Modi lands in Kanniyakumari for spiritual sojourn

A total of 3,500 police personnel are deployed for Modi’s security on land, and 300 Tamil Nadu coastal police personnel are deployed in boats on the ocean, besides two outer security layers guarded by the Coast Guard and the Indian Navy.

The meditation will continue until Saturday afternoon. During his stay, Modi is also expected to visit the towering 133-foot stone statue of Tamil poet-saint Thiruvalluvar, located near the Vivekananda Memorial.

This visit mirrors Modi’s previous post-campaign spiritual retreats, notably his 2019 meditation at Kedarnath in Uttarakhand. Despite the BJP’s claim that the meditation is apolitical, the timing and location of the visit sparked a debate, particularly in West Bengal, where Swami Vivekananda is a revered figure.

Kanniyakumari, a popular tourist destination and the geographical endpoint of the Indian mainland, has been under heightened security for Modi’s visit. Tourist sites have been temporarily restricted, prompting criticism from local political parties. The ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu and the Congress party have both criticised the visit, alleging it violates the Model Code of Conduct.

Social media was meanwhile abuzz with images of Modi at the Vivekananda Memorial from 1991, during the Ekta Yatra led by BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi from Kanniyakumari to Srinagar.

The Swami Vivekananda Memorial is revered as the place where Swami Vivekananda had a vision of Bharat Mata after traveling across India. The myth about the site is also linked to legends of Goddess Parvati’s meditation on the same rock.