“At the Southernmost tip of the Indian Subcontinent.”
The Vivekananda Rock Memorial, along with the Tiruvallur statue are the
two most imposing man- made structures built on rocky islands, just off
the southernmost tip of the Indian subcontinent. This land’s end was
also known as Cape Comorin in earlier times.
One has to take a ferry from the mainland to reach these two islands. Since the last boat was departing at 4 pm we had to rush to the jetty and wait in a long queue of about 100 people. The queue moved fast and we were in the ferry within 20 minutes, for which we paid a to and fro fare of Rs.34 per person. At the rock memorial we had to pay an entry fee of Rs.20 per person. You are free to roam around the monument as long as you like, but be sure to catch the last ferry back, which also takes you to the island with the Tiruvallur statue.
The rock on which this memorial is built is the very place where Swami Vivekanada came to meditate in 1892, before leaving for Chicago to participate in the World Religious Conference in 1893. The memorial buildings were built much later in his memory and inaugurated in 1970. One of the buildings, the ‘Vivekananda Mandapam’, has a big bronze statue of Swami Vivekanada. The other one, the ‘Sri Pada Mandapam’, is a meditation and prayer hall. There is also a small rock in this hall with the projection of a human foot, which is believed to be the footprint of the Goddess Kanya.
From the rocky island you get a good view of the merging of the waters of the Bay of Bengal, the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea. The three waters are all a different shade of blue-green and make a fascinating sight. There is a strong wind which is always blowing as you stand and gaze out in wonderment at the infinite horizon.
This memorial in Kaniyakumari is a must visit for any tourist of Tamil Nadu in Southern India.
One has to take a ferry from the mainland to reach these two islands. Since the last boat was departing at 4 pm we had to rush to the jetty and wait in a long queue of about 100 people. The queue moved fast and we were in the ferry within 20 minutes, for which we paid a to and fro fare of Rs.34 per person. At the rock memorial we had to pay an entry fee of Rs.20 per person. You are free to roam around the monument as long as you like, but be sure to catch the last ferry back, which also takes you to the island with the Tiruvallur statue.
The rock on which this memorial is built is the very place where Swami Vivekanada came to meditate in 1892, before leaving for Chicago to participate in the World Religious Conference in 1893. The memorial buildings were built much later in his memory and inaugurated in 1970. One of the buildings, the ‘Vivekananda Mandapam’, has a big bronze statue of Swami Vivekanada. The other one, the ‘Sri Pada Mandapam’, is a meditation and prayer hall. There is also a small rock in this hall with the projection of a human foot, which is believed to be the footprint of the Goddess Kanya.
From the rocky island you get a good view of the merging of the waters of the Bay of Bengal, the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea. The three waters are all a different shade of blue-green and make a fascinating sight. There is a strong wind which is always blowing as you stand and gaze out in wonderment at the infinite horizon.
This memorial in Kaniyakumari is a must visit for any tourist of Tamil Nadu in Southern India.
Ask EkMusafir about Vivekananda Rock Memorial
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
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