‘Bhoomi Pooja’ held for installing Swami Vivekananda’s statue in Thiruvananthapuram

The ‘Bhoomi Pooja’ for installing Swami Vivekananda’s statue at Kowdiar Park here was held on Thursday.

 Former melsanthi of Sabarimala temple  Balamurali performed the pooja which was attended by prominent personalities.

 The bronze statue of Swami Vivekananda having a height of 9.5 feet and the ‘mandapam’ in which the statue is to be installed are being made at Mahabalipuram near Chennai.

 The statue is scheduled to be unveiled on September 11 marking the anniversary of Swami Vivekananda’s famous Chicago speech.

 The Vivekananda Kendram, Kanyakumari, is in charge of setting up the statue at a cost of  Rs 1 crore.

 The statue is being installed at the Kowdiar Park as part of the 150th birth anniversary of  Vivekananda.

 The Thiruvananthapuram Corporation has donated the land for the project which is expected to receive contributions from people from all walks of life and from various institutions in view of the huge impact Swami’s messages had on the generations of people in the past one-and-a-half century.

 The statue of Vivekananda is installed in Thiruvananthapuram in view of the fact that it was here that he had spent most number of days, 9 days, during his Kerala tour, it has been pointed out.

 Former Union Minister and BJP leader O Rajgopal, Uthradom Tirunal Marthanda Varma, Bharatheeya Vichara Kendram director and president of Vivekananda Kendram, Kanyakumari, P Parameswaran, former Chief Secretary C P Nair, Postmaster General Sobha Koshy, BJP Parliamentary Party leader in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation council P Ashok Kumar and others attended the ‘Bhoomi Pooja.’