Chapter II

OTE S-MORqWONV911ENTS

30

CHAPTER 11

OFF SHORE MONUMENTS

It is well-known that memorials are erected in memory of

prominent persons especially those who sacrifices their life to the

cause of general public. There memorials are placed. As

Kanyakumari is not only the one end of India, and also it is place

noted as a place noted as a pilgrim centre from very earliest days.

Further the place is one of the world's best tourist centres. The

Central and the state government established memorials at the

Cape Comorin to the renounced scholars like swami Vivekananda

and Thiruvalluvar.

Swami Vivekananda was born at Kolkatta in west Bengal in

1963 and was named Narendranath. During 1881, he met Sri,

Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and became a sanyasi in 1886.1

Between July 1890 to December 1892, he performed Bharat

Parikarma as a wondering monk. Swami Vivekananda came to

Kanyakumari on 24 February 1892 .2

1. S.Padmanabhafl, Temple of Kanyakumari District, Nagercoil, 1970,p. 11

2. A.Iyyappa Retlyar, Ahila India Hindu Tirulangal ,(Tamil) 1988, p.25

Swami Vivekananda visited Kanyakumari in the last week of

Dec.1892 to have the blessings of Devi Kumari. 3 On the evening of

the 25th Dec he Swam across the sea to the rock, nearly 200 yards

from the southernmost end of our holy land and sat there the whole

night in deep meditation. 4 It is said that sitting on the rock, he looked

northward at the great land and its teeming millions and resolved to

dedicate himself to the service of his country and to convey the

message of Vedanta to the west. He sought for the real cause of he

down fall and with the vision of a seen understood why India had

been thrown from the pinnacle of glory to depth of degradation.5

Towards the end of 1962, on the eve of the birth-centenary

year of Swami Vivekananda, the state Government of Tamil Nadu to

seek their permission for the erection of the Vivekananda Memorial

on the rock at Kanyakumari sea. Negotiations with the state

Government materialized towards the end of September 1964.6 The

plan of the memorial - structure was prepared soon in consultation

3. A.V.Shankaranarayana Rao, Temples of TamilNadu, Chennai, 2001, p.26.4. Ibid.5. M.Gopalakrishnan, Kanyakumari District Gazetteer, Madras 1995, p.1174.6. Eknath Ranade, Tale of the Vivekananda Rock Memorial Kanyakumari, 1970,

p.8.

with the Tamil Nadu Government and was taken up for execution is

November the same year.7

Vivekananda Rock Memorial is a monument in Kanyakumari

which attracts large number of tourists .8. As its name implies it is

essentially a sacred monument, built by the "Vivekananda Rock

Memorial Committee" to which Shri Mannath padmanabhan was

president and Maneeya Eknath Ranade was organisation secretary.

The Executive committee Members of the memorial committee

drawn from different states to commemorate the visit of swami

Vivekananda to "Shripada Parai" during 24th 25th December 1892

for deep meditation and enlightment.9

From very ancient times, the Rock has been regarded as a

sacred place. 10 In puranic tradition, it has been known as "Shripada

parari meaning the parai which is the Tamil word for rock that has

been blessed by the touch of Shripada feet of the Goddess.11

7. Ibid.8.V.Meena, A Tourist Guide, Kanyakumari , 1995, p.219. M.Gopalakrishnan, op.cit, p.117510.Eaknath Ranade, op.cit, p.10.11. Ibid, p.11.

33

The memorial—site being situated in mid sea, the memorial

had to be in granite, and that too of requisite quality—to ensure its

long durability. To select proper varieties of stones, specimen -

pieces of granite from quarries in the vicinity kanyakumari, were

sent to laboratory for ascertaining their quality. 12 Earlier an

examination of the inner core of the Vivekananda Rock was also

under taken by drilling a bore of about to feet depth on the tableland

of the Rock, and sending pieces of the inner comer to laboratories. 13

The tests gave quite satisfactory results.

After obtaining results of scientific tests made on specimen

pieces of stones sent to laboratory, two main quarries were selected

by the committee for procuring stones required for the memorial

structures. While the bulk of the stone used in the memorial is blue

granite procured from a quarry near Ambasamudram (about

seventy two miles away from Kanyakumari) in the Tirunelveli district,

the red granite used for the shikharams of the Vivekananda

Mandapam has been procured from a quarry near Tuticorin about

ninety six miles away from KanyakumarL14

12. A.Ram Gopal,Tami/nadusuddu/a Talangal, Chennai, 1991, p.213.13.G.Krishnaswamy, A Tourist Guide, Kanyakumari,1995, p.7.14.Eaknath Ranade, op.cit, p.12.

