Modi's 33-year-old picture with Murli Manohar Joshi goes viral as PM begins his 45-hour-long meditation in Kanyakumari

Tribune Web Desk

Chandigarh, May 31

Clad in a dhoti and a white shawl, Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his 45-hour-long meditation at the famed Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Kanyakumari on Thursday evening.

PM Modi prayed at the temple and circumambulated the 'garbhagriha'. Priests performed a special 'arthi' and he was given temple 'prasad' that included a shawl and a framed photograph of the presiding deity of the temple. The Prime Minister would be at Vivekananda Rock Memorial for three days from till June 1 and meditate there for 45 hours at the meditation hall of the Rock Memorial.

Ahead of PM Modi's visit to down south, his 33-year-old pictures from the iconic spot surfaced on social media and took the netizens by storm.

The pictures dated December 11, 1991, are from Ekta Yatra that commenced from the iconic Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Kanyakumari and ended in Kashmir.

In the viral pictures, all the ‘Ekta Yatris' including Narendra Modi and party veteran Dr Murli Manohar Joshi can be seen circumambulating the statue of Swami Vivekananda to pay their respects.

Notably, the Ekta Yatra, also termed as the Unity March was launched in December 1991 from Kanyakumari and culminated on January 26, 1992, with the hoisting of the national flag in Srinagar.

The Ekta Yatra was led by veteran BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi while Narendra Modi, then a BJP worker, served as a key pivot in organising the march.

The goal of the Yatra was to send a strong message to the world that India would stand firm and united against the forces of terror. The journey spanning 14 states resonated deeply with the people and showed the country's unwavering commitment to national unity.

The Rock Memorial monument was built to pay tribute to the Hindu philosopher-saint.

It is said that Swami Vivekananda after wandering across the country meditated here for three days and attained a vision for a developed India.

PM Modi had undertaken a similar spiritual journey after the culmination of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. His visit to Uttarakhand after the high-octane campaign and meditation inside a cave near the Kedarnath shrine drew global headlines.

With IANS/PTI inputs

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