Madurai “Athens of East” is the second largest corporation city by area
and third largest city by population in Tamil Nadu. Located on the banks of
River Vaigai, Madurai has been a major settlement for two millennia and
is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Madurai is
closely associated with the Tamil language, as all three primary
congregations of Tamil scholars, the Third Tamil Sangam, were held in the
city between 1780 BCE and the 3rd century CE. The recorded history of
the city goes back to the 3rd century BCE, being mentioned by
Megasthenes, the Greek ambassador to India, and Kautilya, a minister of
the Mauryan emperor Chandragupta Maurya. The city has a number of
historical monuments, with the Meenakshi Amman Temple and
Thirumalai Nayak Palace being the most prominent.
Kanyakumari "The Virgin Princess" (also known as Cape Comorin). It is
the southern tip of Indian subcontinent, and the southernmost town in
mainland India, it is sometimes referred to as 'The Land's End'. A popular
tourist destination in India, it is famous for its unique ocean sunrise,
sunset and moonrise, the 41-metre (133 ft.) Thiruvalluvar Statue and
Vivekananda Rock Memorial off the coast and as a pilgrimage centre.
Lying at the tip of peninsular India, Kanyakumari is bordered on the west,
south and east by the Laccadive Sea. It has a coastal line of 71.5 km
stretched on the three sides.
Rameswaram is in the Gulf of Mannar, at the tip of the Indian peninsula.
It is on Pamban Island separated from mainland India by the Pamban
channel and is about 40kms from Mannar Island, Sri Lanka. Pamban
Island, also known as Rameswaram Island, is connected to mainland India
by the Pamban Bridge. Rameswaram is the terminus of the railway line
from Chennai and Madurai. Together with Varanasi, it is considered to be
one of the holiest places in India to Hindus, and part of the Char Dham
pilgrimage.