Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meditate for 24 hours at the Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, after campaigning for the final phase of India’s Lok Sabha elections ends on May 30.
BJP leaders said the Prime Minister will meditate from the evening of May 30 to the evening of June 1 at Dhyan Mandapam, the spot where Vivekananda, a spiritual icon revered by Modi, is believed to have had a divine vision of “Bharat Mata”.
The Prime Minister had undertaken a similar meditation in the Kedarnath caves after the 2019 election campaign.
Party leaders said Modi’s choice of Kanyakumari as a spiritual destination underlines his determination to actualise Vivekananda’s vision for the country.
He is confident of returning to power for a third term after the votes are counted on June 4. The final phase of voting is scheduled for June 1. Campaigning for the polls will end two days before the election.
The Importance of Rocks
They said the rock where the Prime Minister meditates had a profound impact on Vivekananda’s life and holds a significance in the monk’s life similar to that of Sarnath for Gautama Buddha.
They said Vivekananda had arrived here after wandering around the country, meditated for three days and had a vision of an developed India.
“Meditating at the same spot demonstrates PM Modi’s determination to realise Swami Guru’s vision of ‘Vikshit Bharat’,” the BJP leader said, adding that the spot is also mentioned in scriptures as the place where Goddess Parvati meditated for Lord Shiva.
The venue is at the southernmost tip of India.
BJP leaders pointed out that it is where the east and west coasts meet and also where the Indian Ocean, the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea meet.
“Prime Minister Modi is demonstrating national unity by visiting Kanyakumari,” one leader said, adding that his visit to the state even after the elections are over also reflects his commitment and affection for Tamil Nadu.
(With input from relevant agencies)
