26/01/2026
Vivekananda Memorial at Kunthukal Beach in Rameshwaram.
Today is India’s 77th Republic Day. Coincidentally it also happens to be the day (26 January 1897) when Swami Vivekananda first put his foot on Indian soil near Rameshwaram after his historic success in the West.
When Swamiji returned from the West in 1897, he came to India from Jaffna (in Sri Lanka) by a steamer on 26 January. While his steamer was nearing Rameshwaram, where he was to land, the Raja of Ramnad, Bhaskara Sethupati, came rushing in a state boat to welcome him. The Raja had been informed through a last minute telegram sent from Jaffna. After meeting Swamiji, he requested that since Swamiji was to land on the sacred land of India after his historic success in the West, let him do so by keeping his foot on Raja's head, and the Raja offered to bend down, with his knees half-folded (that is what the name of the palace means - Kundhu-Kaal, 'the bent leg or foot'). Though moved by the Raja's humility, Swamiji declined to do so by saying that since Bhaskara Sethupati was a King, it would be improper to do so. Finally he got into Raja's boat and landed ashore.
Describing this event Swamiji's Life says:
“To mark the place where the Swami first set foot on Indian soil after his triumph in the West, the Raja planned to erect a victory monument, forty feet in height, bearing the following inscription:
“Satyamev Jayate”
The monument erected by Bhaskara Sethupathi, the Raja of Ramnad marks the sacred spot, where His Holiness Swami Vivekananda's blessed feet first trod on Indian soil, together with the Swami's English disciples, on His Holines's philanthropic labours to spread the religion of the Vedanta.”
But over the years, the pillar fell off and finally, due to ravages of nature, disappeared.
As per the records, the Kunthukaal area functioned as a small harbour earlier. In 2005, as a part of initiatives taken for promoting tourism, the Government of Tamilnadu and Ramakrishna Tapovanam jointly decided to build a memorial in honour of Swamiji. Accordingly, it was decided to convert an abondoned marine workshop on the seashore into a hall. Thus came into existence Vivekananada Memorial Hall, Kunthukaal. It was formally inaugurated in February 2009.
~Source : A Pilgrimage to Kanyakumari and Rameshwaram by Swami Atmashraddhananda
For further details kindly visit the following link, a very interesting pictorial blog by Diane Marshall of Kansas City (Vivekananda Abroad).
http://vivekanandaabroad.blogspot.com/2021/09/pamban-island-india-26-january-1897.html
