This is an archive article published on May 28, 2024
Chopper landing, sunset view and no tourists: PM Modi’s meditation plans once campaigning ends
PM Modi is expected to arrive at the picturesque memorial situated close to the monolithic statue of Tamil saint Tiruvalluvar mid sea on Thursday evening
PM Narendra Modi had gone on a spiritual sojourn in the Himalayas ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha election results. (X/@narendramodi)
Like he went to Kedarnath in 2019 and Pratapgarh in 2014, this time, after campaigning for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections incessantly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s destination is set to be the Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Kanyakumari, where he will stay from May 30 to June 1 and meditate.
Top security sources, who are handling the arrangements, said that Modi will arrive in Thiruvananthapuram on May 30, and will take an MI-17 helicopter to Kanyakumari, landing at 4:35 pm.
He will witness the sunset at 6:34 pm. Modi will return from Kanyakumari on June 1 at 3:30 pm. From Thiruvananthapuram airport, he will board an IAF aircraft for Delhi at 4:10 pm.
“Tourists will be told to cancel their plans for the weekend. Shop operations in the vicinity will be restricted. Bookings to all lodges and hotels in the small town will be blocked by police. 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,” said a top official monitoring the arrangement.
A team of 10 SPG commandos reached Kanyakumari Monday to assess the security measures. “He will be staying at Vivekananda Centre,” the official said.
Modi’s visit to Kanyakumari holds significant spiritual and symbolic weight for his followers as Kanyakumari is where Swami Vivekananda claimed to have had a vision of ‘Bharat Mata’.
“It was here that he (Vivekananda) arrived after wandering across the country and mediated for three days and hit upon attaining a vision for a developed India. Meditating at the same place shows PM Modi’s commitment to bringing Swami Ji’s vision of a Viksit Bharat to life,” the statement said, adding that “Goddess Parvati also meditated at the same place on one foot as she waited for Bhagwan Shiv.”
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The statement added that PM Modi is sending a signal of national unity by going to Kanyakumari.
Arun Janardhanan is an experienced and authoritative Tamil Nadu correspondent for The Indian Express. Based in the state, his reporting combines ground-level access with long-form clarity, offering readers a nuanced understanding of South India’s political, judicial, and cultural life - work that reflects both depth of expertise and sustained authority.
Expertise
Geographic Focus: As Tamil Nadu Correspondent focused on politics, crime, faith and disputes, Janardhanan has been also reporting extensively on Sri Lanka, producing a decade-long body of work on its elections, governance, and the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bombings through detailed stories and interviews.
Key Coverage Areas:
State Politics and Governance: Close reporting on the DMK and AIADMK, the emergence of new political actors such as actor Vijay’s TVK, internal party churn, Centre–State tensions, and the role of the Governor.
Legal and Judicial Affairs: Consistent coverage of the Madras High Court, including religion-linked disputes and cases involving state authority and civil liberties.
Investigations: Deep-dive series on landmark cases and unresolved questions, including the Tirupati encounter and the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, alongside multiple investigative series from Tamil Nadu.
Culture, Society, and Crisis: Reporting on cultural organisations, language debates, and disaster coverage—from cyclones to prolonged monsoon emergencies—anchored in on-the-ground detail.
His reporting has been recognised with the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism.
Beyond journalism, Janardhanan is also a screenwriter; his Malayalam feature film Aarkkariyam was released in 2021. ... Read More
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