Vivekananda Rock Memorial Kanyakumari

Posted on 04 Jul 2010

0 Comments

On the seaside is built a large, beautiful memorial dedicated to the Indian philosopher, Swami Vivekananda, who is said to have meditated here before setting out as one of India's most important religious crusaders. There is a Dhyana Mandapam for one to sit in a serene atmosphere and meditate. This memorial is on two rocky islands projecting from the sea about 400 m offshore. The Indian philosopher Swami Vivekananda came here in 1892. The memorial has been built on the Vivekananda Rock where the great philosopher - guide Swami Vivekananda went into meditation that transformed him into one of the most charismatic spiritual leaders of this century.On this rock stands the "Vivekananda Rock Memorial" built in 1970 with a blend of all the architechtural styles of India. A statue of Swamy Vivek[ Read More ]

Recent Posts

Thiruvalluvar Statue Kanyakumari tamilnadu's pride

by arun kumar | 9:09 AM | Under : , ,

0 comments


Greatness of Thirukkural : Thirukkural is a precious gem among the classics, unique in the deliverance of code of conduct to the mankind to follow for all time to come. It enshrines in it 1330 couplets under 133 chapters, each chapter comprising 10 verses. The chapters again fall under three major divisions. Virtue, Wealth and Love. This treatise encompasses the whole gamut of human life and by Thiruvalluvar, its illustrious author illuminates every bit of it! This classical work written in Tamil, has been translated in over 60 languages of the world.

The Government of Tamil nadu had a vision (for beyond) the Horizon. Yes to rise a statue for Thiruvalluvar in Kanyakumari, the southern tip of the mainland at the confluence of the three seas befitting the stature of this Saint-poet. The statue that was dedicated at the dawn of the new millennium, stands out as a beacon of light to guide human life for ever.

Measures adopted for the statue of Thiruvalluvar : The statue with 95' and the pedestial supporting it with 38ft, the structure is thus a standing mammoth commanding a total height of 133 feet. An artistic peripheral wall around the statue, thereby forms a captivating mandap.

The measures what they stands for? : The pedestal represents the 38 chapters on 'Virtue' and the 95' statue standing on the pedestal represents 'Wealth' and 'Pleasure' signifying that Wealth and Love be earned and enjoyed on the foundation of Virtue solid.

The rocks for the sculpture came from : Sirudhamoor, Pattumalaikuppam Hills and Ambhasamudram Hills.

The Thiruvalluvar Statue is a 133 feet (40.5 m) tall stone sculpture of the Tamil poet and saint Tiruvalluvar, author of the Thirukkural. It was opened in January 1, 2000 (Millenium) and is located atop a small island near the town of Kanyakumari, where two seas and an ocean meet; the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea, and the Indian Ocean . The idea of the Statue was conceived and achieved by M. Karunanidhi, Chief Minister of Tamilnadu.

The statue has a height of 95 feet (29 m) and stands upon a 38 foot (11.5 m) pedestal that represents the 38 chapters of "virtue" in theThirukkural. The statue standing on the pedestal represents "wealth" and "pleasure", signifying that wealth and love be earned and enjoyed on the foundation of solid virtue.

The combined height of the statue and pedestal is 133 feet (40.5 m), denoting the 133 chapters in the Thirukkural. It has a total weight of 7000 tons

Construction began on September 6, 1990, on the tiny island adjacent to Vivekananda Rock Memorial. Initially, the project stalled but then recommenced in 1997 and was completed on January 1, 2000. At the cost of more than $1 million (U.S.), it employed about 150 workers,sculptors, assistants and supervisors. The slight bend around the waist made the design challenging. Dr. V. Ganapati Sthapati solved the problem by creating a full-length wooden prototype before construction. Study of this prototype led to the identification of an energy line (known in Vastu science as kayamadhyasutra), currently an empty cavity in the center of the statue from top to bottom. Sthapati designed the statue to survive earthquakes of unexpected magnitude.

The stone work was divided amongst three workshops, in Kanyakumari, Ambasamudram and Shankarapuram. Ambasamudram contributed 5,000 tons of stones, while Shankarapuram was quarried for 2,000 tons of high quality granite stones for the outer portion of the statue. While the largest of the 3,681 stones weighed over 15 tons, the majority weighed three to eight tons. An interesting detail is the 19-foot-high face, with the ears, nose, eyes, mouth, forehead all made of individual stones carved by hand. Stumps of palmyra tree and poles of casuarina(ironwood) were used for scaffolding. It took 18,000 casuarina poles tied together with two truckloads of ropes to reach the top of the statue




Statistical details of the statue
Height of the statue95 feet
Height of the pedestial38 feet
Statue along with the pedestial133 feet
Height of the face10 feet
Height of the body part30 feet
Height of the thigh part30 feet
Height of the leg part20 feet
Fore arm10 feet
Length of the manuscript10 feet
Width of the shoulder30 feet
Length of the hairdo5 feet
Peripheral wall including the statue & mandap60 * 50 feet
10 Elephants, each as tall as 5' 6 inches
Weight of the pedestial, statue and the wall7000 tones
Sculptures and other worksmen500
Cheif Scultptor : Thiru V.Ganapathi sthapathi

    You may also like :