Vivekananda Memorial

Located at the southern most tip of the Indian Peninsula where the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal meet, is Kanyakumari, the place famous for its spectacular sunrises and sunsets. Here out in the sea, about 400m from the shore, on a rocky islet lies a magnificent monument, a memorial dedicated to Swami Vivekananda, the Bengali religious leader, philosopher and social reformer. 

The memorial was built in 1970 by the Vivekananda Rock Memorial Committee to commemorate the visit of Swamy Vivekananda here in December 1892, for deep meditation and enlightenment. The memorial designed by Sthapati Sri S.K. Achari and consecrated by Srimad Swami Vireshwarananda, President of Ramakrishna mission was formally inaugurated by Sri. V.V. Giri, the then President of India in September 1970.

The memorial as a whole has two main structures Vivekananda Mandapam and Sripada Mandapam, on two rocks standing adjacent to each other separated by about 70 metres. The smaller rock known as 'Sripada Parai' has been revered as a sacred place even from very ancient times. Legend says that Goddess Kanya Kumari meditated on this rock and there is actually a projection on the rock similar in form to a human foot believed to be the 'Sripadam' or the feet of the Goddess. It is the focal point of the memorial. It is now enclosed in a square shrine or Sripada Madapam. This shrine consists of the sanctum sanctorum, an inner compartment as well as outer compartment. There is an outer platform all around.

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