PM Modi begins 45-hour meditation at Vivekananda Memorial
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has embarked on a 45-hour meditation session at the Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Tamil Nadu's Kanyakumari. The meditation retreat, which began on Thursday evening, follows a demanding two-month-long election campaign. Images released on Friday show the prime minister, dressed in orange attire, meditating before the statue of Swami Vivekananda at the historic site.
PM Modi's spiritual journey at the Vivekananda Memorial
Before commencing his meditation, PM Modi visited the Bhagavathi Amman temple on the coast. After offering prayers to Goddess Parvathi, he was presented with a picture of the deity by temple authorities. He then took a ferry to Vivekananda Rock where he paid respects to Swami Vivekananda's statue and portraits of Lord Paramahamsa and Sharada before beginning his meditation at Dhyan Mandapam.
Video of PM Modi's meditation
PM Modi's meditation practices and previous spiritual retreats
During his meditation period, PM Modi will maintain silence and remain inside the meditation hall, subsisting on a liquid diet that includes coconut water and grape juice. This spiritual retreat is not a first for PM Modi, who has taken similar trips at the end of previous Lok Sabha election campaigns in Pratapgarh and Kedarnath in 2014 and 2019, respectively.
Security measures and restrictions for PM Modi's visit
In anticipation of PM Modi's visit, stringent security measures were implemented around Kanyakumari town and Vivekananda Rock, both popular tourist destinations. Over 3,000 police officers were deployed for security while navy and coast guard vessels patrolled the surrounding seas. Fishing activities were suspended for three days, and tourists were restricted from visiting Bhagavathi temple after 12:00pm and Vivekananda Rock until Saturday.
