Chennai: Tourists visiting Kanyakumari can now walk across the Vivekananda Memorial and the 133-feet-tall Thiruvalluvar statue standing on two rocks in the sea with Monday’s inauguration of a 77 m-long bowstring arch bridge connecting the two monuments.
The new bridge, built by the Tamil Nadu government at a cost of Rs 37 crore, will save time for tourists, eliminating the need to take a ferry between the two monuments. Chief Minister MK Stalin inaugurated the glass fibre bridge to mark the beginning of a three-day celebration for the Silver Jubilee of the Thiruvalluvar statue's installation in 2000 by his father, former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi. The bridge is expected to be open to the public soon.
Saint-poet Thiruvalluvar, who is believed to have lived 2,000 years ago, penned 1,330 couplets known as Thirukkural, which offers a remedy for every modern-day problem. The 133-feet-tall statue built on one of the rocks in the sea off the Kanyakumari coast was unveiled on January 1, 2000, while the other rock houses Vivekananda Memorial since 1970 as it is believed that Swami Vivekananda attained enlightenment after he meditated for three days in the rock.
The glass bridge is set to become yet another tourist attraction in Kanyakumari, which attracts thousands of people from across the country every day to watch the sunrise and sunset. Currently, the Poompuhar Shipping Corporation operates a ferry from the Kanyakumari boat jetty to Vivekananda Memorial and then to the Thiruvalluvar statue.
With the inauguration of the new bridge, tourists can just walk from the memorial to the statue even as they enjoy the breathtaking view of the sea. The bridge, which is 77 m in length and 10 min in width, has been built with the help of the latest technology to withstand corrosion and strong sea winds.
After inaugurating the bridge, Stalin and his ministerial colleagues took a walk across the bowstring arch structure with officials in tow. The DMK dispensation is utilising 25 years of the installation of the statue to further flaunt its Tamil pride by organising a slew of events, including a laser show.
