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Modi continues meditation at Vivekananda Rock Memorial
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 45-hour long meditation at Rock Memorial in Tamil Nadu’s Kanyakumari enters the second day
Prime Minister Narendra Modi who began his meditation inside the Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Tamil Nadu’s Kanyakumari on May 30 continued his meditation for the second day on Friday. He is on a 45-hour long meditation which he will complete on June 1 afternoon. Modi was seen wearing saffron clothes and holy ash and vermillion on his forehead as first pictures of his meditation emerged on Friday.
Modi woke up early on Friday to catch the sunrise by the sea before entering the hall to continue his meditation. On June 1 after completing his meditation, he will pay a floral tribute at the 133-feet-tall Thiruvalluvar statue, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said. There is a three tier security blanket on and off the coast.
As campaigning for the final phase of the Lok Sabha polls drew to a close, the PM came to India’s southernmost parliamentary constituency in Kanyakumari where he began his three-day meditation. This is the Modi’s eighth visit to the state since January. Tamil Nadu went to polls in the first phase on April 19.
On Friday morning, Modi meditated for 20 minutes and did “pranayama” (breathing exercises) in front of what is widely believed to be the footprint Bhagavathi Amman (Goddess Parvathi) where she meditated on the rock for Lord Shiva. The BJP released photos and videos of Modi performing the “Surya Arghya” ritual and meditating with the imposing statue of Swami Vivekananda in the background as the sun rose from the Bay of Bengal.
On May 30, after landing, Modi went to the Sri Bhagavathi Amman temple on the seashore to offer special prayers. He then took a special boat by the state-run Poompuhar Shipping Corporation Limited to reach the Vivekananda Rock Memorial for the 45-hour-long meditation.
Saint-philosopher, Swami Viveknanada had meditated here for three days in 1892. The memorial was built in 1970. Modi made similar trips for meditation following the parliamentary elections in 2014 and 2019 to Uttar Pradesh’s Pratapgarh and Uttarkhand’s Kedarnath.
Special arrangements have been made at the meditation hall — Dhyana Mandapam inside the Swami Vivekananda Memorial at mid-sea— while there is an elaborate security blanket on and off the coast here. The Coast Guard, Coastal Security Group, marine police and the state police are on duty in Kanyakumari district.
Amid complaints from the opposition that Modi’s is violating the model code of conduct and criticism that tourism has been affected in Kanyakumari due to his visit, some were allowed on the rock memorial on Friday under tight security protocol. “But, the meditation hall has been completely cordoned off,” a police officer said on condition of anonymity.
