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PalayamkottaiPalayamKottai Palayamkottai twin town of Tirunelveli, situated 3km east of the city is the headquarters of the Church Missionary Society in Tamil Nadu. Trinity Church erected in 1826 the Society's main place of worship has a 35m tall spire, a land mark for miles around.This Church has been renovated recently. The CSI was formed in 1947, bringing together Anglican, Methodist and Reformed Churches. It has a threefold ministry of Bishops, Priests and Deacons, 21 Dioceses and over 1.5 million members. Tirunelveli, situated on the south-eastern tip of India, is the most populous diocese in the CSI. It was evangelised mainly by two Anglican missionary societies, SPG and CMS. Its oldest church building dates from 1750. The Cathedral is at Palayamkottai. In 1896 it became a separate Anglican Bishopric. Today there are 158 full time pastors, 1,250 congregation and 300,00 baptised Christians. The offshoot diocese of Tuticorin-Nazareth (Thoothukudi-Nazareth) came into being on 21st October 2003 wit the bifurcation of the Tirunelveli Diocese, and comprises the fromer eastern partd of that diocese. The inaugural celebrations began in St. Patrick's, Thoothukudi, and moved on to Nazareth St John's now to be the cathedral. The Diocese of Tirunelveli website is at www.csitirunelveli.org Places Around Tirunelveli Krishnapuram This small village 10 Kms from the City has a Venkatachala temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The temple is renowned for its remarkable 17C-18C carvings. There are a number of life-size sculptures in this temple with intricate workmanship. Along with the principal sanctuary which houses Vishu with consorts, there are also twin Lakshmi shrines. The Geomagnetic Equatorial Research Lab near Krishnapuram is an observatory centre. Tiruchendur Tiruchendur, the sea side town located 48km east of Tirunelveli is a popular place of pilgrimage. The temple here built on a small rocky promontory on the shore of the Bay of Bengal is one of the six Abodes of Lord Subramanya. The entrance on the west, a nine storeyed 45m high tower is a prominent landmark visible from the ocean. The main shrines are the Subrahmanya sanctuary with a stone image of the god placed next to a monolithic linga and the Shanmugha sanctuary with metal icons of six -headed Subrahmanya and consorts. The temple being one of the six abodes of Lord Muruga, draws millions of devotees especially during 'Kanda Shasti Festival'. Rock-cut shrines and natural caves with carvings of Subrahmanya dot the shoreline nearby. Kulasekarapattinam Kulasekharapattinam a coastal village with a fine beach, is located 68km from Tirunelveli and 20 Kms from Tiruchendur.The Muthuraman temple here is known for the popular 'Dasara' festival when folk dance artists from all over the state participate. Manapad Manapad located around 70 km from Tirunelveli and 18 km south of Tiruchendur, is a predominantly Roman Catholic coastal village. It is one of the first places to be visited by St. Francis Xavier in 1542 when he initiated missionary activity on the Fishery coast. He is said have lived and prayed in a cavern on the seaward face of a cliff. Holy Cross Church close to the sea was built in the year 1581. This church has what is believed to be a fragment of the true cross of Jerusalem. Thousands congregate during the festival season from 1st to 14th September every year when the cross is publicly displayed. Tuticorin This town situated 51km east of Tirunelveli, is a major industrial and commercial centre and also a harbour. The port here is the busiest in Tamil Nadu after Madras, the chief export being cotton and rice. Industries like SPIC fertilizer, Sterlite, Thermal, TAC, a heavy water plant, etc. are located here. It is a major pearl fishing and salt production centre. Kazhugumalai Kazhugumalai (hill of the Vulture) situated about 50km north of Tirunelveli was one of the important centres of the Jains. The bas-relief found here are the contribution of Jains and are among the earliest of such works. The Vettuvan Koil (Siva Temple) the rock-cut cave temple, a rare example of 8C Pandya architecture is worth visiting Tenkasi Tenkasi 53 km north of Tirunelveli, was the home of the later Pandya chiefs in the 15C-16C and later the Madurai Nayakas. The town is dominated by the Vishwanatha temple which has remarkable sculptures. The sculptures dated to the end of 17C include 2m high figures of Shiva dancing Kali, Krishna, Rati and Bhikshatanamurti among others. The flagstaff of the temple 400 years old, is noteworthy for its sculptural beauty. The resort of Courtallam, situated at an elevation of about 167 mts. on the Western Ghats is just 6km from Tenkasi. It is famous for its sacred waterfall, the waters of which is believed to have medicinal qualities as it flows through forests of herbs. There is a temple here dedicated to Lord Thirukutralanathar(Siva). Courtallam is around 60 km from Tirunelveli. The nearest air-ports are Madurai and Trivandrum and the nearest railway station is Tenkasi. The best Season is from July to September. Papanasam The natural beauty of Papanasam a holy place, 42 km west of Tirunelveli is enhanced by the Agasthiyar falls by which the Tamparani river descends into the plains. The water drops from a height of 100m over a wall of rock, covered both sides by forested hills of the Western Ghats. The water here is believed to wash away all sins and there is a legend that close to the falls, on the banks of the Tamiraparani river Siva and Parvati appeared before Agasthiya. The Papavinaswehwara temple is situated near the waterfall. Panchalankurichi & Kattabomman Memorial Fort Panchalankurichi, is a small but historic village around 70km from Tirunelveli and18 km from Tuticorin. From here the great warrior Katta Bomman popularly known as 'Veerapandiya Kattabomman' raised his voice against the British regime in the 17th Century A.D. The existing memorial fort was constructed in 1974, by the Government of Tamil Nadu. The memorial Hall, have beautiful paintings on the walls depicting the heroic deeds of the saga which gives a good idea about the history of the period. Sri Devi Jakkammal Temple, the hereditary Goddess of Kattabomman, is located near the fort. A cemetery of British soldiers are also seen near the fort. The remnants of the old fort is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India. At Kayatar, near Tirunelveli the place where he was hanged, there is another memorial for Kattabomman. Kalakkadu Sanctuary Located 47km from Tirunelveli in an area of 223 Sq.Kms in the western Ghats, the sanctuary spreads from Papanasam hills to Kalkad. Some of the wild life seen in this sanctuary are common Langur, Nilgiri Tahr, Sambar, Sloth, Bear, Gour, Elephant, Tiger, Flying Squirrel, Panther, Wild Dog etc. Besides, a wide range of birds and reptiles can also be seen. Trekking is allowed with the prior permission from the officials of Forest (Wildlife) Department. Accommodation is available at Forest Rest House. Best Season is from September to March. Kanyakumari -Cape Comorin Kanyakumari, 83km south of Tirunelveli, is the southern most tip of Indian Sub Continent. This place is surrounded by three oceans; Bay of Bengal in the east, Arabian Sea in the west and the Indian Ocean in the south. The beach itself is a beautiful sight with multi-coloured sand. Beautiful views of sunrise and sunset is the main attraction of this place. The full moon in the month of April is especially unusual when you should be able to see the sun and the moon on the same horizon. One of the holiest places, the town is named after the deity Goddess Parvathi as Kanya Kumari (Virgin goddess) for whom the Kumari Amman temple is dedicated. There is a Memorial dedicated to Swami Vivekananda a great reformer and saint on a rocky promontory just over 400 meters off shore where he used to sit in long and deep meditation. A Statue of Vivekanda has also been installed in this memorial.
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