Vivekananda Rock Memorial: History, Legend, and Spectacular Views

Regulations on the ferry demanded everyone on board to be wearing a life jacket at all times. Everyone complied, but all of us knew, they would not help a bit if there was any real emergency. Ill fitted, and picked up without any weight consideration, those orange thingies were more junk than life savers. But I guess rules are rules.

It was a sunny day, a good time to visit the Vivekananda Rock Memorial, which is situated 500 meter off the cost of Kankyakumari. Vivekananda Rock Memorial, is the most famous landmark of Kanyakumari, hence I had to ditch my fear of water and embark on this ride atop a rickety ferry.

By the time we were on the ferry, all the strategic seats were already taken. Not a single window seat was without a suitor. Reluctantly I took one of the aisle seats, and prayed to God, for safe return back to the mainland.

History and Legend:

It was built in 1970 in honor of Swami Vivekananda who is said to have attained enlightenment on the rock. It is believed that he swam across this stretch of 500 meters of sea to reach this rock, and mediated here for three days, before leaving for his famous speech in Chicago.

According to local legends, it was on this rock that Goddess Kumari did her penance. This basically meant this particular rock holds immense significance for most Hindu families.

The Rock:

It took about 2 to 3 minutes to reach the small island, from the jetty. The disappointment of not getting the window seat had subsided, as the ferry reached its destination before anyone was able to turn on their cameras. Typical boat rides across small lakes are longer than this.

Coming out of the ferry, I looked out to the edge of the island. I saw rocky ridges stretch out into the sea. Endless stretches of water, jellying around, crashing into rocks creating a surf. The whole scene was making me dizzy.

The Memorial

After depositing my shoes at a nearby free shoe stand, I stepped onto the pathway painted with white heat absorbent paint, making my way to the actual memorial.

The memorial consists of two main structures, the Vivekananda Mandapam and the Shripada Mandapam. Vivekananda Mandapam is the massive grey and red monument, whose design incorporated different styles of temple architecture from all over India.

The memorial building is divided in three sections, Dhyana Mandapam, Sabha Mandapam and Mukha Mandapam. The Dhyana Mandapam is a mediation hall where tourists and travelers could sit and meditate. The mandapam has six adjacent rooms and is constructed mostly using granite. Its peaceful interior is complemented with ample ventilation, allowing natural light and sea breeze to permeate the space. Its a shame that photography is prohibited inside the monument.

Sabha Mandapam is the assembly hall that consists of a statue section called ‘Pratima Mandapam’, adorned by a bronze life size statue of Swami Vivekananda in parivrajak pose, made by renowned sculptor Narayanrao Sonavadekar. Rest of the mandapam consists of a corridor and an outer courtyard encompassing the hall. Most of the mandapam is built using blue granite queried from Ambasamudram about 72 miles away from Kanyakumari.

Mukha Mandapam is technically the porch of the memorial, with artistic carvings on the ceiling, beams and columns. Various sections of this structure are inspired by multiple temple building styles. For example, the Pallava style corner foliage, Ajanta style pillars and ceiling motifs. The walls, pillars and ceilings are all built using different colored granite.The flooring of the Mukha Mandapam is done in polished red and blue granite.

Sri Pada Mandapam:

Across the courtyard from the Vivekananda Memorial, stands another structure called Sri Pada Mandapam. Legend says that this was where Goddess Kanya did her penance.

Goddess Kanya, is synonymous with Kanyakumari, which is evident from the name of the town itself. Goddess Kanya is said to be an avatar of Devi Shakti In the form of an adolescent girl child. The main temple dedicated to the goddess is situated at the Kanyakumari Beach, which is also a tourist and pilgrimage hot spot of this area.

I stepped down from the Vivekananda Memorial on to the white painted pathway. The place had suddenly become very crowded, and I felt the urge of breaking away from the queue and walk on the rocky surface till the mandapam.

As soon as I stepped on to the rock outside the painted surface, I realized it was too hot and I tip toed back into the white pathway to the much amusement of other tourists, most of whom made sure their kids see me as an example, and not venture out on to the rock.

Inside the Sri Pada Mandapam, a projection resembling a foot can be seen in the center. The actual mandapam is enclosed within an outer platform. This hall also includes a ‘Garbha Graham’ (sanctum sanctorum), an ‘Inner Prakaram’ (compound around the sanctum) and an ‘Outer Prakaram’.

Thiruvalluvar Statue:

Thiruvalluvar is an immortal poet of Tamil Nadu, who has had immense influence on Tamil culture. In his honor a massive 133 feet tall statue is constructed on the rock adjacent to Vivekananda memorial.

Visiting the statue was on hold when I went to visit the rock as some renovation/restoration work was going on. Typical visiting hours are from 8 AM to 4 PM.

Conclusion

This marked the end of my tour of the magnificent Vivekananda Rock Memorial. As my ferry ride back got over and I touched down on the mainland, I thanked God for this safe return. I looked back, at the gigantic rocks in the middle of the ocean, housing the memorial.

From here, I had nothing but respect for the hundreds of Artisans who worked on this memorial in the middle of the ocean. Battling the wild waves that crash onto the rocks, going back and forth churning till eternity.

How to Reach:

By Air

Nearest Airport : Thiruvananthapuram Airport.

By Train

Nearest Raiway Station : Kanyakumari junction.

By Road

By road it is 90 Kms from Thiruvananthapuram and 19 Kms from Nagercoil

Vivekananda Rock Memorial Timings

The memorial is open to public from 9 AM to 6 PM.

Vivekananda Rock Memorial Ticket Price:

INR 20