Swami Vivekananda’s mission for the rejuvenation of Bharat began with the plan he had hit upon when he sat on “the last bit of Indian rock” at Kanyakumari. Now a beautiful memorial, to recall Swami Vivekananda's mission for India, stands on that sacred rock. The Vivekananda Rock Memorial, built by a truly national effort led by the monumental work of Mananeeya Sri Eknath Ranade, was dedicated to the nation on September 2, 1970, inaugurating it by the then President of India, Shri V.V. Giri.
Historical Significance of the Rock:
The rock, known as ‘Shreepada Parai,’ where the Vivekananda Rock Memorial stands, is imbued with deep spiritual and historical significance. This is the same rock where Mother Parvati as Kanyakumari Devi did her penance standing on one foot. After wandering across the length and breadth of Bharat, Swami Vivekananda reached Kanyakumari and meditated on this same rock on December 25, 26, and 27, 1892. His meditation became a landmark as it was here that he decided to go to the West to represent Hindu Dharma and the culture of Bharat. Later, under the visionary leadership of Mananeeya Sri Eknathji Ranade, this rock was transformed into the ‘Shila Smarak,’ bringing Swami Vivekananda's inspirational thoughts to life.
A Unique Symbol of Unity:
The iconic Memorial of Swami Vivekananda stands as a unique symbol of unity and purity. In the Memorial, there is a happy and harmonious blend of all the architectural beauty of the country. It is a symbol of unity because the whole nation wished, worked, and contributed to it. 323 Members of Parliament appealed for its construction, cutting across political, regional, and creedal lines. For the construction 1.35 crore was the budget and out of this a total of Rs. 85 lakhs was collected through one-rupee and two-rupee donations from the common people, beside this all State Governments and the Central Government, industrialists, contributed. People from all states could participate in its two months long inauguration. Thus, the memorial stands as a symbol of the united aspiration of the nation.
Eternal Source of Inspiration:
In the memorial manifests the story of Shraddha Indians have for Swami Vivekananda; the narration of a slumbering India awakening as one and confident; the miracle of the impossible becoming possible; the transformation of a seeming loser into a certain winner; the history in short of globally emerging India as the Jagadguru. Thousands of visitors come to the Vivekananda Rock Memorial every day, and the memorial continues to inspire them all with Swami Vivekananda’s mission for Bharat.
The inspiring history behind the Vivekananda Rock Memorial as narrated by Mananeeya Sri Eknathji Ranade was published as a book titled ‘The Story of the Vivekananda Rock Memorial’ and now it is available in multiple languages.
50 Glorious Years:
In 2020, the Vivekananda Rock Memorial celebrated its 50th anniversary. Vivekananda Kendra took this opportunity to thank the people of Bharat who contributed to the building of this grand memorial with a unique mass contact program ‘Ek Bharat Vijayi Bharat’ throughout the nation, from 2019 to 2020.
Vivekananda Kendra – A Living Memorial
As a second phase to the Vivekananda Rock Memorial, Eknathji Ranade founded the Vivekananda Kendra, which has now grown into a mighty spiritually oriented service mission manned by thousands of dedicated Karyakartas (Men & Women). It serves as a living memorial to Swami Vivekananda and serves the nation with ‘Man-Making’ and ‘Nation-Re-building’ as its twin objectives.
Kanniyakumari Station, about 1.3 km away.
Buses ply from major cities like Thiruvananthapuram, Madurai, Coimbatore, Puducherry and Chennai to Kanniyakumari Bus Stand, Puthugramam.
Vadasery Bus Stand, Nagercoil, about 21 km away.
Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, about 90 km away.
Madurai International Airport, about 240 km away.
