Kanyakumari: After completing a three-day meditation at the Vivekananda Rock Memorial, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday paid floral tributes at the Thiruvalluvar statue in Kanyakumari. Clad in saffron, Modi had begun his meditation on Thursday evening.
On Friday, the Prime Minister came out of the meditation hall to offer prayers to the sun before resuming his spiritual journey. On Saturday, he walked along the rocks, offered prayers to Bhagavati Amman and paid obeisance at the statue of Swami Vivekananda.
Modi’s meditation lasted for 45 hours and he visited the nearby Thiruvalluvar statue at 2.55 pm. Dressed in white this time, Modi paid floral tributes to the 133-feet-tall statue of the Tamil poet. He then took a boat to the jetty from where he was taken to a helipad. The prime minister left for Thiruvananthapuram by helicopter at 3.55 pm. After Modi’s exit, tourists were allowed to visit the beach as usual. Shopkeepers said Kanniyakumari is in the midst of its tourist season and the restrictions introduced over the past three days have seen a dip in business.
Soon after the Prime Minister’s visit ended, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tweeted a letter purportedly written by PM Modi, which read, “I visited Vivekananda’s rock memorial at Kanniyakumari, the southernmost tip of India, and felt its divine energy. Mother Parvati and Swami Vivekananda meditated on this rock. Later, Eknath Ranade transformed this rock into ‘Sila Smarak’, embodying Swami Vivekananda’s philosophy.”
Calling Vivekananda a “fountainhead of ideals, energy and spirituality”, PM Modi said he envisioned a new direction for India’s rebirth at the rock. “Today, after so many years, when India stands for the values and ideals of Swami Vivekananda, I am fortunate that I too have had the opportunity to meditate at this sacred place. This is one of the unforgettable moments of my life. Sitting at the feet of ‘Ma Bharati’, I reaffirm my resolve to always dedicate every moment of my life, every limb of my body in the service of the nation,” the PM said in the signed letter.
