I was, but a childwhen my mom first told me the story of the bride who waited for her groom to arrive, and when the sun rose, but there was no sign of him, she turned the food prepared into sand, herself to stone, and stood forever, looking out into the sea. As I grew older, I heard different versions of this story � of the demon only she, an unmarried girl could kill, and of her nose ring, which shone so brightly, that ships, mistaking it for a lighthouse, steered this way, and were dashed against the rocks � but it remained just as poignant as ever. The stories fired my imagination, and my mom�s descriptions fascinated me. �How fantastic it would be, to see sands of different colours, or to see the merging of two great seas!� I thought, and waited eagerly for the day I would travel to Kanyakumari!
 |
| The most recognizable landmarks at Kanyakumari today |