South India 2008

Photos by Adam Jones

These photos were taken during two-and-a-half months in South India
(states of Karnataka, Goa, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala) from June to August 2008.

Gallery 25: Kanyakumari

Kanyakumari is the southernmost point on the Indian subcontinent -- the place where
the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, and Indian Ocean meet. It's a major pilgrimage destination
for Hindus, and it was here that Mahatma Gandhi's ashes were scattered in the sea following
his 1948 assassination.

I.

The town was one of the Indian sites hardest hit by the December 26, 2004 tsunami, and
reconstruction projects are still underway, focused especially on the recovery of the fishing industry.

II.

III.

IV.

Looking out from the seashore at the offshore memorial to the great Hindu
humanist, Vivekananda (at left), and the statue of the Tamil saint Thiruvalluvar, currently
undergoing restoration. Hundreds of tourists and pilgrims were airlifted from these sites
after the 2004 tsunami -- they were far enough from shore to escape being swamped by the wave.

V.

VI.

VII.

Restoration work underway on the local Catholic cathedral.

VIII.

IX.

Looking toward downtown from a fishing village along the seashore.

X.

XI.

A visit to the Vivekananda memorial offshore.

XII.

Aboard the ferry returning to Kanyakumari from the memorial.

Continue to the
next gallery