Place where Swami Vivekananda gained enlightenment!

By iastoppers.in By iastoppers.in

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will engage in a 48-hour meditation at Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Kanyakumari after the intense 2024 Lok Sabha campaign.

[{"selector":"#anim-f18ad6a0-aeaa-4ac0-8929-c7d31d941f68","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-015994be-d6e3-4023-86ad-1cd0f6b88e2a","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

The Vivekananda Rock Memorial, a significant historical and spiritual site, is located approximately 500 meters from the mainland of Vavathurai in Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu.

[{"selector":"#anim-2dafd346-b279-4517-bb57-fd41b074a803","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-187b837a-4123-4578-beef-fe5ecbe00d57","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

The memorial is positioned where the Bay of Bengal, the Indian Ocean, and the Arabian Sea converge, enhancing its spiritual significance.

[{"selector":"#anim-e6c49b5a-46a7-44e9-b38b-39f194aa39ec","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-95e1b213-8f0c-49a6-ae65-5bbe546f821a","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

According to legends, the rock was the site where Goddess Kanyakumari (Maa Parvati) performed penance on her foot, devoted to Lord Shiva.

[{"selector":"#anim-9cc074f1-24f3-41fb-bd14-fee0206f331c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b23cb97b-0167-46c4-93af-8695c6a9c670","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Swami Vivekananda, inspired by the spiritual aura of the place, swam to the rock and meditated for three days, gaining enlightenment and clarity for his mission.

[{"selector":"#anim-8832d1da-0d6f-458e-b0bb-7b18c15ae09c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-14e3908f-1b93-4357-a4b5-cf7c9a22dcfd","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Vivekananda's meditation on the rock preceded his historic journey to the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago, where he presented Hindu dharma to a global audience.

[{"selector":"#anim-75cdbb2c-5b94-4372-a559-cab12a37fb74","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-22e1bde7-ad2e-4ceb-9e85-2a014cf420e3","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

The memorial was constructed to mark the centennial of Swami Vivekananda's birth in 1963 and involved six years of dedicated work by 650 laborers, led by Eknath Ranade.

[{"selector":"#anim-61ffa08a-c3c0-461d-b610-11fc845bd4ef","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-22a77903-0552-48d1-b473-4b3288d614af","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Site contains 2 main structures: Shripada Mandapam, houses a sanctum sanctorum with Maa Parvati's footprint & Vivekananda Mandapam, designed similar to Ramakrishna Temple in West Bengal.

[{"selector":"#anim-4da9bd19-a721-4723-9af8-930725fcf51e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b9be4c54-0bfd-4b56-84a7-f67d84bc4802","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Vivekananda Mandapam includes a meditation hall (Dhyana Mandapam) where visitors can meditate and rejuvenate, reflecting the site’s dedication to spiritual renewal.

[{"selector":"#anim-65d292b5-65cf-4a3e-8707-443b2298fd0f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-661d22be-9cb1-465e-8aaf-86a37e00a4b8","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Architecture of the memorial draws inspiration from historical and artistic styles, including the Pallava Dynasty & Ajanta Caves, featured ornate stone & woodwork, & a roof of red & blue granite.

[{"selector":"#anim-b2b4c760-f39c-41db-8bf0-c78b69393886","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1cfce357-4250-4abc-a531-f0df9a0ad577","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Other stories

[{"selector":"#anim-3f74e1f3-d255-4c20-9512-439d4bfd00d9","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":1200,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8f1703f0-0d90-43cb-b70c-e4c39c96ecbc","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":1200,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a9c95f55-8207-41e7-b223-fd73cdbc1b64","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-94f124d7-8c19-415a-8a76-399677817c32","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-140.83333%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7e77cec1-9213-4c4f-9e2e-ba1ee1aaed20","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":50,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-aa7ba3af-eed0-4957-a8cc-b7835f7cd031","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-141.02565%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":50,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-91d09f3f-05dd-4815-8802-14ca0770b881","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":1200,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3dd8ca3f-35be-4c1e-a954-3722beab567e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":50,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1d5a654e-b11a-4976-a2f8-2b84f2192766","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-293.33336%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":50,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c6557ebf-7825-4df9-af6b-493e8c7f125d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":1200,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8883e356-f9c4-47e6-9d1e-04214e63c27a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":1200,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-78cea982-0df5-4071-9a14-858a91217c85","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":100,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-20d6ab67-179c-425a-b484-8bf3abf29988","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(159.16667%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":100,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c60afd78-be79-4d27-9c29-aab1a97ac611","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":1200,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2b826df2-40b1-4479-ae01-de8e71978ef1","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":50,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f76e7ea3-fb27-4056-9f01-9d69d400af13","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-285.83334%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":50,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a6a3981e-967a-4177-b12a-a06a54bf9cd8","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":50,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-56775192-3c62-4ea8-bd41-c0bcaf7acfe1","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-147.86729%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":50,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] See More See More Read Next Story