Tuesday, January 12, is the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, the great philosopher of the country and one who has staked the spirituality of India in the world. This day is celebrated as Youth Day all over the country. His thoughts and life are inspiring to us.
Vivekananda represented the Sanatan Dharma of the country at the World Religion General Assembly in 1893 in Chicago, USA. His guru was Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. In his memory, he founded the Ramakrishna Mission. It is working all over the country today. On the occasion of Vivekananda Jayanti,
National Youth Day
let us know 10 major things related to them:
- Vivekananda was born on 12 January 1863 in Kolkata. His childhood name was Narendra Nath Dutt. His father Vishwanath Dutt was a lawyer of the High Court. Mother Bhuvaneshwari Devi was of religious views.
- Narendra Nath went to school in 1871 at the age of eight. In 1879 he finished first in the entrance examination of the Presidency College.
- He became a monk at the age of 25. He was named Vivekananda after retirement.
- Guru Ramakrishna Paramahamsa Vivekananda met at Dakshineswar Kali Temple in Kolkata in 1881. Paramahamsa gave him the mantra The conscious worship of God rooted in all humanity is service.
- When Vivekananda met Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, he asked the most important question ‘Have you seen God?’ Paramahansa replied – ‘Yes I have seen, I am seeing God as clearly as I can see you, the only difference is that I can feel them more deeply than you’.
- When Swami Vivekananda began his speech in the Chicago Parliament of Religions saying ‘Brothers and sisters of America’, there was applause in the auditorium for two minutes. This day of September 11, 1893 became forever recorded in history.
- Vivekananda founded the Ramakrishna Mission in Kolkata on 1 May 1897 and the Ramakrishna Math in Belur on 9 December 1898 on the banks of the Ganges River.
- National Youth Day is celebrated every year in India on the 12 January, the birth day of Swami Vivekananda. It started in 1985.
- Vivekananda had asthma and sugar disease. On discovering this, he had said- ‘These diseases will not let me cross even 40 years’. His prediction came true and he attained Mahasamadhi at the Ramakrishna Math in Belur on July 4, 1902, in a meditative state.
- He was cremated on the banks of the Ganges in Belur. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was cremated on the other side of the same coast.