Vivekananda Rock Memorial, Kanyakumari
Vivekananda
Rock Memorial is a popular tourist monument in Vavathurai in
Kanyakumari Town in Kanyakumari District of
Tamilnadu. Vivekananda Rock Memorial is a must visit tourist destination in
Kanyakumari. This sacred memorial is on one of two rocks which are half a
kilometer from the mainland at Vavathurai, which has the distinction of being
India’s southernmost tip. The memorial is a distinct symbol of unity and purity
– virtues preached by the renowned holy man, Vivekananda.
It was
built in 1970 in honour of Swami
Vivekananda who is said to have
attained enlightenment on the rock. The Swami Vivekananda Rock Memorial is
a fitting tribute to one of the greatest proponents of Vedanta - a key Hindu
philosophy that aims to the eternal truth of life. Although the idea was mooted
in 1962 to coincide with the birth centenary of Swami Vivekananda, the monument
was built only around 1970.
Swamy
Vivekananda, the great disciple of Sri Ramakrishna Parama Hamsa (the best-known
saint of India during 19th century) and the founder of Ramakrishna
Mission, on his quest to know the purpose of life, wandered all over India
after the death of Sri Paramahamsa Dev. He came to Kanyakumari on 24.12.1892
and it was on this rock that the Swami Vivekananda meditated before leaving for
Chicago to address the World Religious Conference on 11th September 1893. According
to local legends, it was on this rock that Goddess Kumari performed austerity.
The
design of the mandapa incorporates different styles of temple architecture from
all over India. The rocks are surrounded by the Laccadive
Sea. The memorial consists of two main structures, the
Vivekananda Mandapam and the Shripada Mandapam. While the main building has an
architectural style reminiscent of the Sri Ramakrishna Temple at Belur, the
entrance is inspired by the Ajanta and Ellora cave temples.
Inside
the main hall is a life-size statue of the Swamiji. Besides the hall, there’s
also a dhyana-mandapam, where devotees can sit in meditation. Adjacent to the
main mandapam, is the Sri Pada Mandapam. A meditation hall known as Dhyana Mandapam is also attached to the memorial for visitors to
meditate. Interestingly, the 2004 tsunami which left death and destruction in
its wake, hit Kanyakumari and the Rock, but the Vivekananda Rock Memorial was
unaffected.
History
Vivekananda
Rock Memorial was constructed in 1970 by the Vivekananda Rock Memorial
Committee to commemorate the illustrious spiritual teacher Swami Vivekananda.
Sri Eknath Ranade was the inspiring force behind the erection and conceptualization
of this holy memorial. Swami Vivekananda had swum to this rock, where the
memorial stands, to meditate on India’s past, present and future. It is
believed that he attained enlightenment on this rock, transforming him into a
reformer and truth-seeker.
The rock
has been a holy spot from days of yore. As per myth, the rock is known as Shripada
Parai which means that the rock has been sanctified by the touch of the holy
feet of the Devi Kumari or Parvathi. Parvathi is believed to have done penance
here as Devi Kanya. You can see a brownish projection, like a human foot, on
the rock. This has been worshipped as a sign of Shripadam.
Initiation of the Memorial:
In
January 1962, on Swami Vivekananda’s birth centenary, a group of people formed
the Kanyakumari Committee whose objective was to put up a memorial on the rock
and a pedestrian bridge leading to the rock. Almost simultaneously, the
Ramakrishna Mission in Madras planned about this memorial. However, this news
was not taken in good taste by a sizable population of the local Catholic
fishermen. They put up a big Cross on the Rock, visible from the shore.
This led
to protests by the Hindu population who said the Rock was a place of worship
for Hindus. A judicial probe ordered by the Madras (now Tamil Nadu) government
stated in unequivocal terms that the rock was Vivekananda Rock, and that the
Cross was a trespass. Amid all this acrimony, the Cross was removed secretly in
the night. The situation turned volatile and the Rock was declared a prohibited
area with armed guards patrolling it.
The
Government realized that the Rock was turning into an area of dispute with
Hindus claiming it to be the Vivekananda Rock and Christians that it was St.
Xavier’s Rock. It decreed that although the rock was Vivekananda Rock, there
would be no memorial constructed on it. The then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu,
Shri M. Bhaktavatsalam, said that only a tablet declaring that the rock was
associated with Swami Vivekananda could be put up, and nothing else. With
government permission, the tablet was installed on the Rock on 17 January 1963.