34

Another immediate work was to procure necessary skilled

labour. The number of skilled artisans capable of working on granite

stone is very limited in our country and all such artisans from the

South, Sthapati, Shri.S.K.Achari, was of great help to the committee

in overcoming this difficulty. 15 Though the number of such artisans

was only six when the stone-dressing work was inaugurated on 6th

November 1964, the number soon rose to two hundred and,

subsequently to four hundred by the time the construction work

caught momentum through the efforts of Shri.S.K.Achari.

As the memorial structure was to be in stone the stone

dressing work formed the most essential preliminary part of the

construction work. The stone dressing work was inaugurated on 6th

November 1964, with only six artisans several work - sheds were

put-up for the purpose on a spacious plot of land on the

Kanyakumari shore. Similarly temporary quarters were also

constructed at a suitable place in the Kanyakumari town ship to

provide accommodation for skilled stone artisans who came to

Kanyakumari from various parts of Tamil Nadu to work on the

project.

15. Ibid.

35

South East of the Kumari Temple in the mid Sea lies the twin

rocks, popularly known as the "Vivekananda Rocks". The rocks are

separated from each other by a distance of 220 feet with a cluster of

stoned protruding form the sea in between them. Of the twin rocks,

the minor or the smaller one is nearer the shore, but has no good

flat surface upon it. The major and the farther rock, however,

measures about 534'x426' at the water level and has a spacious

level top at an altitude of fifty five feet. That spacious rock was,

chosen by Swami Vivekananda for meditation. This rock is hence

known as the "Vivekananda Rock ., , 16

Being of considerable size and elevation, it situated at a

distance of about 450 yards from the tapering end of the main land,

the rock provides as ideal and unique vantage point to visitors,

desirous of having a 'Darshan' of our sacred Land spread upto the

Himalayas. 17

On the rock, there is a projection similar in form to a human

tort and a little brownish in complexion, which has traditionally been

16.A. Iyyappa Rettiar, op.cit, p.26.17.S. Padmanabhan, op.cit, p.12.

36

revered as a symbol of the shripadam. According to legend, it was

on this Rock that Goddess Kanya did Tapas.18

It was believed that the original kumari temple was on this

rock for some what near it and that the rock itself was a part of the

main lard. Sometime in the distance past, the sea encroached upon

the main land and turned the rock in to an island with the result that

the old temple had to be rebuilt on the present site. The rock has

been venerated by shakthi worshippers through the ages as a place

of great spiritual efficacy for doing "Sadhana".19

This might be the reason for Swami Vivekananda to have an

urge to reach this place, plunging in to the Sea, riding over the

surging waves and swimming the distance of about 500 meters in

quest of the highest Gnana. 20 In his deep communion with the

Divine Mother, he attained the cherished fruit of his years of prayer

and meditation. He received illumination, the highest experience of

spiritual realisation. 21 It was in the fitness of things that in

memory of that great event in Swamiji's life, people all over the

18.Ibid.19. VRam Gopal, op.cit, p.216.20.Ibid, p.217.21. M.R.Thangamany, Suddulavial ore Arimugam, (Tamil) Chennal 2000, p.363.

37

nation, aspired to raise at that spot a grand memorial. This memorial

for which S.K Achari was the sthapathi is a blend of all the

architectural styles of India, was inaugurated on 2 September 1970

by the president of India Shri.V.V.Giri.22

The financial assistance for the construction of the memorial

came from all the states in India. To a tune of Rs.1.5 crores and the

erection of jetty platforms and shelter for vessels to berth at the

Rock at a cost of Rs. 4.25 lakhs.23

The memorial consists of two main structures, Viz,

Vivekananda Mandapam and Shripada Mandapam. The

Vivekananda Mandapam measurement of 180'-11Y2'x56'

Mandapam, consists of (1) Dhyana Mandapam, (2) Sabha

Mandapam.

Dhyana Mandapam has been mentioned already, the

Vivekananda Rock Memorial is to comprise two main structures,

namely (1) The Vivekananda Mandapam housing the statue of

Swami Vivekananda and (2) The Shripada Mandapam around the

22.V.Meena, op.cit,p.27.23.A.V.Shankaranarayana Rao, op.cit, p.61.

38

Shripadam. These two structure will be at a distance of about 60

feet from each other and on different elevations of the Rock, though

on a single central line, running south-east to northwest,

approximately.24

As the Mukha Mandapam and the sabha Mandapam cover

almost the entire top table—land of the Rock, the Dhyana Mandapam

is constructed on a lower elevation, over, fifteen feet below the top

level, at the rear of the Pratima Mandapam.

