PM Modi to meditate at Vivekananda Rock Memorial for 3 days: Why this monument is special

After hectic campaigning for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections across the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to embark on a brief spiritual sojourn. He will visit the Vivekananda Rock Memorial located off the coast of Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu.

Modi will arrive at the rock memorial dedicated to Swami Vivekananda on 30 May and will be meditating through the day and night at the revered Dhyan Mandapam until 1 June, reports The Hindu.

Top security officials managing the arrangements have confirmed that the PM will fly into Thiruvananthapuram and then take an MI-17 helicopter to Kanyakumari. He will return on 1 June and board an IAF aircraft for Delhi at 4:10 pm from Thiruvananthapuram airport.

What’s so special about the rock memorial? We take a look.

1. The Vivekananda Rock Memorial is a monument and a popular tourist destination located approximately 500 metres off the mainland of Vavathurai. Situated on a big rock, it is surrounded by three water bodies – the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal, and the Indian Ocean.

2. Vivekananda is said to have arrived here after wandering across the country. It is believed that the monk and the philosopher meditated on the rock and attained a vision for a developed India.

3. The memorial, designed by renowned architect Eknath Ranade and completed in 1970, is located at the southernmost point of India in Kanyakumari. This is where the eastern and western coastlines of India converge, creating a breathtaking meeting point of the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal, and the Indian Ocean.

4. The memorial features two primary structures: the Vivekananda Mandapam, which houses an impressive bronze statue of the revered Swami Vivekananda, and the Shripada Mandapam, which contains footprints believed to belong to Goddess Kanyakumari. This site holds profound cultural and spiritual significance, with legendary tales of Goddess Kanyakumari praying to Lord Shiva on this rock.

5. This is not all, the picturesque memorial is right next to a huge monolithic statue of Tamil poet and philosopher Thiruvalluvar. The statue created by the Indian sculptor V Ganapati Sthapati, stands tall at 41 metres, with the deep blue sky and radiant sea in the backdrop.

6. According to BJP functionaries, PM Modi’s decision to pick the spot in Kanyakumari for his spiritual sojourn underscores his commitment to bringing to fruition Vivekananda’s vision for the country.

“Prime Minister Modi is giving a signal of national unity by going to Kanyakumari,” a party leader said, adding that it also shows his deep commitment and affection for Tamil Nadu. “Meditating at the same place shows Prime Minister Modi’s commitment to bringing Swami ji’s vision of a Viksit Bharat to life.”

7. PM Modi is expected to land in Kanyakumari at 4.35 pm on Thursday and he will witness the sunset at 3.30 pm. He will be staying at the Vivekananda Centre. The spiritual retreat will spread over three days during which the PM will spend most time meditating.

8. Tight security arrangements are made for the PM’s visit. A team of SPG commandos has reached the Kanyakumari to assess the situation.

“We are estimating that around 1,000 police personnel will be deployed, besides the patrolling of coastal police around the Vivekananda Rock along with Coast Guard ships even as there are chances of restricting security personnel on the rock as he would be meditating,” a top official monitoring the arrangement was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

9. Tourists will not be allowed at the memorial during the PM’s visit. The police will block bookings to all lodges and hotels nearby. Shops will also be restricted, according to the report.

This is not the first time PM Modi has ended the Lok Sabha campaign on a spiritual note. In 2019, he visited Kedarnath, where he meditated in a cave, and in 2014, he visited Pratapgarh, a place associated with the Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

With inputs from agencies