Sticking to the tradition – to go on meditation trips at the end of election campaigns – as he followed in 2014 and 2019 general elections, PM Modi will travel to Kanyakumari for his third such trip. He visited Shivaji’s Pratapgarh in 2014 and a cave near Kedarnath temple in 2019.
This year’s trip is scheduled from May 30- June 1, for a three day meditation retreat. The BJP leaders have called this retreat- a symbol of national unity and Prime Minister’s way of paying homage to the great Indian monk and philosopher, Swami Vivekananda and highlighting his commitment to fulfill Swami’s vision of ‘Bharat Mata’.
“Meditating at the same place shows Prime Minister Modi’s commitment to bringing Swami ji’s vision of a Viksit Bharat to life,” said a BJP leader.
An official meeting had been conducted at the Vivekanda Kendra by Kanyakumari District administration ahead of the PM’s arrival. “The PM will reach Thiruvananthapuram airport by Thursday afternoon, after wrapping up election campaign at Hoshiarpur in Punjab. He will reach the guest house in kanyakumari in the evening and depart for Vivekanada rock memorial by boat. He will remain there until Saturday afternoon,” said an official source.
PM Modi will arrive at Kanyakumari helipad by Thursday evening and witness the day’s sunset. Vivekananda Centre has arranged the stay for PM Modi. Along with this, tight security arrangements are set in place including a team of SPG commandos having already been sent to secure the site.
“We are estimating that around 1,000 police personnel will be deployed, besides the patrolling of coastal police around the Vivekananda Rock along with Coast Guard ships even as there are chances of restricting security personnel on the rock as he would be meditating,” a top official monitoring the arrangement was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.
During the three day stay by PM Modi, the site will be shut for the public and tourists. The police will block bookings to all lodges and hotels nearby. Shops will also be restricted, according to the report.
Also Read: IndiGo: Bomb threat forces evacuation of passengers
Top officials managing the PM’s trip arrangements have disclosed that the PM will fly into Thiruvananthapuram and then take an MI-17 helicopter to Kanyakumari. He will return on 1 June and board an IAF aircraft for Delhi at 4:10 pm from Thiruvananthapuram airport.
Significance of the PM Modi’s meditation site
Kanyakumari, the southernmost tip of the Indian mainland, is a popular tourist destination.
At the end of his intensive and gruelling 2024 Election campaign, Prime Minister @narendramodi will visit Kanyakumari from 30 May to 1 June.
At Kanyakumari, PM Modi will visit the Rock Memorial and will meditate from 30 May evening to 1 June evening. This is the same place where… pic.twitter.com/pnWDZcEscS
— Kanchan Gupta (Hindu Bengali Refugee)🇮🇳 (@KanchanGupta) May 28, 2024
Swami Vivekananda, the great Spiritual Leader is said to have meditated on the Kanyakumari rock for three days in December 1892 before going on a expedition across the country. This place had a deep impact on Swami’s life as he envisioned a future for the country back then – Bharat Mata. Subsequently, this rock was turned into Rock memorial’s Dhyan Mandapam- a sacred spot.
The spot is situated close to a monolithic statue of Tamil poet and philosopher Tiruvalluvar off the coast of Kanyakumari and is a famous tourist attraction as it serves as the convergence of all three water bodies, Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean.
