Overview
- Features: Memorial built on spot where Swami Vivekananda meditated
- Opening Times: 8am to 4pm, daily
- Best Time to Visit: Late October to early March
- Duration: 2 hours (combined with Thiruvalluvar Statue and ferry journey)
- Travelled By: Ferry
- Cost: Rs 56 (Rs 30 for return ferry, Rs 26 for entrance)
- Address: Vivekananda Rock, Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, India
- Type: Memorial
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Summary
The Vivekananda Rock Memorial stands on one of two rocks about 500 metres from the mainland of Kanyakumari. This memorial marks the spot where the great Indian religious leader and philosopher Swami Vivekananda swam out here when a simple monk and devotee of the Devi, to sit in long meditation on this rock in December 1892 before attending the World Religious Conference in Chicago in 1893.
Vivekananda Rock Memorial Kanyakumari
The Vivekananda Rock Memorial stands on one of two rocks about 500 metres from the mainland of Kanyakumari. This memorial marks the spot where the great Indian religious leader and philosopher Swami Vivekananda swam out here when a simple monk and devotee of the Devi, to sit in long meditation on this rock in December 1892 before attending the World Religious Conference in Chicago in 1893.
It is said that Vivekananda attained enlightenment on this rock, and henceforth became a reformer and philosopher. He left convinced that religion could be a powerful instrument of social regeneration and individual development and was inspired to speak on Hinduism at the Parliament of Religions in Chicago, preaching that “the Lord is one, but the sages describe Him differently”. On his return, Vivekananda founded the Ramakrishna Mission in Chennai, which now has spread across the world.
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The rock was renamed Vivekananda Rock and a memorial was built in 1970. The design of the mandapa incorporates different styles of temple architecture from all over India and now also houses a statue of Vivekananda.
Several bookstores selling spiritual tomes are found on the island, but the best experience is to be had in the Dhyana Mandapam, a room where absolute silence is maintained so that pilgrims can meditate before a golden Om symbol.
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A natural projection on the rock similar in form to a human foot and a little brown in complexion, around which the Mandapam has been built, has traditionally been revered as a symbol of the “Shri Padam”. According to legend, Goddess Parvati in one of her incarnations as Kanya performed austerity at this spot to obtain the hand of Lord Shiva. People come here to see Shri Padam, where the ‘footprint’ of the Devi has been enshrined on the rock.
Apart from being a popular attraction, the views from Vivekananda Rock Memorial are stunning. From here you can see the confluence of the three seas – Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean.
Getting to & from Vivekananda Rock Memorial
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Vivekananda Rock Memorial can be reached by a ferry that leaves every half-hour from the Vivekananda Rock Ferry Terminal. In addition to visiting Vivekananda Rock, it also stops at Thiruvalluvar Statue on the return journey.
