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.
Vivekananda Mandapam with a dimension of 534' x 426',
consists of a Meditation Hall ( Dhyana Mandapam) with six adjacent rooms
where visitors can meditate peacefully and an Assembly hall (Sabha Mandapam)
with two rooms and a corridor. A statue of Swami Vivekananda in a standing
posture, has also been installed in the Assembly hall, with its vision
directed towards the 'Sripadam'. The sacred Hindu Symbol 'aum' or 'om'
is written above the main entrance of the memorial, in Tamil. The design
of the mandapa incorporates different styles of temple architecture from
all over India. Wide entrance steps lead to the main entrance. The cost
of construction of the memorial came up to 1 crore 35 lakhs. The rock
on which the memorial stands measures about 164 mtrs. x 130 mtrs. at the
water level and has a spacious level top at an altitude of 17 mtrs.
Swamy Vivekanada (1863-1902), the spiritual genius
renounced the world and traveled widely as a wandering monk after the
death of his guru Sri Ramakrishna. He came to Kanyakumari in 1892, swam
in the ocean up to the 'Sripada' rock, and spent the whole night there
meditating. It is believed that he received enlightenment here which transformed
him into one of the most charismatic spiritual leaders of this century.
The next year in 1893, he attended the Parliament of Religions, a major
event in the modern history of Hinduism, held in Chicago, and spread the
Vedantha philosophy and religion in the West. He founded the Ramakrishna
math and mission in 1897. His lectures and writings are available as books.
Poompuhar Shipping Corporation operates regular ferry
service to the island from the mainland. There are two helipads on the
Rock, one on the northwest and the other on the southwest. The memorial
attracts thousands of visitors and offers a spectacular view of the mainland
and the ocean. It opens from Wednesday to Monday from 0700 to 1100 in
the morning and from 1400 to 1700 in the afternoon. Tuesday is a holiday.
Nearby there is a recently erected Tiruvalluvar statue, the author of
the philosophical work 'Tirukkural', a treatise on the Indian way of life.
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Monuments 
