Vivekananda Rock Memorial
Vivekananda Kendra
Vivekananda Rock Memorial
Swami Vivekananda has said that even after he laid down his body, he would continue to work and inspire generations to come to carry on his unfinished work.We see it still happing. Swamiji does it in innumerable ways. The magnificent Vivekananda Rock Memorial at Kanyakumari is one such undying source of inspiration.
The Vivekananda Memorial, as it stands today, is a memorial to Swamiji as to Shri Ekanthji Ranade whose devotion to the work he had undertaken was inspired not by mere faith but by intellectual conviction.
At Kanyakumari - a unique symbol of unity and purity - is the Memorial of Swami Vivekananda, another symbol of the united aspiration of Nation. In the Memorial, there is a happy and harmonious blend of all the architectural beauty of the country. It is a symbol of unity because the whole nation wished, worked and contributed for it. Person from all states participated in its inauguration. It is also a Memorial, conceived and laboured for mainly by RSS swayamsevaks, blessed by Ramakrishna Mission, designed by Paramacharya of Kachi Kamakoti Peetham, and for which Swami Chinmayananda of Chinmay Mission gave the first donation.All the spiritual,culture and national organisations supported it.It is also a Memorial for which all State Governments and Central Government contributed.
Thus, the memorial became a focal point just as Kanyakumari is a meeting point for three seas.
Inaugurating the Rock Memorial on September 2, 1970, the President of India Shri V.V. Giri called upon fellow Indians to rise to the call of the nation.
Eknathji described beautifully uniqueness of Kanayakumari in his one speech in 1966.He gave the series of inspiring speeches on Vivekananda Rock Memorial to the first batch of Workers of Vivekananda Kendra which helped to clear idea behind VRM (Vivekananda Rock Memorial) and VK (Vivekananda Kendra).
Vivekananda Kendra
The Second Phase of the Vivekananda Rock Memorial unfolded in parallel when it was taking shape. Sri Eknathji often said “To put up a Cement and Concrete structure is not the work for which I am born, I am to erect a living and dynamic monument which will be worthy of Swami Vivekananda and which will be capable of bringing into fruition his grand vision of future India.”
Thus, Vivekananda Kendra - An Extraordinary Organization with Ordinary Men - came into existence. Mananeeya Sri Eknathji Ranade, the visionary behind the Memorial, founded Vivekananda Kendra in 1972 as a spiritually oriented service mission. It serves as a living memorial to Swami Vivekananda, comprising a cadre of dedicated Jeevanvratis, Sevavratis, Vanaprasthis, along with thousands of local Karyakartas and lakhs of patrons, well-wishers, and subscribers to our publications. With ‘Man-Making’ and ‘Nation Building’ as its twin objectives, Kendra is centered around the noble thought that "Service to Mankind is Worship of God", guided by the national ideals of Renunciation and Service.
For actualizing the vision of Swami Vivekananda, the Vivekananda Kendra has over 1,332 branch centers spread across 26 states of India, working for all layers of society to rebuild the nation. To achieve this, full-time karyakarthas (Jeevan-vrattis) and local karyakarthas of the Kendra carry out various service activities through Yoga Varga, Swadhyaya Varga (Study Circle), Samskar Varga (Cultural classes), Kendra Varga (for nurturing karyakarthas), Organizing Youth and Women, Rural Development, Education, Development of Natural Resources, and Publications based on the life and message of Swami Vivekananda. The Kendra urges everyone to join in this task of national regeneration.