Role of Eknath
Ranade:
The
first step he took on being asked to take charge of the Rock Memorial work, was
to ascertain that this effort had the full support of the Ramakrishna Math and
Mission. He was made the Organizing Secretary of the Vivekananda Rock Memorial
Committee so that he was officially in charge of the Rock Memorial mission. The
immediate obstacles were Bhaktavatsalam’s stand that he would not allow the
memorial to come up as Humayun Kabir, the Union Minister for Cultural Affairs,
had said that the natural beauty of the Rock would be spoiled. Kabir’s
constituency was Calcutta. When Ranade publicized in Calcutta, that it was
Kabir who was against the creation of Memorial of one of the greatest sons of
Bengal, there was such a hue and cry that Kabir had to do a volte-face.
However,
to prevail over Bhaktavatsalam, only the Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s
support would do. To that end, on Lal Bahadur Shastri’s advice, Ranade camped
in Delhi. In three days, he collected the signatures of 323 Members of
Parliament in a show of all-round support for the Vivekananda Rock Memorial,
which was presented to the Prime Minister. Bhaktavatsalam had no option now but
to allow the construction of the Rock Memorial. Bhaktavatsalam had given
permission only for a small 15’ x 15’ shrine. Knowing his reverence for
the Paramacharya of
Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham, Ranade approached the latter for suggesting the design
of the Rock Memorial. Bhaktavatsalam unhesitatingly agreed to the larger design
(130’-1½" x 56’) approved by the Paramacharya. Once all the political
hurdles were removed, construction was underway.
Ranade
was in the forefront facing all the challenges that came his way: to establish
scientifically that the Rock was structurally sound and could support such a
huge structure on it; the logistics of quarrying and transporting large blocks
of stone from great distances, and from the shore to the Rock; provision of
water and power supplies; the growing demand for skilled artisans, craftsmen,
and labor; building of jetty platforms on the rock and the shore (the
pedestrian footbridge idea to the Rock was dropped); the de-silting around the
jetty platform areas to enable bigger crafts to approach the shore, and so on.
The biggest
and ever-present challenge, however, was that of financing the whole operation.
Ranade’s belief in the success of the Rock Memorial mission was so strong, that
he never slowed down the pace of work when funds were in paucity. He brushed
aside the discouragement of others whose belief was not as strong and started a
fund-campaign. Ranade believed that as the Vivekananda Rock Memorial was a
national monument, every Indian should be invited to contribute to its
construction. He approached almost every State government and asked for their
contribution, making a special effort to go to the north-eastern states of
Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh so that they could also feel a part of the
national endeavor.
But the
bulk of the contributions came from the public. Ranade launched the campaign of
one-rupee folders throughout the nation, which were used to mobilize the
donations of the common man, starting from as tiny an amount as a rupee. Thus,
so many people visiting the Rock Memorial could feel with justified pride that
they too had contributed to that monument. Within the unbelievably short period
of six years, the Vivekananda Rock Memorial was inaugurated in 1970, and
dedicated to the nation.
The Living Memorial:
The
establishment of Vivekananda Kendra—the Living Memorial alongside the stone structure of
the Rock Memorial—was mentioned in 1964. After the groundwork of about nine
years, Vivekananda Kendra was officially founded on 7 January 1972 (the
108th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda by the Hindu calendar). On that
day, as the sun rose, a saffron flag with Om inscribed on it was unfurled on
the Vivekananda Rock Memorial to celebrate the founding of the Vivekananda
Kendra: a spiritually oriented service mission of non-monastic order.
The
tradition of penance was to be continued by young men and women coming
as Karyakartas of Vivekananda Kendra to spread the message of Swami Vivekananda. A
hundred thousand men and women, fired with the zeal of holiness, fortified with
eternal faith in the Lord, and nerved to lion’s courage by their sympathy for
the poor and the fallen and the downtrodden, will go over the length and
breadth of the land, preaching the gospel of salvation, the gospel of help, the
gospel of social raising up, the gospel of equality. The twin objectives
of Vivekananda Kendra are man-making and nation-building. Shri Eknath
Ranade decided that Vivekananda Kendra was to be a cadre-based organization.
Young
men and women whose hearts long to serve the nation would be provided the
opportunity and the right platform to serve God in man. When Swami Vivekananda
Rock Memorial was blueprinted, it was modeled by E. Thanumalayan, a student of
the S. T. Hindu College, Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu. He modeled it with paraffin
wax. The Memorial is the fusion of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu architecture and
the design of Ramakrishna Math, Belur, West Bengal. He was deeply appreciated
by the then Madras Chief Minister Bhaktavatsalam for its aesthetic quality.
