Mananiya Shri Bhaktavatsalamji,

I had hoped that I would be able to complete my tour round the country and report to you in the middle of April. But the time-schedule I had proposed for that purpose could not be kept up. Following my meeting with you at Madras and with the Kanyakumari Collector subsequently at Nagerkoil, I started, about the middle of March, on my errand to meet certain distinguished leaders in the country. But I soon realized that I could move only in a lower gear. I had to remain stuck up in Delhi for weeks. Even then my desire to discuss the subject in hand with the President and the Prime Minster in person, remained unfulfilled though,  fortunately, I could meet Shri Lal Bahadur Shastry, Shri M.C. Chagla, Dr. M.S. Aney and other dignitaries in the Governmetn and outside and discuss the matter with them.

From Delhi I went to Calcutta. There, I could meet almost all the senior Swamis of the Ramakrishna Order. But I had to visit Silcher in Assam to meet the President of the Ramakrishna Mission, Swami Madhabanandaji Maharaj.

I had the good fortune of meeting His Holiness Shrimat Shankaracharya Swami of Kanchi twice during the last few weeks but I could not get proper opportunity to know his suggestions, if any, on the subject, as, by coincidence, he was either in ‘Maunam’ or engaged in some Homa or Pooja on those occasions. I could, however, talk to the Shishya Swami at length.

To sum up the views expressed by distinguished leaders whom I have been able to meet uptill now, I may state that some divergent opinions on certain points such as the posture of the proposed statue or the propriety of housing it in a shrine-like building notwithstanding, all are agreed on one point that the monument should be imposing and befitting. They have also unanimously appreciated and welcomed the Committee’s decision to abide by the Administrative requirements stated by the Government and to soon finalise a proper plan in consultation with them.

I have availed of the opportunity to meet eminent architects and sculptors of other parts of the country during my stay at Delhi, Calcutta and Bombay. Some of them have shown keen interest in our project and have volunteered to help our cause by making available to us their expert advice and experience. They are likely to visit Kanyakumari for studying the site very shortly. With a view to seek expert opinion from all such quarters I have written to the All India Institute of
Architects as well as to the All India Sculptors’ Association, at Bombay, enclosing the necessary sketches and photographs of the site and the surroundings as also the necessary data pertaining to the background and the four corners of the Administrative requirements within which any scheme has got to be formulated. Their communications are awaited.

Uptill now the well-known architects Shri S.L. Chitale and Shri D.V. Nagarajarao of Madras have visited Kanyakumari and have studied the site on the Rock. They are at work and will soon be submitting alternative designs or plans to the Committee. I propose to meet you with those designs as soon as they are received by our office.

In the meantime, I think the Government should urgently consider and finalise the matter of putting up jetty platforms at suitable places in the sea for facilitating the transportation of building material to the Rock, as explained in my letter dated 7-3-1964 written to you from Nagerkoil. When, recently, I met the Kanyakumari Collector at Nagerkoil he informed me that the report concerning the matter had already been dispatched to Madras from that end and that the decision from above would be known in due course.

The Cape, I have noticed, is already in the grip of monsoon weather. The  Engineers, therefore, might recommend the jetty construction work to begin only after the cessation of the Summer monsoons. Yet, even to be able to commence the work at that time the high level decision in the matter, the consequent passing of necessary orders and the preliminary plans and preparations have got to be expedited without further delay. It appears that unless you look into the matter personally the things may not move with required speed.

I am sending per bearer along with this letter an album of some photographs of various notable spots on the Vivekananda Rocks and of their surroundings, which we have prepared for being presented to you. I am also enclosing some sketch-drawings of the same, prepared by Shri D.L. Nagarajarao, Architect, Madras.

Last time you had expressed your desire to visit the sacred Rock as soon as time permitted. Though you have not been able to snatch some time from your heavily crowded programmes to do so uptill now, a look into the album and the sketches, I hope, may give you atleast some imaginery satisfaction of having been breathing the blissful atmosphere of the holy place.

As mentioned above, I shall be meeting you and placing before you for your perusal and choice, sometime in the next month, draft designs of the Rock Memorial prepared by architects. To utilize the intervening time I am proposing to visit certain important centers in the country to organize collection drives in different states. I may, however, curtail my scheduled tour programme and return to Madras, if so required, after hearing from you.

With regards,
Yours sincerely,

Enclosures:
An album containing photographs.
Two sketch-drawings,
A brief note on Vivekananda Rocks &
The technical details of Vivekananda Rocks, at a glance.