Rediff reader and photographer Hari Prasad Sridhar recently visited his hometown Kanyakumari and came back with these stunning visuals. Take a look.
The great Indian poet Bharathiyar famously said "The sound of the term 'Prosperous Tamil Nadu' (Senthamizhu Nadu) is as sweet as honey to my ears; And when I talk about my ancestral-land, I feel a new strength in each breath!"
"I always murmur these lines when I enter my hometown Kanyakumari", says Hari Prasad who recently returned home after completing his post-graduation from University of Strathclyde, Scotland, Glasgow.
Here, he takes us on a visual trip to India's less explored southern tip through his images.
Kanyakumari is truly a traveller's paradise.
The lush green fields, the mountains and the water bodies compose a brilliant landscape that is a welcome treat to the sore eye.
When you travel towards Kanyakumari, you can feel the breeze rush through your body and the smell from paddy fields combined with the lush greens will refresh your senses.
The elders in Kanyakumari will never get tired sharing their childhood memories -- of playing near the paddy fields, sitting under a tree and sharing food with family, chasing and hunting the field crabs -- all of which will make you smile.
Here, we celebrate the festival of light Karthigai Deepam in the month of Karthikai (mid November to mid December) as per Tamil calendar.
We decorate our houses with oil lamps made from clay and my mother makes kollukatta, a sweet dumpling which is made of rice flour, jaggery and steamed in banana leaf.
The lighted lamp is believed to ward off evil forces and usher in prosperity and joy.
This festival also celebrates the bonding between brothers and sisters in South India.
Sisters pray for the prosperity and success of their brothers and light lamps to mark the occasion.
In Suchindram, a few kilometres away from Kanyakumari, there is a Thanumalaya Swamy temple.
The temple has numerous sculptures and carvings of Hindu deities and its tall gopuram can be spotted from a distance.
During festivals and special occasions, the temple is brightly lit and its colourful reflection in the water is admired by all.
Between December and January, the temple hosts a chariot festival which attracts thousands of visitors even from neighbouring villages.
The colourful temple chariot and the temple in the backdrop brought back many fond memories.
As the sun goes down, hundreds gather by the sea to watch the sky change its colour.
The visual brings a different sense of calm to the mind and body.
This is one of the most visited spots in Kanyakumari.
On January 1, 2016, at the crack of dawn, when I arrived here, I captured this silhouette of the great poet Thiruvalluvar and the rock memorial where Swami Vivekananda sat and meditated.
This picture, for me, is a promise of new beginnings in life.
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