The bare rock rises above the palm groves, and from the top the land falls away to the sea on the horizon, at the very tip of India.

Legend and herbs

Marunthuvazh Malai means 'the hill where medicine lives'. It is part of the Sanjeevi hills at the southernmost tip of the Western Ghats, in Agasteeswaram taluk of Kanyakumari district. Tradition says it is a fragment of the Sanjeevi mountain that fell here as Hanuman carried it to Lanka to heal Lakshmana's wounds, which explains the many medicinal plants on its slopes.

Narayana Guru

The social reformer Narayana Guru did penance here and attained enlightenment, and the hill is also sacred to the Ayyavazhi faith. Visitors climb to a Hanuman temple and the Narayana Guru cave.

The climb

Steps lead up the hill; allow about an hour to climb with reasonable fitness. There are no shops or water on the trail, so carry your own, and go early in the morning for the best views and to avoid the heat.

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  Hanuman temple On the hill.
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  Narayana Guru cave Where he meditated.
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  Sea view From the top.