Vivekananda Rock Memorial is a monument and popular tourist attraction in Kanyakumari, India's southernmost tip. The memorial stands on one of the two rocks located about 500 meters off mainland of Vavathurai. It was built in 1970 in honour of Swami Vivekananda, who is said to have attained enlightenment on the rock. According to legends, it was on this rock that Goddess Kanyakumari (Parvathi) performed tapas in devotion of lord Shiva. A meditation hall known as Dhyana Mandapam is also attached to the memorial for visitors to meditate. The design of the mandapa incorporates different styles of temple architecture from all over India. The rocks are surrounded by the Laccadive Sea where the three oceans Bay of Bengal, the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea meets. The memorial consists of two main structures, the Vivekananda Mandapam and the Shripada Mandapam. Legend It is believed that Swami Vivekananda, swam across the seashore in Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu to reach the rock mid-sea and he meditated for three days and nights on the rock until he is said to have attained enlightenment there. However this is only popular myth and no mentions of this incidence is found even in Vivekananda’s own writings. Initiation In January 1962, on the occasion of Swami Vivekananda's birth centenary, a group of people formed the Kanyakumari Committee, whose objective was to put up a memorial on the rock and a pedestrian bridge leading to the rock. Almost simultaneously, the Ramakrishna Mission in Madras began planning this memorial. However, this news was not taken in good taste by a sizable population of the local Catholic fishermen. They put up a big Cross on the rock, visible from the shore. This led to protests by the Hindu population, who said the rock was a place of worship for Hindus. A judicial probe ordered by the Madras (now Chennai) government stated in unequivocal terms that the rock was Vivekananda Rock and that the Cross was a trespass. Amid all this acrimony, the Cross was removed secretly in the night. The situation turned volatile, and the rock was declared a prohibited area, with armed guards patrolling it. The government realized that the rock was turning into an area of dispute, with Hindus claiming it to be the Vivekananda Rock and the Christians claiming that it was St. Xavier's Rock. It decreed that although the rock was Vivekananda Rock, there would be no