KANNIYAKUMARI: After concluding his three-day meditation spree at the Vivekananda Rock Memorial, PM Narendra Modi paid floral tribute to Tiruvalluvar statue in Kanniyakumari on Saturday. Clad in saffron, Modi had started his meditation on Thursday evening.
On Friday, he had stepped out of the meditation hall and offered prayers to the Sun, before resuming his journey with spirituality. On Saturday, the PM took a walk along the rock and offered prayers to Bhagavathi Amman and paid tribute to the statue of Swami Vivekananda.
Modi’s meditation lasted for 45 hours, following which he visited the Tiruvalluvar statue nearby at 2.55 pm. Clad in white this time, Modi offered floral tribute to the 133-foot tall statue of the Tamil poet. He then took a boat to the jetty, from where he was taken to the helipad. The PM then left for Thiruvananthapuram in a helicopter at 3.55 pm. Following Modi’s exit, tourists were allowed to visit the sea shore as usual. Shop keepers said that Kanniyakumari is witnessing its tourist season, and the curbs that were put in place in the last three days dampened their business.
Shortly after the PM’s trip concluded, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tweeted a letter she said was penned by Modi. It read, “After visiting the Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Kanniyakumari, the southernmost tip of India, I feel a divine energy. It is on this rock that Mother Parvati and Swami Vivekananda had meditated. Later, Eknath Ranade transformed this rock into a ‘Shila Smarak’ that brought Swami Vivekananda’s thoughts to life.”
Calling Vivekananda his “ideal, energy, and the source of spirituality,” Modi said Vivekananda envisioned a new direction for India’s revival at this rock. “It is my fortune that today, after so many years, as India embodies the values and ideals of Swami Vivekananda, 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 once again reaffirm my resolve that every moment of my life and every particle of my body will always be dedicated to the service of the nation,” the PM said in a letter signed by him.