is found at Thiruvattar, Killiyoor, Munchirai, Rajakamanagalam, Thuckalay blocks.

• Red and alluvial soil are found at Agastheeswaram and Thovalai blocks.

The soil pH is between 4.5 to 8.0. The minerals in soil - nitrogen: low to medium, phosphorus: medium, potassium: high

48.9% of land in the district is under cultivation and 30.5% is covered by forests.

Demography

As of 2001, the district had a population of 1,676,034 and 65.2% of the district is urbanised. It has a high population density of 995.7 persons per km² and is one of the highest literate regions with a total literacy rate of 87.6. The district also has a high female sex ratio of 1014 females born to every 1000 males.

Climate

Based on a 50 year study, it is found that during the North-East monsoon, between October and December, a precipitation of 549 mm is received in 24 rainy days and during the South-West Monsoon 537 mm is received from June to September in 27 rainy days. In summer, 332 mm of rainfall is received in 11 rainy days between March and May. The annual average rainfall in the district is 1465 mm with a maximum of around 247 mm in October and a minimum of 21 mm in February. Relative humidity ranges between 60 to 100%.

Religion

Suchindram temple

Hinduism, Christianity and Islam are the three main religions represented in the district. The distribution of population based on religion is as follows: Hindus - 44.47%, Christians - 51.27%, Muslims - 4.19% and Others - 0.006%.

This district is the birthplace of Ayyavazhi. Apart from the role in the religious universe, Ayyavazhi also plays a major role in the social history of Kanyakumari in the mid-nineteenth century.

Roman Catholic Christianity was introduced into the Kanyakumari area by the European missionary, St. Francis Xavier, who resided at Kottar while doing missionary work in the neighbouring areas. Protestant missionaries arrived later. The district has the third largest Christian population among all districts in India. Also, about one-fifth of the Christian population of Tamil Nadu live in this district.

Islam had a firm foothold in this region since ancient times. The Main Mosque (Valiya Palli) in Thengapattanam is believed to have been built by the missionary team led by Malik ibn Deenar in the 7th century.

An Octo-circular Ayyavazhi Nizhal Thangal near Thiruvattar on the Marthandam - Kulasekaram road.

Festivals

The Mondaikad festival is celebrated by the locals as well as Keralites. Traditionally, participants would walk chanting "ammae saranam, bhagavathiye saranam", and all the way people would provide butter, milk, water, jaggery, and coffee. The festival is celebrated for ten days and later became a social function, especially on Sunday. In 1982 there were police shootings to quell a disturbance by local fishermen. Today, Mondaikad is more of a departmental festival. Kanyakumari District has important religious sites for all three major religions in the district, viz., Hinduism, Christianity and Islam. The Ayyavazhi festival, Ayya vaikunda Avataram, is widely celebrated throughout the district. The Kodiyettru Thirunal is celebrated in the religious headquarters of Swamithope pathi and attracts large crowds from Tamil Nadu and across India. The car festival at Suchindram also attracts large crowds in the month of January.

The Kodai festival in the month of March at the Mandaicadu temple also attracts large crowds, both from Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The Thirukalya Utsavam in Kumaracoil temple, near Thuckalay, is celebrated in the month of March - April, and attracts large numbers from Kerala. In the St. Xavier's Church at Kottar, the annual festival on 3 December, is celebrated with grandeur, and attracts Catholic people (and some Hindus too) from all over South India.

New Year is celebrated with Vana Vediakkai (fireworks) and local games such as Valukku Panai (slippery palm), a game in which a person has to climb a bamboo stick which is flooded with oil.

Decorative lights at a church in Marthandam during the Christmas season

Food

Munthiri Kothu, unique sweet of Kanyakumari District

Rice is the staple food of the people, although for some people in the hilly areas, tapioca is the main food. Though there are some vegetarians among the populace, a majority of the people use agro, meat and fish products. Fish caught in the seas around the district during the night or early morning hours reach the markets in the interior towns and villages in the early morning. The food is spicy, and the people in the district tend to use more grated coconut in their curries and food-preparations, like neighbouring Kerala.

Infrastructure

National Highway 47, near Parvathipuram

Transport and highways

There are two major National Highways (NH) roads emanating from Kanyakumari town. One is the NH 7 that starts from the town and runs through Madurai and the other is the NH 47 that runs to Salem through Kerala, touching some important cities in Kerala like Trivandrum and Kochi and also in Tamil Nadu. The road stretching from Kanyakumari to Trivandrum is one of the busiest Highway stretches in India.

