Kanniyakumari
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ThengapattanamVerified photograph to be added
West Coast · Beach

Thengapattanam

தேங்காய்ப்பட்டணம்

Coconut groves running down to a river estuary

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You arrive

You reach the far west of the district, and the name tells you what to expect: 'town of coconuts'. Palms crowd both sides of the road and thicken as you approach the water, where a river estuary meets the Arabian Sea. Few tourists come this far. You get down, the shade of the groves is cool across the road, and the sound of the sea reaches you from beyond the last line of trunks.

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Through the groves

You walk under the palms toward the shore. Thengapattanam takes its name from the coconut groves along its wide estuary, and they still set the look of the place. Light falls in strips through the fronds and the ground is soft underfoot. Stay on the paths, since these are working groves and homes and not a park. Then the trees thin out and the open water starts.

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The estuary and the beach

You come out where the river meets the sea, and the beach runs away along the coast. Tamil Nadu Tourism calls it a less crowded place for a relaxed walk, and that is exactly what you do. Watch how the estuary's slow water runs against the incoming surf. Keep clear of the channel and the waves, which can be stronger than they seem from the sand.

Being here

You see

Dense palm groves opening to a river mouth and open sea.

You hear

Palm fronds moving and waves beyond them.

You smell

Salt air, wet sand and green coconut husk.

You feel

Cool grove shade changing to bright sea wind.

The story

Thengapattanam takes its name from the dense coconut groves along its estuary: 'thengai' for coconut and 'pattanam' for coastal town. Wikipedia reports that the Chilappathikaram is cited as referring to it as the capital of 'Thenga Nadu', one of the lost lands of the legendary Kumari Kandam, which should be read as tradition rather than established history. Once part of Travancore and later Kerala's cultural sphere, it joined Tamil Nadu on 1 November 1956 along with other parts of today's district. It is now a trade and tourism centre in the coastal plains.

Sources: Wikipedia: Thengapattanam · Trawell: Kanyakumari places · Tamil Nadu Tourism: Kanyakumari district

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