Swami Vivekananda, the philosopher, author and a spiritual leader, swam from the shores of Kanniyakumari (Kanyakumari) to an islet in 1892 and meditated there for three days, and attained enlightenment. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also chosen the same rock, now called the Vivekananda Rock Memorial, to meditate from May 30 to June 1 to mark the end of BJP’s Lok Sabha election campaign.
During the end of the 2019 election campaign, PM Modi visited Kedarnath shrine in Uttarakhand for two days where he undertook a 15-hour ‘ekantavaas’ (solitary meditation).
In 2014, PM Modi visited Pratapgarh in Maharashtra and paid homage to Chhatrapati Shivaji who won a crucial battle in November 1659 after slaying Afzal Khan, the general of Adil Shahi Sultans of Bijapur. His victory cleared the way for his coronation as the head of the Maratha empire which the Chhatrapati termed Hindavi Swaraj.
Modi’s Kanniyakumari sojourn comes ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha Election results on June 4.
Let us first understand the historical significance of the Vivekananda Rock.
While meditating on the islet, which is located some 500 metres from Vavathurai beach in Kanniyakumari – the southern most tip of mainland India at the confluence of the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal – Swami Vivekananda had a vision for developed India.
Swami Vivekandana wandered for four years across India, and formulated his philosophy of having faith in one’s divine nature, truth, purity, honesty, perseverance, courage, strength and love.
As he wrote to Swami Ramkrishnananda (not to be confused with his guru, Sri Ramakrishna) in 1894: “At Cape Comorin sitting in Mother Kumari’s temple, sitting on the last bit of Indian rock, I hit upon a plan: We are so many Sannyasins wandering about, and teaching the people metaphysics — it is all madness. Did not our Gurudeva use to say, “An empty stomach is no good for religion?” That those poor people are leading the life of brutes is simply due to ignorance. We have for all ages been sucking their blood and trampling them underfoot” (as quoted in S P Agarwal’s The Social Role of Gita, 1993).
On the eve of Swami Vivekananda’s birth centenary in 1963, the Vivekananda Rock Memorial Committee led by RSS activist Eknath Ranade commemorated the site. The memorial was formally inaugurated by President VV Giri in 1970.
It is believed the Goddess Parvati also meditated on the same rock on one foot as she waited for Lord Shiva.
Today, the rocky islet is accessed through a 15-minute ferry service from Vavathurai. It is also the meeting point of the Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea.
Why Modi Chose Vivekananda Rock
PM Modi considers Vivekananda as his role model, and was even a member of the Ramakrishna Mission, a spiritual and philanthropic organisation founded by Swami Vivekananda.
At the Ramakrishna Mission’s 125th anniversary celebrations last year, Modi had said, “Swami Vivekananda had a grand vision of India, and I am sure he is proudly watching India working to fulfil this vision.”
Modi’s choice to meditate in Kanniyakumari in Tamil Nadu also underscores his party’s extensive South India push during this year’s election campaign. The PM South India’s trips accounted for over a third of his total tours in the last three years, with seven visits made to Tamil Nadu in 2024 alone.
He has been promoting Tamil culture and language during his campaign speeches for the Lok Sabha elections. He also visited several temples, including the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Sri Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy Temple and the Kothandaramaswamy Temple in Tamil Nadu ahead of the April 19 Lok Sabha Election.
The five southern states — Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka — account for 131 of 543 Lok Sabha seats. Tamil Nadu alone accounts for 39 seats in Parliament. Prime Minister Modi had said the BJP would emerge as the single-largest party in the South. On May 20, he said in an interview to PTI news agency: “We have already seen a jump in mind-share already, we will see a big jump in seat share and vote share for us in the region.”
What’s the Preparation for Modi’s Visit?
Around 2,000 policemen and security agencies have been deployed to ensure that the PM’s 45-hour stay at the Vivekananda Rock Memorial on Thursday is smooth.
Tirunelveli ranges DIG Pravesh Kumar, accompanied by the superintendent of police E Sundaravathanam, inspected the security arrangements at the rock memorial, boat jetty, helipad, and state guest house here, PTI reported.
The PM will reach Thiruvananthapuram airport on Thursday afternoon after winding up his election campaign at Hoshiarpur in Punjab. He will reach the state guest house in Kanniyakumari in the evening and leave for Vivekananda Rock Memorial by boat. He will remain there until Saturday afternoon.
Modi will reach Kanniyakumari helipad by Saturday evening and return to Thiruvananthapuram before flying back to Delhi the same day.
The ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu has submitted a petition to the district collector, opposing permission for the Prime Minister’s spiritual visit. They cited the election model code of conduct currently in effect and the ongoing tourism season, which is expected to attract a significant number of domestic and international tourists.