NE NEWS SERVICE
KANNYAKUMARI, MAY 30
Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his 45-hour-long meditation session at the renowned Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Tamil Nadu’s Kanniyakumari on Thursday.
Arriving via helicopter from nearby Thiruvananthapuram airport by helicopter shortly after 5 p.m., drove to the shrine from the Tamil Nadu Guest House helipad to offer prayers. PM Modi first paid homage at the Bhagavathi Amman temple before boarding a ferry to the rock memorial, where his meditation is scheduled to continue till June 1.
- He will be there in the meditation hall of the memorial till Saturday evening
- Speaking to the media, Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai described PM Modi’s visit to the memorial as a private affair
Clad in a dhoti and a white shawl, the Prime Minister participated in rituals at the temple, including circumambulating the ‘garbhagriha.’ Priests performed a special ‘arthi’ ceremony, and Modi received temple ‘prasad,’ including a shawl and a framed photograph of the presiding deity.
Upon arriving at the rock memorial via a state-operated ferry service, PM Modi initiated his meditation session at the ‘dhyan mandapam,’ situated adjacent to the memorial, serving as a meditation hall for visitors.
PM Modi’s visit to the memorial rock marks his first stay at the site. Previously, after the conclusion of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he opted for reflective meditation at Kedarnath cave. This time, he has selected a spiritually significant location at the southernmost tip of the mainland for his retreat.
Speaking to the media, Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai described PM Modi’s visit to the memorial as a private affair.
“It is Prime Minister’s personal visit,” Annamalai said, adding that was why his party leaders and cadres did not take part in the event.