To enable the visitors to get in to the Dhyana mandapam

directly from the Sabha Mandapam, a staircase has been provided

in the corridor at the rear of the statue —section. A separate entrance

to the hall, from the outer plat form below, is planned to provided at

the eastern corner of the hall. While it is planned to display

important incidents in Swamiji's life, depicted in high relief, on

bronze panels to be fixed on the inside —walls on three sides of the

Dhyana mandapam, at the centre of the remaining side, is to be

installed a highly decorated pedestal with a symbol o mounted on it

24.V.Krishnaswamy, Suddulavalarchi (Tamil) Chennai, 1997,p.168.25. Eknath Ranade, op.cit, p.18.

39

(Pranava Peetham) The total dimensions of the Dhyana Mandapam.

Including the 6 adjoining rooms, are 39'-10'x57'-10".25

Dhyana Mandapam is constructed with a view to provide a

proper place and atmosphere for those visitors who may like to sit in

calm and meditate for some time. The carpet area of the hail,

excluding the adjoining rooms, is 43'-10"x21'-6". 26 A blue granite,

quarried from near Ambasamudram about 72 miles away from

Kanyaku marl, is used for the construction of this Mandapam.

The dimensions of the sabha Mandapam is 130'-1 1/2 "x 56'

with its main entrance —opening of 11'x18'. 27 It has also two side

entrances of 5'-6" X10'-3" Each. All the door —frames are in blue

granite. They are highly polished and are decorated with traditional

floral designs carved on them. The whole Mandapam may be said to

be more or less after the Chola style.28

There are four chitra Kantha stambhas (ornamental Pillars) in

the pratima Mandapam (statue section ) and eight chitra stambhas

26.M.Gopa1akrishnan,op.cit,p.1176.27.Ekriath Ranade,op.cit,p.19.28.Ibid.

in the rest of the Sabha Mandapam , which are all highly polished by

hand, using traditional methods. The floral designs carved on the

ornamental columns are partly adopted from Pallava style and are

partly original but with a flavour of tradition. 29

The flooring of the sabha Mandapam has been done with red

granite slabs obtained from quarries near. Tuticorin about 96 miles

away and from the outskirts of Madurai about 176 miles away from

Kanyakumari. The height of the ceiling or vitana of pratima

Mandapam is twenty five and of the rest of the sabha Mandapam is

twenty. 30 The ceiling consist of covering stones measuring up to a

maximum length of sixteen in which lotus designs have been

provided at suitable places .31 Two decorated rooms in the sabha

Mandapam house big portraits of Shri Ramakrishna paramahamsa

and the Mother Sharada Devi.

The rectangular shrikharam called 'Aya Vistara Shrikharam'

along with corner foliage-designs are from Pallava architecture.32

The lower portion called prastaram is in Ajanta style for the

29.A.V.Shankaranarayana Rao, op.cit, p.6230.Ibid.31.V.Krishnaswamy, op.cit, p. 169.32.V.Meena, op.cit,p.22

I1

Shikharam and prastaram, red granite has been used. Below the

prastaram, are six pillars in Ajanta style. 33 The ceiling or vitana is in

polished blue granite. A padma motif, in bold relief, adorns the

centre of the ceiling.

On the beam above the door- frame 'Gaja poorna kumbha' is

carved. The height of the ceiling from the floor is 20'-10". The

dimensions of the Mukha Mandapam are 17'-O"xll'-0". The flooring

of the Mukha Mandapam is done in polished red and blue granite.

Shripada Mandapam is the square hall consists of (1) Garbha

Graham (2) The Inner prakaram (3) the outer Prakaram and (4) The

outer platform all around. Both the Mandapams are so designed that

the vision of Swamiji in the statue would be seen direct towards the

Shripadam.34

The Garbha Griham of the shripada Mandapam is designed

strictly in accordance with the' Ayadi pramance Lakshanam' as

detailed in the shIpa shastra. The structure is reminiscent of

Tamilian architecture during Chola period. The Mandapam has three

33.Ibid.34.V.Krishnanswamy,op.cit,p.19

42

prakarams and an 'Eka Ta/a Vimanam' from terrace level. The

dimensions of the Mandapam are 71'-10"x71'-10". 35 The inner

prakaram No.1 is protected by walls all a round. Prakaram No.2 is

provided with twenty eight pillars (chitra stambhas) on which ceiling

—stones rest. The prakaram No.3 is an open platform. The entire

structure is built with blue granite quarried partly from

Ambasamudram and partly from a nearby quarry.

The Vivekananda Mandapam was dedicated to the youth of

India by Swami Ranganatha at Vivekanandapuram on 6th

September, 1988- A huge granite statue of Swami Vivekananda is

installed in the exquisite mandapam constructed in black and red

granite stones. The samathi of late Eknath Ranade founder of

Vivekananda Rock Memorial is in front and a beautiful terrace

garden behind adorn the Mandapam that stands is a pool of water.36

At first the boating facility for the tourists to visits Vivekananda

Rock was founded by Vivekananda Kendra. Because of its inability

to continue the services, Tami Nadu Government took over it in

1981.

