Narendra Modi and Murli Manohar Joshi at the Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Kanniyakumari in 1991
New Delhi:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Kanniyakumari today to undertake a two-day meditation at the iconic Vivekananda Rock Memorial after wrapping up a hectic election campaign.
Ahead of PM Modi’s visit to Kanniyakumari, a 33-year-old photograph of the prime minister at the iconic spot surfaced on social media on Thursday, creating a buzz among netizens.
The photo, dated December 11, 1991, is from the Ekta Yatra that began from the iconic Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Kanniyakumari and ended in Kashmir.
A photo that has gone viral shows the entire ‘Ekta Yatri’, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party veteran Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, paying obeisance in front of the statue of Swami Vivekananda.
Notably, the Ekta Yatra, also known as the Unity March, was launched from Kanniyakumari in December 1991 and culminated with the hoisting of the national flag on January 26, 1992, in Srinagar.
The Ekta Yatra was led by veteran BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi and Narendra Modi, who was a BJP activist at the time, was the key figure in organising the march.
The objective of this Yatra was to send a strong message to the world that India stands firmly united against the forces of terror. The journey across 14 states struck a deep chord with people and demonstrated their unwavering commitment towards the unity of the country.
PM Modi will undertake a 48-hour meditation from May 30 to June 1 at Dhyan Mandapam, the spot where Swami Vivekananda meditated in 1892. The rock memorial was built to pay tribute to the Hindu philosopher and saint.
Swami Vivekananda is said to have meditated here for three days after his wanderings across the country and achieved his vision of an evolved India.
Modi had been on a similar spiritual journey after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, when his visit to Uttarakhand after intense election campaigning and meditating in a cave near the Kedarnath temple attracted global attention.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
