Experiencing Independence Day at Kanyakumari: Our Memorable 6-Day Trip

Hello friends! Once again, welcome to my blog. Let’s start today’s post. As you all know, I share the culture and travel experiences of Kerala through my posts. I try to write everything in a way that if any of you plan to visit Kerala in the future, this blog will be helpful for you.

So, let's start with my 6-day trip. After catching the train at night, we all went to sleep in our berths, and in just 6 hours, the train reached Kanyakumari. To make the most of our time, we quickly went to our berths and fell asleep, only waking up when the train was just 10 km away from Kanyakumari. I called everyone to wake up and reminded them to check their luggage to ensure we had everything.

^{At Kanyakumari Find Tourist spot then Breakfast}

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With that, we set foot in Kanyakumari. I want to share why Kanyakumari was special on our trip: it is the southernmost point of India and is home to the Swami Vivekananda Memorial, which is a very significant place.

^{Have selfi at Boat station}

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We exited the station, and since our hotel was just 1 km away, we decided to walk. After checking in, we all went to our rooms. Everyone was still feeling a bit sleepy, even after sleeping on the train, but eventually, we managed to take another quick nap and woke up at 9 AM. We all freshened up and got ready to head straight to the Vivekananda Memorial.

^{Enjoying Feri Ride}

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We booked a local auto from the hotel, which cost just 5 rupees. When we arrived, we noticed there was a huge crowd because the memorial is situated in the middle of the sea, and we needed to take a boat operated by the coast guard. The boat fare was also 5 rupees, but we had to wait in line for 2 hours under the sun. We had another option: either stand in line or buy premium tickets for immediate entry. To save time, we opted for the premium tickets, which cost us 20 rupees each.

^{At Kanyakumari 🏝️ Vivekanand memorial}

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This day was special for another reason: it was August 15, a significant day in Indian history when India gained independence. That’s why we all wore a common dress code and had planned to hoist the national flag at the southernmost point.

^{Flag hosting on special occasions}

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We waited for a while, and after the ship arrived, we put on our safety jackets and sat down. Within just 10 minutes, we reached our location. We saw that the memorial there was beautifully constructed, and it looked even more stunning up close. Before entering the memorial, we removed our shoes and then went inside.

After spending some time in prayer, we took in the breathtaking view, which was truly magnificent. From there, the sea looked incredibly beautiful. We noticed that Indian Coast Guard soldiers were preparing to hoist the flag, and that sight was very lovely.

^{Group photos}

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We took photos with the tricolor flag, and then an incident happened: while I was busy taking pictures, my foot bumped into a stone, and I fell down with my mobile. Thankfully, nothing happened to the phone, and I was fine too; otherwise, I would have faced a loss worth lakhs due to just one photo, which would have increased our trip budget.

^{Indian ocean view}

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Well, everyone started teasing me at that moment, but what can you do? Friends are meant to have fun, right? I forgave them and said, “Everyone has their day; just wait, I’ll get back at you guys.” After that, we went to a temple for darshan and then returned.

^{Huge and beautiful white Church}

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Nearby, on Alangara Matha Street, there was a beautiful white church. We went there, prayed for a while, and then headed back. We had lunch at the hotel, ordering chicken and fish, along with vegetarian food for our veg friends. After enjoying the delicious meal, we returned to our room. Once there, some people felt sleepy and went to bed, while the rest started playing cards. Before we knew it, the others began to feel sleepy too, so everyone took a little nap.

^{At Kanyakumari Beach}

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In the evening, since we wanted to see the sunset point, we quickly got ready and headed out. When we got there, we found the weather was rainy, with clouds all around, hiding the sun behind them. We enjoyed the beach atmosphere and spent quality time there before returning for dinner. And yes, before leaving, we had beach ice cream!

Then, without any delay, we went back to our room. Since we had to leave for Trivandrum the next day by the morning train, we went to bed a little early, and with that, Day 6 comes to an end. See you in my next blog!