Swami Vivekananda Rock Memorial

Closer View

Vivekananda Rock Memorial is a monument and it is a popular tourist attraction in Vavathurai, Kanyakumari, India. The memorial stands on one of two rocks located about 500 meters east off mainland of Vavathurai, India's southernmost tip. It was built in 1970 by the Vivekananda Rock Memorial Committeein in the honour of the visit of the Swami Vivekananda to Shripada Parai during the month of December 1892. The rock is approachable only by boat which provides a pleasure cruise into the sea. 

Swami Vivekananda came down to Kanyakumari on 24 December of 1892 before his departure for Chicago to participate in the World Religious Conference in 1893. He sat on meditation on this rock for two. The Memorial inaugurated in 1970 and is a blend of various architectural styles of India. The Memorial was constructed in 2081 working days with an average of 650 men working. 

It is located at the southern most tip of the Indian Peninsula where the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal meet. (Kanyakumari) This place is 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, social reformer. 

The memorial was built in 1970 by the Vivekananda Rock Memorial Committee to honor the visit of Swami Vivekananda here in December of 1892 for deep meditation. The memorial designed by Sthapati Sri S.K. Achari and consecrated by Srimad Swami Vireshwarananda, President of Ramakrishna mission. 

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. 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

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 entire Memorial Mandapam is similar to that of Sri Ramakrishna Temple at Belur, and the entrance is designed on the Ajanta and Ellora cave temples’ style. 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 rock on which the memorial stands measures about 164. x 130 (mtrs). at the water level and has a spacious level top at an altitude of 17 mtrs. 

Sri Pada Mandapam

The rock on which the Memorial stands has, in puranic tradition been known as the Sri Pada Parai. (This in Tamil means the rock that has been blessed by the feet of the Goddesses). On this rock there is a small projection resembling the human foot, which has been revered as a symbol of Sri Padam. The special significance and sanctity attached to this rock might have promoted Swami Vivekananda, devotee of ‘Kali’ and ‘Durga’, to venture across the sea for his long meditation. 

This square hall consists of (1) Garbha Graham (Sanctum Sanctorum) (2) Inner Prakaram (3) Outer Prakaram and (4) Outer Platform all around. Both the Mandapams are so designed that the vision of Swamiji in the statue would be seen direct towards the Shripadam. 

Swami Vivekanada (1863-1902) 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. 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. 

Poompuhar Shipping Corporation operates regular ferry service to the island from the mainland. 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. Nearby there is a recently erected Tiruvalluvar statue, the author of the philosophical work 'Tirukkural', a treatise on the Indian way of life.