The state-owned Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation is the major operator of bus services in the district, though licences are issued for specific routes to private operators.

Today, there are 3495.80 km of surfaced roads in the district.

The nearest airport is Trivandrum International Airport which is 70 km away from Nagercoil, the capital of Kanyakumari District.

Railways

Nagercoil is a major railway junction, connecting the eastern and western rail lines and connecting all the majore cities in India. The western line runs through the west coast (though Kerala) and the eastern line runs through the east into Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu, towards Chennai. The rail link to Kanyakumari was established only in 1978, mainly because establishing a rail line through the district posed some challenges for the rail department and took a lot of efforts, especially the western line. The western line that runs to Trivandrum today runs through some huge artificial ground elevations and number of hill tunnels.

Kanyakumari District is connected through direct train services with all metropolitan cities in India, like New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Kolkata. These Express trains originate either from Kanyakumari or Nagercoil.

Passenger (local) train services and other express trains run between Trivandrum Central and either Nagercoil or Kanyakumari. The journey by train from Trivandrum Central to Nagercoil usually takes an hour and a half.

India's longest-running train, both in time and distance, The Himsagar Express runs between Kanyakumari town and Jammu Tawi. The train covers 3,751 km between Kanyakumari and Jammu Tawi, in 74 hours and 55 minutes.

Electricity generation

Kanyakumari district is a major center of windmill electricity generation.

There are two hydroelectric power stations at Kodayar, generating a combined 100 MW of power. Aralvoimozhy in Kanyakumari District is a major centre for generation of windmill power and the largest in the world, led by major corporations like Suzlon Energy and Micon.

Colachel Port

Colachel Port is a small natural harbour in the western side of the district near the town of Colachel. The Indian government has plans to turn it into a major port and container trans-shipment terminal and is now in the process of making a feasibility study. Colachel Port would have certain advantages over other neighbouring ports in India when developed, in that, it would be closer to international shipping lanes - shipping traffic between Europe, West Asia and the Far East passes not far from the port. Also, the port is naturally deep. Being situated close to the tip of the Indian Peninsula and with major ports like Colombo and Singapore in the vicinity, the port is becoming a big port and the Singapore government has sent its team to study the port.

Education

The Protestant missionaries who arrived in the 19th century were the first to introduce English education in the district. The founder of the English School in the erstwhile Travancore State was Reverend William Tobias RingleTaube, a native of Prussia. He came to the state in 1806 and devoted his whole energy to evangelistic work and English education. He incessantly preached, taught and established many schools for Christian and non- Christian poor children. From 1806 to 1816 he laid the foundation for the growth of Christianity and regular education in the area.

Several European missionaries who came to the district (then South Travancore) after Ringeltaube, also contributed immensely to the cause of regular education. Today, a number of old educational institutions in the district carry the names of these missionaries.

Kanyakumari District has a literacy rate of 87.6%. A variety of colleges of higher education are found throughout the district, mainly art, science and engineering colleges. The Scott Christian College, founded by RingleTaube in Nagercoil, is more than 100 years old.

The state runs the Kanyakumari Medical College at Asaripallam, near Nagercoil.

Number of Schools in Kanyakumari district:

1. Pre-primary schools - 83
2. Primary schools - 413
3. Middle schools - 147
4. High schools - 121
5. Higher secondary schools - 120

Total - 884

List of Colleges in Kanyakumari District

1. Aided colleges - 12
2. Self financing colleges -4
3. Colleges for special education -8
4. Colleges for professional education - 25

Agriculture

Kanyakumari District accounts for more than 95% of the production of natural rubber in the state of Tamil Nadu. Rubber is cultivated mainly in the hilly areas (on the western ghats) in the interior, while paddy fields and other crops are mainly found on the plains, near the coast.

Paddy fields in Nagercoil

Major crops under cultivation:

1. Rice - 400 km²
2. Coconut - 210 km²
3. Rubber - 194.78 km²
4. Tapioca - 123.50 km²
5. Banana - 50 km²
6. Pulses - 30 km²
7. Cashew - 20 km²
8. Mango - 17.70 km²
9. Palmyrah - 16.31 km²
10. Tamarind - 13.33 km²
11. Arecanut - 9.80 km²
12. Jack Fruit - 7.65 km²
13. Clove - 5.18 km²

Rivers

View from the Mathur Hanging Trough bridge with the Pahrali river flowing below.

