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.
"An aggregate or a congregation of men does not make a nation, nor do the geographical area and duration of time qualify a society to be known as a nation. A government formed on such a basis can be called a state, but not a nation. It is common goal or mission that makes a nation. All the constituents strive collectively for something noble. Service with spiritual orientation results in man-making which invariably and inseparably connected with nation building." It is the core of all the thoughts behind Vivekananda Kendra.
Second Phase of Vivekananda Rock Memorial was parallel when Rock Memorial was taking shape. As Eknathji used to say "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."
The goja-poorna Kumbha, the traditional auspicious symbol at the entrance, depicing a picher filed with water and two elephants with their truntks rasised, standing on both sides.
Method of Construction
Stone masonry requires elaborate pre-planning and careful execution. At the first instance, general drawings such as the ground-plan, side, front and rear elevations as well as longitudinal and cross sections are to be prepared as usual. After determining the height of the whole structure, the height of each course is to be fixed and plan for each course is to be prepared, calculating the maximum dimensions upto which rough stones could be easily extracted from the quarries and also keeping in view the convenience of handling and dresssing the same. Joints are also determined and drawn and respective dimensions of each stone as well as the total number of stones in each of teh courses are arrived at, at this stage.
This procedure will not only facilitate, subsequently, the execution of dressing and jointing buts also help, even at the very initial stage, the correct assessment of the total quantity of stones required and the placing of orders for al categories of rough stones of necessary specifications with respective approved quarries.
Rough stones indented from the quarries will, obviously, be of slightly greater than the requisite dimensions to make allowance for reasonable margin to achieve precise results during dressing operations. For example if a piece of 4'-6'x2'-0'x1'-9' dressed stone is required fro jointing, the rough stone to be ordered from the quarry will be of the dimensions of 4'-9'x2'-3'x2'-0'. This piece, after final dressing, will be brought to the finished dressed stone of the specified dimensions.
The quarries are first examined and selected for extraction of rough stones as prescribed in Shilpa Shastras. On receiving the indented rough stones of specified varieties and sizes from the quarries, they are numbered course-wise as per details of the working-drawings and stacked separately.
When the actual stone-dressing is taken up, firstly the two sides of the length are chiselled and made plain in line and level. The required details shall be marked on both faces with charcoal-sticks used as pencils. These charcoal-sticks are very suitable for marking lines and drawing designs and also for erasing the marks, if they are required to be altered. Finally, they are marked with ochre mixed with water, which when dried remain indelible for a long duration.
Preliminary rough-dressing is taken up to commence with. This is called one line dressing. In this way till the specified shape and smoothness is obtained, the same process is continued upto three-line dressing with different types of chisels. While dressing stones, an extra portion, measuring about half an inch, is provided for the convenience of final chiselling and adjusment at the time of jointing.