The
Structure
This
magnificent memorial stands tall and proud reaching out to the sky amid the sea
at India’s land end. While the main building has an architectural style
reminiscent of the Sri Ramakrishna Temple at Belur, the entrance is inspired by
the Ajanta and Ellora cave temples. The rocks are surrounded by the Laccadive
Sea. An awe-inspiring site here is the confluence of the Bay of Bengal,
Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean – symbolic of Vivekananda’s message of unity
and harmony. The famous Thiruvalluvar Statue is close by (220 feet away), so do
hop across and have a look at it too. The memorial consists of two main
structures, the Vivekananda Mandapam and the Shripada Mandapam.
Vivekananda
Mandapam, which is erected in honour of Vivekananda consists of the following
sections:
Main Hall:
The main
hall has an imposing life-size statue of Swami Vivekananda cast in bronze. It
houses a statue of Vivekananda, made by renowned sculptor Sitaram S. Arte.
Dhyana Mandapam:
A
meditation hall (Dhyana Mandapam) is also attached to the memorial. The Dhyana
Mandapam is a peaceful hall where you can spend some quiet time meditating. Dhyana
Mandapam is the meditation Hall with six adjacent rooms.
Sabha Mandapam:
Sabha
Mandapam is the Assembly Hall including Pralima Mandapam (statue section)
two rooms, a corridor and an open prakaram (outer courtyard)
round the Sabha Mandapam.
Mukha Mandapam:
Mukha
Mandapam is the porch in Vivekananda Memorial. The Rectangular Shikharam called
'Aya Vistara Shikharam' along with corner foliage-designs are from Pallava
Architecture. The Lower portion called Prastaram is in Ajanta style. For the
Shikharam and Prastaram, red granite has been used. Below the Prastaram, are
six pillars in Ajanta style. The celling or Vitana is in polished blue granite.
A Padma motif, in bold relief, adorns the centre of the celling. On the
beam above the door-frame, 'Gaja-Poorna Kumbha' is carved. The height of the
celling from the floor is 20'-10'. The dimensions of the Mukha Mandapam are
17'-0' x 11' -0'. The flooring of the Mukha Mandapam is done in polished
red and blue granite.
Namashtubhyam to the Son of Jagadamba:
This is
the place where Vivekananda got his aim of life. It was believed that Mother
Parvathi called him to come there and to know the truth of india i.e what was
the glory of india, why it stepped down, what are the reasons and how it can be
elevated.
Shripada Mandapam:
There is
also Sri Padaparai Mandapam which is a shrine erected at the spot
where the footprint of the Virgin Goddess is seen on the rock. This Mandapam is
located adjacent to the Main Mandapam. This square hall consists of the
following structures;
·
Garbha Graham
·
Inner Prakaram
·
Outer Prakaram
·
Outer Platform
Both
the Mandapams are so designed that the vision of Vivekananda in the
statue would be seen direct towards the Shripadam.
Operating
Hours
·
Mon-Sun: 07:45 AM - 04:00
PM
Fees
·
Still Camera Fee: Rs. 10/-
·
Entry Fee: Rs. 20/-
·
Video Camera Fee: Rs. 50/-
·
Ferry Fees: Rs. 20/-
Contact
Vivekananda
Rock Memorial,
Kanyakumari,
Tamil Nadu.
Phone: +91 4652 2246201
Connectivity
Kanyakumari
Town is well connected to major cities by road / rail / air across India. Kanyakumari
is located at about 20 Kms from Nagercoil, 13 Kms from Suchindrum, 47 Kms from Thiruvattaru,
33 Kms from Thuckalay, 47 Kms from Marthandam, 100 Kms from Thiruvananthapuram
and 245 Kms from Madurai. Reaching Vivekananda Rock Memorial is not a difficult
task as it is well connected to the land. There are many ferry services that
run between the island and the mainland with minimal charges. The ferry
services usually operate from 8 AM to 4 PM.
By Road:
Vivekananda
Rock Memorial is located about 1.5 Kms from Kanyakumari State Transport
Corporation Bus Stand. The Memorial is well connected from Bus Stand by means
of Buses, Taxis and Autos. One should avail the ferry services that run between
the island and the mainland with minimal charges to reach this place.
By Train:
The
Memorial is located at about 1.3 Kms from Kanyakumari Railway Station. The
Memorial is well connected from Railway Station by means of Buses, Taxis and
Autos.
By Air:
The
Memorial is located at about 100 Kms from Trivandrum International Airport and
240 Kms from Madurai International Airport.
