Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu · 8.0779°, 77.5565°
At the meeting of three seas on the subcontinent's southern tip stands the shrine of the virgin goddess, counted among the Shakti Peethas and mentioned by ancient Greek and Sangam sources. Her diamond nose-ring is famed to have gleamed so brightly that ships mistook it for a lighthouse and wrecked — the east door stays mostly closed.
Kanya Devi did penance to wed Shiva; the wedding was set for a midnight muhurta, but Narada — knowing only a virgin could slay the demon Banasura — took a rooster's form and crowed falsely at midnight. The groom's party turned back; the uncooked wedding rice became the coloured sands of the shore, and the eternally waiting goddess slew the demon.
Kanyakumari town; Trivandrum airport ~95 km.
coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-26 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Pandya