The major river in the district is Tambaraparani River locally known as Kuzhithuraiar. This river has two major tributaries with the Pechiparai Dam and Perunchani Dam respectively built across them, Kodayar and Paralayar. There are many tributaries for the Kodayar River of which Chittar River I and Chittar II, with their dams, are the major ones. The origin of Tambaraparani River is in the Western Ghats and the river confluences with Arabian sea near Thengapattanam, about 56 km. west of Kanyakumari town.

Valliar, another small river and its tributary Thoovalar, originate from the Velimalai Hills, collect the drainage from P.P. Channel and its branches, ayacuts (irrigated area under a tank) and confluence with the Arabian Sea near Manavalakurichi.

The Pazhayar River, another small river, starts at Shorlacode, a place about 18 km north-west of Nagercoil. This is mainly a drainage river, mostly collecting the drainage of Thovalai, Ananthanar and N.P. Channels.

The Pahrali River also flows through the district. The Mathur Hanging Trough, the highest and longest aqueduct in Asia, was built over it near Mathur.

Forests

Keeriparai, the district comprises a sizeable area of lush forests

The forests in Kanyakumari District are about 75 million years old. Of the total district area of 1671.3 km², government forests occupy an area of 504.86 km² which comes to about 30.2% the total geographical area of the district. The forests of the district are administered through the Kanyakumari Forest Division, with headquarters at Nagercoil, the capital of Kanyakumari District.

There are 14 types of forests from luxuriant tropical wet evergreen to tropical thorn forests. This variety occurs in the district because of diverse locality factors. Rainfall varies from 103 cm to 310 cm elevation from sea level to 1829 m. The forest area is 30.2% of the total district geographical area which is next to Nilgiris district with 59% and Dharmapuri District with 38% in Tamil Nadu State. 52% of the district's forests are classified as dense forests, which is second only to Dharmapuri District with 58%.

The forests contain species such as Mesua ferrea, Bischofia Javanica, Vitex altissima to smaller trees of Dillini a species festooning climber, shrubs, valuable herbs, variety of orchids, two types of canes, many indigenous palms and cycas. The important timbers are teak, rosewood, vengai and aini. Various types of forest products like bamboos, reeds, canes, soft wood, tamarind, lemon grass, rubber, coconut, arecanut, terminalia chebula, cinnamon bark nelli, cardamom, mango and many medicinal plants are harvested in this district. The Maruthuvalmalai, a hill located among green paddy fields and coconut palms, is famous for valuable medicinal plants. This is the only district in Tamil Nadu where rubber and clove plantations have been raised in reserve forests in an area of 47.857 km² and 1.1 km² respectively. The district is rich in wildlife with at least 25 types of mammals, about 60 species of birds including 14 species of migratory birds and many species of fishes, reptiles and amphibians listed.

The following are the reserve forests in Kanyakumari Forest Division:

1. Therkumalai East and West - 17.4 km²
2. Thadagaimalai - 7.9 km²
3. Poigaimalai - 12.4 km²
4. Mahendragiri - 43.6 km²
5. Veerapuli - 281.9 km²
6. Velimalai - 11.2 km²
7. Old Kulasekaram - 6.9 km²
8. Kilamalai - 8,106 ha
9. Asambu - 4,310 ha

Flora and fauna

Fauna

The flora and fauna of Kanyakumari District are vast and diverse.

A Bengal tiger in the Kanyakumari Wildlife Sanctuary

Animals on the hills of the district include Bengal Tiger, Elephant, Sambar Deer, Porcupines, Hedgehogs and wild boar, while pied kingfisher, Painted Stork and cranes are commonly found in the water bodies and wetlands. Reptiles include Monitor Lizards, Pythons,Blood Viper and other snakes.

In Mahendragiri hills (about 4,000 ft (1,200 m) above sea level), one can find Elephant, Tiger, Leopards and deer. Leopard cubs often stray onto the highway near the hills and are sometimes run over by motorists.

The Keeriparai and Maramalai hills are habitats for wild Elephants and Indian Bison. The Kodayar hills are the breeding centers for the Indian rock pythons and Indian Bison. In the Theroor wetlands, one can see several varieties of storks and migratory birds during specific seasons. Trout and other varieties of freshwater fish are found in the Pechiparai reservoir.

Flora

Kanyakumari district is noted for its medicinal plants and herbs. The district also has a huge forest cover, accommodating a wide variety of plants, trees, and shrubs.