35. Eknath Ranade , op.cit, p.21.36.V.Krishnawamy ,op.cit, p.22.

After that the boating facility was brought under the control of

Tamil Nadu Govt. Poombukar Transport Corporation in 1984. The

name and capacity of the boats are given below.

M.L Thamira Barani - 115 persons

M . L. Ba hi rath i - 100

M.L. Vivekananda - 125

An average of 125 persons can travel in each boat. Every

safety precaution is followed in the boat. For the safety of the

passengers, three life guards will accompany the passenger in

every step. The boating facility will be available to the tourists all the

seven days of the week without any holidays.38

The boating will be stopped only if there is a bad weather. To

monitor the weather condition there are two weather men. The trips

will be undertaken with their guidance. The service will start from 8

A.M. and ends at 4.P.M. Other boats are not allowed to the Rock

and there are supervisions to ensure this.39

37.Ibid38.V.Krishnaswamy,op.cit,p.2339.Thinathanthi(Tamil) Nagercoil, August 15, 2007, p.8.

From January to June the number of tourists visiting the Rock

will be more. In January a large number of lyyappan devotees will

visit the Rock. A part from the boat ticket, an entry fee of Rs.15 will

be collected from the each person from 2007. In summer many

foreigners and school children will visit the Rock. For the school

children there will be a concession, only half the rate will be

collected from them.40

Thiurvalluvar Statue is said that Thiruvalluvar, the author of

Thirukkural which is regarded as the Bible of the Tamils, was born in

Thirunayanarkurichi near Muttam in Kanyakumari District .41 This is

theory ascribed on the base of many evidences, most of them are

circumstantial including that the existences of names like

Valluvanadu and the corruption of Valluvankodu and the mention of

Thiruvalluvar as the pivot of Punal Koodal in Thiruvalluvamalai etc .42

But it should also be remembered here that the publishers of

the Parimelazhkar Commentary on Thirukkural (1953) has said that

40. V.Meena ,op.cit,p.2241. Ramasubramaniya Iyyer, Thiruvalluvar, Madural ,2005,p.142. Ibid.p.2

45

the questions of who valluvar was, which sect he belonged to,

which period he lived, what his birth place was and which religion he

followed are not answered authentically. There is also view that the

birth place of valluvar was Mylapore in Madras. Hence , this is a

subject which needs further research. This Classical work written in

Tamil, has been translated in over sixty languages of the world.43

The Thiruvalluvar statue is located at the confluence of the

three great seas. Also depicts the great tenets of Thirukkural

namely, virtue wealth and love. The imposing 133 feet high statue is

erected on a minor rock in mid-sea by Dr. Ganapathy Sthapathi and

his team of around 500 Shilpis and other technical people. The

statue in fully made up of granite stones, weighing 7000 tonnes and

comprising 3681 pieces of granite boulders, each weighing 3-8

tonnes, The statue proper stands ninety five feet tall on the pedestal

of thirty eight feet height and the whole structure has been

designed based on the essence of great work of the poet titled

"Thirukkural" In the design of the statue thirty eight feet high

pedestal depicts the first thirty eight chapters which deal with virtue

and the statue proper of ninety five feet depicts the rest of the ninety

five chapters which deal with wealth and love. The great Thirukkural

43. R. Ramasubramaniya Iyyer, op.cit, p.5.

consists of 133 chapters each containing 10 couplets. The granite

used for making the statue was procured from three quarries of

Tamilnadu statue, one at Ambasamudram of Tirunelveli District and

the other two at Siruthamoor and Pattumalikuppam of

Kancheepuram District. There is one more thing which deserves

note by the modern technicians. The height of the statue is 133 feet,

for which a scaffolding work has to be attempted up to a height of

150 feet. In this Scaffolding work no steel fabrication was used but

only the traditional casuarine posts were employed right from the

beginning to the end.

The ferry goes to Thiruvalluvar statue. After seeing

Thiruvalluvar statue tourists go to Vivekananda Rock by the next

ferry. The ferry service is operated between jetty and the statue from

8.00 A.M to 4.00 P.M all the days. The statue was opened on

January 2000, when Dr.M.Karunanidhi was the Chief Minister. It is

at present decorated with different types of lights of illumination.

Government of Tamil Nadu is observing Thiruvalluvar year is

all official proceedings. During Tamil month "Thai' on second day

(January) Thiruvalluvar Day is observed by the Government with

holiday.44

44. Ibid.p.6

47

Kanyakumari decorates it self with a varieties of monuments

and pleasant centres. The off- shore monuments enhance the

beauty of kanyakumari and attract more tourists from different parts

of the world. The confluence of seas, the monuments on the shore

and off the shore and other attractive centres indeed provide a

colourful feast to the eyes the tourists.