Summer rush: Record footfalls at Kumari memorials

Jun 03, 2012 - J.V. Siva Prasanna Kumar |

chennai

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Kanyakumari

The memorials for the two savants — Swamy Vivekananda and Tiruvalluvar — in the mid sea off the coast of Kanyakumari, have registered over 4.25 lakh footfalls this summer.

Both the memorials, which are accessible by boat, are international tourist attractions and draw a good number of visitors including foreigners all through the year. “Season in Kanyakumari is all through the year, summer invariably attracts domestic tourists. Foreigners usually prefer to visit during the peak season from October to January,” an official said.

The state government owned Poompuhar Shipping Corporation operates ferry service to the memorials and and it is the only official ferry service.

Being an international tourism destination, the Land’s End also attracts many VIPs from various parts of the country and abroad. The nearest airport is situated in Thiruvananthapuram.

The Vivekananda Rock Memorial was erected to perpetrate the memory of the spiritual guru Swamy Vivekananda who swam to the rock and got enlightened after deep meditation. The 133 feet high Thiruvalluvar statue built in granite adorns the adjoining rock.

According to sources, on an average about 3,000 persons visit both the memorials daily and during the peak season the numbers swell to about 7,000.

In April, about 1.73 lakh visitors had visited the monuments and the footfalls increased to 2.52 lakh in the month of May. The footfalls are slightly higher than 4.5 lakh registered during summer last year.

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