Commercial varieties include various kinds of Plantain (like Nenthiram, Palayamkotan, Thuluvam, Matti), jackfruit (like Varikila and Koolan), mango (varieties like Alphonsa, Bangalora, Neelam and Ottu) and coconut. In addition to fruits, a variety of flowers like roses and jasmine are also produced. Common garden varieties in the district include crotons, lillies, and dahlias.

Areas like Keeriparai are home to varieties of ferns, bamboos and other tropical plants. Flame of the Forest (Butea monosperma), a tree with reddish and orange leaves and flowers, is found in the Pechiparai Reservoir. Rubber estates are found in the hilly areas surrounding Arumanai, Kaliyal, and Kadayal.

Maruthuvazhmalai (or medicinal) Hill, near Kanyakumari.

Medicinal plants

The district is endowed by nature with several hills and mountains with rich herbs of medicinal value and minerals. Marunthuvazhmalai or Maruthuvamalai, a hill in the district located near Kanyakumari, literally means medicinal hill, and is referred to by Therapeutics (Buddhist monks) who belonged to the period of Emperor Ashoka, as having medical and spiritual heritage. According to traditional beliefs, the hill was a piece of the mountain Gandha Madhana which dropped, while the mountain was being carried by Hanuman to Lanka during the epic war between Rama and Ravana. Today, rare medicinal herbs are available here in abundance.

The sage Agasthiya was also the foremost of the Siddhars (the practitioners of herbal medicines). This sage is believed to have lived in "the land’s end" and there is also a village by the name of Agasteeswaram near Maruthuvamalai which owes its name to the dwarf sage. In this village, there is a temple dedicated to Agasteeswaramudaiyar which is believed to have been consecrated by Agasthiya himself. Besides medicine and grammar, Agasthiya was also adept in Varma Sastra. General palm leaf records like Varmani and Varma Sastra were written by Agasthiya. Even today, this healing art of varmam treatment is taught in Kanyakumari in the Guru-Sishya tradition, and treatment is also done by elders who are quite conversant with this method of treatment by applying Tamil medicines in required proportion.

Marine life and resources

More than 200 species of marine fishes have been recorded in the coastal region of Kanyakumari district, which includes skates, rays, sharks, sardine, mackerel, etc. Apart from fishes different species of prawns, lobsters, crabs, bivalves, gastropods, cephalopods and turtles are seen in the catch.

Perunchani Resevior

Wadge bank

Wadge bank is a fertile fishing found where rich marine biological diversity occurs. Wadge bank may also be defined as a place of marine environment, where there is a rich availability of fish food organisms. The water depth of this region is low. The physical features of the water like under-water current, tides and waves will have less impact on the fishes and animals of this region. Fishes select this region for feeding and breeding purposes. Throughout the maritime countries of the world there are about twenty such wadge banks. Of these one is situated near Kanyakumari on the coastline of Kanyakumari District on the eastward as well as on the westward region for about 30 km. Here representatives of fish species of the three seas occur.

Mineral sands on the coast

Beaches in specific areas of the district are rich in mineral content (and the sands look partly black). The state-owned Indian Rare Earths Ltd mines the sands for Zircon, ilmenite, monazite, Thorium and other minerals. Thorium is used in India's nuclear programme and nuclear power reactors.

Handicrafts and cottage industries

This district is known for its traditional skills in handicrafts items. Making 'Monkey-doll' from the un-husked coconut and other handicrafts items from coconut shell or wood are two major activities in the cluster. Coconut shell handicrafts include the making of spoons, ladles, forks, ice-cream cups, soup bowls, table lamps, pen-stands, and jewellery. Handicrafts made of seashells are available at Kanyakumari.

The district contributes to nearly 28.4 % of the total coir rope production in the state and is the first in the production of mats (98 %). The district accounts for 61.5 % of matting produced in the state and qualitatively, the fibre produced in the district is rated as among the best. Nagercoil, Agasteeswaram, Kalkulam and Vilavancode are the main areas of the industry.

Kanyakumari District is noted for two important agro-products: honey and cashewnuts. The honey produced near Martandam town in the district is marketed in India as "Martandam Honey", while cashewnut production is an important activity around Martandam town.

