Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam National Memorial at Pei Karumbu in Rameswaram, where the mortal remains of the former President were buried, on Monday recorded the visit of the five millionth visitor since its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 27, 2017.
Ever since its inauguration, the memorial found a top place in the itinerary of pilgrims and tourists visiting Rameswaram. For thousands of people visiting the island their pilgrimage or tour would not be complete without a visit to the memorial.
On Monday, family members of Kalam, including his niece A.P.J.M. Nazeema, grand nephew A.P.J.M. Sheik Saleem and his father A.P.J.M. Jainuladudeen, received the five millionth visitor, a boy from north India, followed by a girl from Tamil Nadu by giving them sweets.
Accompanied by their family members, the duo paid floral tributes at Kalam’s samadhi. Five-year-old Aasil Liyana, great grand niece of Kalam, visited the memorial after them. The Kalam family was happy that the memorial received five million people within a short span, Mr. Saleem said. “The family is happy that people, especially youngsters, keep flocking to the memorial to pay their tributes to Kalam,” he said.
The memorial, built by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), had recorded the millionth visitor on November 21, 2017 – in just four months after its inauguration.
The memorial received from 8,000 to 9,000 people on any normal day, a DRDO official, who is in-charge of the memorial, said. It had received the maximum number of 3.27 lakh visitors in December, 2018, followed by 2.52 lakh in September and 2.03 lakh in November in the same year, the official said.
The DRDO, which was maintaining the memorial, had installed a reverse osmosis unit. Two toilets for men and women had been made ready and they would be opened for public use after completion of pending works in a month, the official said.