Tourism

Thiruparappu waterfalls

View of the Western Ghats at Keeriparai

Chothavilai Beach, near Nagercoil

Thirparappu Temple, near Thirparappu Waterfalls

Mathur Aqueduct (Mathur Hanging Trough Bridge)

The district is a major tourist attraction in India and one of the hot spots in Asia , with a year-round tourist traffic at Kanyakumari town and several important tourist spots like Padmanabhapuram Palaceand 35 more hot spots, while seasonal in 15 other tourist spots. The following are some of the major tourist attractions in Kanyakumari District, distances being given from the district capital Nagercoil:

• Kanyakumari, the Land's end, and the confluence of three water bodies, is 20 km to the south of Nagercoil, with tourist attractions of its own which include the Vivekanda Rock Memorial, 133 ft (41 m) high statue of Tamil poet-saint Tiruvalluvar - both on the mid-sea on rocky islands; the place is also famous for its distinctly beautiful (reddish) sunrise and sunset.

• The Kanyakumari wildlife sanctuary is a hot spot in the country.The sanctuary is a important breeding ground for Tiger, Elephant, Leapord and 39 other mammals.

• Vattakottai Fort, or Circular Fort, is a fort near Kanyakumari, right on the sea-shore, built under the orders of De Lannoy during the reign of Marthanda varma (1729-58 AD). The view from the top of the fort, of the sea and the palm-fringed beach below is fantastic.

• Suchindrum (Thanumalayan) Temple, about 6 km from the heart of town and Nagaraja Temple (in the town), are some tourist attractions within the town.

• St. Xavier’s Church, (Kottar in the town), built in the year 1600 AD, has historic importance due to the visit of St.Francis Xavier. The church was built in the land allotted to St. Xavier by the Venad king.

• Swamithoppe Ayya Vaikundar Pathi, about 11 km from Kanyakumari, which is the religious headquarters of Ayyavazhi, is well known for its non-idolatry system of worship.

• Padmanabhapuram Palace, (22 km from Nagercoil), once the seat of the Travancore kings, is India's only palace made completely of wood (sixteenth century).

• Chitharal Jain Monuments (about 35 km near Marthandam), impressive rock shelters and idols dated 9-11th Century.

• Thirunandikkara temple (about 20 km), rock-cut cave temple of Pallava art can be traced back to seventh and eighth century AD.

• Thengapattinam Beach. This beach is located on the west coast near Painkulam village in Vilancode Taluk. It is a fine beach adorned with coconut groves. It is also a magnificent estuary where the river meets the sea. Riding in a catamaran (small boat) in the river can be a pleasant experience which can be arranged through local fishermen. It is 35 km from Nagercoil, 12 km from Kuzhithurai and 54 km from Kanyakumari.

• Udayagiri Fort, built by the Travancore kings, is a fort previously used for training the Travancore forces and also served as Barracks. Capt. Eustachius De Lannoy's tomb is within the fort. The fort (about 90 acres (360,000 m²) and almost full of vegetation now, with several plants, reptiles, etc.) is presently declared as a bio-diversity park and maintained by the Kanyakumari forest department.

• Mathur Hanging Trough, near Thiruvattar in the District, is an aqueduct that carries irrigation water through a canal between two hills. The canal itself goes above a small river. Built on very high pillars, it is said to be one of the biggest aqueducts, both in height and length, in Asia.

• Olakaruvi waterfalls, about 20 km from Nagercoil is on the middle of a hill and requires an hour's trek by foot from the base of the hill (better to go in a group, as it is a forested area).

• Keeriparai - for nature-lovers and adventurers - pristine and beautiful, places like Keeriparai haven’t been publicized much by the Forest Department for various reasons - Keeriparai hills (30 km from Nagercoil) and the nearby Kalikesam are good picnic spots - one can enjoy water rushing through small mountain streams - with pebbles and ferns all around. There are also a few small waterfalls in this area - the popular one being Vattaparai Falls. Maramalai, which is further up in the hills of Keeriparai is famous for Wild elephants.

• Kodhayar (called Kodhayar Lower Camp) – is about 60 km and takes travellers through some exciting hill roads (motorable roads) with some thrilling 'hair-pin bends' and U-turns - Kodhayar forests are famous for bison, though there are other wild animals too. Access to some areas need prior permission from the Forest Department.

• Pechiparai Reservoir, about 30 km from the town, in the hills, and also Perunchaani and Chittar dams are a must-see for the nature-lover (with clouds touching the top of the hills around the dams on a misty day).

• Mukkadal, about 10 km from the town, built across vambaru in 1645. Which provides water supply for Nagercoil, Suchindram and Kanyakumari Towns.

• Thiruparrapu Falls, is a waterfall near Thiruparrapu.5 km from Thiruparrapu is Thirunanthikarai where historical cave temple is situated

• Muttom, a coastal village, is another popular place with tourists. The terrain in this village and its surroundings is hilly and from a height one can have an idyllic view of the place, with a Portuguese style church standing in the middle of the village. The beach-area is somewhat rocky. There is also a 100-year old lighthouse. The lighthouse, though near the sea, is situated on a land mass some 105 feet (32 m) above sea level. Another attractive feature of this area, is a reddish ravine-like area with casurina trees near the seaside. This place with very popular with Tamil and Keralite film-makers, especially Tamil film director Bharathiraja.

• Sanguthurai Beach, about 8 km from Nagercoil is a palm-fringed and sandy beach. Sothavilai Beach is another good beach, about 7 km from the heart of town. Both beaches were hit by the Indian Ocean Tsunami, but authorities have taken steps to improve facilities again. There is a very good lagoon (estuary - place where the river meets the sea) at Manakudy - 10 km from the town.

• Panchappathis, the five holyplaces of Ayyavazhi, all situated within 10 km radius from Kanyakumari

• Mukkudal reservoir : Fresh water supply to Nagercoil is from the Mukkadal Reservoir, about 8 km from the town, in the interior - itself a very scenic place, with a small bushy island in the middle of the dam. The dam is surrounded by hills of the Western Ghats.

Tourist information

Kanyakumari town and Nagercoil are directly connected by rail with almost all metropolitan cities in India.

Nearest Airport : Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) International Airport, 85 km away from Kanyakumari Town and 65 km from Nagercoil.

Indian Ocean Tsunami

Tsunami memorial in Kanyakumari beach

Kanyakumari district was one of the worst affected districts in India in the Tsunami that ravaged the coasts of various countries in South and South East Asia, on 26th Dec 2004. Casualties were close to 900 deaths and several hundreds missing and injured. Social organizations from several countries and the Government have since been working on rehabilitating the affected people and property.

Manakudy, Kottilpadu and Colachel were the worst affected areas in the district. Being a holiday (Sunday) and the peak of the tourist season, several people were washed away from the shores of Kanyakumari town also. A concrete road bridge across the Manakudy estuary was carried away by the waves for several metres into the estuary. Several people on the beaches near Nagercoil were also taken unawares.

Notable residents

Famous personalities from this district include:

• Marshal Nesamony Nadar Father of Kanniyakuamri District
• P. Thanulinga Nadar, President of Hindu Munnani
• Jegath Gaspar Raj, Founder & Managing Trustee of Tamil Maiyam, he hails from kanjampuram in Kanyakumari Dist.
• T V Ramasubbaiyer (Founder of "Dina Malar" - a leading Tamil daily)
• Sathyan, famous actor of Malayalam films
• S. Venkitaramanan - Ex-Governor of Reserve Bank of India
• Admiral Sushil Kumar - 18th Chief of Naval Staff of India
• David Davidar - English writer and ex-CEO of Penguin India (publishers), now with Penguin Canada
• Bala Prajapathi Adikalar, present Pattathu Ayya of Swamithope pathi and a leader of the Ayyavazhi.
• Devasahayam Pillai, 18th century convert to Christianity, recommended for beatification
• Jeyamohan, renowned literary writer
• Velu Thampi Dalawa (1765 - 1809) - The Diwan of Travancore under the Maharaja Balaramavarma. Led the rebellion against the English East India Company, and started Nayar Pattalam
• Thikkurissi Sukumaran Nair - Malayalam actor
• Mullanchery M. Velaian - Social worker, drama writer and drama artist
• G Madhavan Nair - Former ISRO Chairman.
• N Thanu, Founder, Brilliant Tutorials, premier coaching institute in India
• G Nanchil Kumaran I.P.S - Retired I.P.S Officer(Former City Commissioner-Greater Chennai)
• Shylendara Babu IPS - Inspector General of Police - Special task Force
• Kumari Anandan, politician
• Vasanth, businessman. Owner of Vasanth & Co retail chain and Vasanth TV
• G.S.Moni-Prominent communist, freedom fighter and a prominent figure in the struggle for separation of Kanyakumari from Kerala.
• Kavimani Desika Vinayagam Pillai (renowned Tamil poet, writer and scholar)
• Kalaivanar N. S. Krishnan [1]- Tamil Film comedian and Drama Artist of yester-years
• P. Jeevanandham, prominent socialist.

External links

• KanyakumariTourism.com - Kanyakumari Tourism
• Kanyakumari district webportal
• Official Website of Kanyakumari district
• Vattakottai