Spread Vivekananda’s message to celebrate his 150th birth anniversary

The government of India has planned  originally to celebrate year-long 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda from January 12, 2012 in India and abroad, while  the Vivekananda Kendram, the Rock Memorial in Kanyakumari and  other organizations have planned to celebrate it for one year from January 12, 2013. Consequently, now the 150th birth anniversary is being celebrated for two years from January 12, 2012 to January 12, 2014.

The celebrations are being used to spread in the world the message of spirituality in Vedantic vision of oneness, universal peace, unity and brotherhood. And for India, the theme is “Wake up Bharat, enlighten the world.”

For the celebrations, Chicago assumes special importance because it was here on September 11, 1893, Swami Vivekananda delivered his historic “Sisters and brothers”  speech at the World Parliament of  Religions.  Chicago also assumes importance because it has been here that the Sri Ramakrishna Universal Temple has been recently constructed in Homer Glen fulfilling the wish of Swami Vivekananda.

The prestigious University of Chicago has also established a new visiting professorship in Indian studies to commemorate the legacy of spiritual leader Swami Vivekananda, supported by a $1.5 million gift from India.

The new chair enriches the university’s renowned program for the study of the Indian subcontinent and further research and teaching of India’s history and culture.

While Vivekananda Kendra, Belur Math, the headquarters of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission and other institutions are currently engaged in various programs to connect  with the celebrations, the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS), centers of Swami Vivekananda Vedanta Society located in various cities of the US and other countries are pursuing similar programs outside India.

B. Nivedita, Vice President of Vivekananda Kendra, who was on a tour of the US and was in Chicago recently, spoke to India Tribune.

She says that Swami Vivekananda  during his address to the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago gave self-respect, dignity and purpose to his motherland. On his return to India, he gave a rousing call to India “Arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached.” That was the first wave of inspiration.  The second wave of inspiration from the life and message of Swami Vivekananda was in the year 1963, when his birth centenary was celebrated by the whole nation with a great zeal.  As a culmination of the celebrations, the whole nation joined together to erect a grand Vivekananda Rock Memorial on the mid-sea. As a natural sequel to it, Vivekananda Kendra, a spiritually-oriented service mission was started, which has today over 600 branches all over the country.

She says that now the grand celebration of the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Viveka-nanda titled as “Swami Vivekananda Sardha Shati Samaroh” is a great opportunity to take the third wave of his inspiring message – “Wake up, Bharat, enlighten the world.”

For more information, one may visit Web site: www.vivekananda150jayanti.org or send an e-mail to brnivedita@rediffmail.com

Niveditadidi visits Chicago to spread message of unity

Nivedita Raghunath Bhide, All India Vice President of Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari recently visited Chicago and addressed a press conference where she spoke about the impending celebration of 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.

Swami Vivekananda did three days and nights sadhana at Kanyakumari rock. Vivekananda rock memorial is a place of inspiration for Hindus. Vivekananda Kendra is natural and spiritual evolution of Vivekananda Rock memorial committee.

Vivekananda Kendra is a Hindu spiritual organization based on the principles preached by Swami Vivekananda.

Nivedita ji Bhide who is a Jeevan Vrati (full timer) since her college graduation, said that she was in the U.S. to spread his message of unity of mankind. She emphasized further that Swamiji is not an alien to America, rather he is the one who strengthened the base of Hindu Philosophy of Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and Jnana Yoga, about which he spoke extensively in the U.S. during his first visit to this country in the year 1893 to attend the Parliament of World Religions.

Nivedita ji said that with a view to continue the activities of Swami Vivekananda Sardashati Samaroh (SVSS), Vivekananda Kendra of Bharat had set up 41 regions in India each with a working committee. They plan to extend it further by setting up village level committees across India in each state. She believes that this is yet another opportunity to reach the message of Swamiji to the youth, who are showing interest in his works and teachings.

US to join celebrations of 150th Vivekananda anniversary

If India is set for celebrating 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, the Indian monk who came here 100 plus years ago and won over Americans with his charming personality and his expounding Indian philosophy, the Indian Americans in this country are not far behind.

Indian Americans in Chicago, that was the destination of Swami Ji, are gearing themselves for the event. They had the gracious presence of Ms Nivedita Bhide, vice president of Vivekananda Kanyakumari Kendra (VKK), who has come here to meet, greet and energize Indians by giving them more insight into the way celebrations are planned in India.

Ms Nivedita had a series of meetings with the volunteers and also decided to meet ethnic Indian media before leaving for New York and back to India. At a news briefing here, she said that the best way to celebrate Swamiji’s birth anniversary would be to spread his message of love and unity for mankind. She was in the US with the avowed objective to push up this mission of Swamiji.

She said that Swami Vivekananda Sardashati Samaroh (SVSS) had set up 41 regions in India each with a working committee. They plan to extend it further by setting up village level committees across India in each state of the Indian Union. She explained the five-fold dimensions of the celebrations focusing on educating youth, women, villages (janajatis, that is different groups of people who needs the services.) SVSS is working through Seva, Swadhyaya, Suraksha and Swawalamban i.e. service, self-study, vigilance and self-dependency under different programs, such as Seva Week or Seva Months.

Delineating the functions and services of each unit, she said that the objective of Yuva Shakti Aayam is to awaken and canalize massive youth power waiting to be exploded, especially in the context of impressive economic growth in India. Weekly or monthly the volunteers will go to interior places in order to spread the message by house to house contacts. Vivekananda Swadhyaya Mandalas will organize essays and other intellectually stimulating competitions, samuhika surya-namaskaras and “Awake Bharat Marathon events” promoting physical development of the youth.

With the help of Samvardhini Aayam the SVSS will encourage the participation of women in all walks of life to respect and enhance the nurturing capacity of women by promoting conventions in different areas like, Shakti Sammelana, Dampati (conjugal) Sammelana, Youth development camps (Kishori Vikas-girl students) by inviting leading women to discuss and present issues through symposiums in various vocations and professions.

She said the Gramayana Aayam (Village development schemes) will organize villagers to involve in the total development of their personal as well functional competency through harmony, satsang, service and shrama-samskara camps with such activities as Vivekananda Vatikas, Kirtan, Katha, pravachan and exhibitions on various topics.

Through Asmita Aayams for people living in forests and interior villages the SVSS will arrange medical camps, sports and games, competitions, conferences, focusing on encouraging literature, music, story-telling, and learning history. Whereas the focus of these activities will be on the entire society requiring education on all aspects of village (vanavasi and farmers) the main target will be to promote Yuva Shakti through public lectures, yoga training and conducting seminars and symposiums on the life and letters of Swami Vivekananda

On international level, the motto of the SVSS is Universal Peace through Yoga and Dharma by almost repeating the local activities on international stage through seminars, lectures and mass Surya Namaskara in different cities of US, UK Australia and Canada.

Nivedita Bhide, who is currently on tour of the US, had joined VKK as its life-warder in 1977.

She is responsible for the training of Jeevanvratis (dedicated full-time workers) which include training of the teachers of 65 Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalayas, co-ordination of Vivekananda Kendra Institute of Culture, Guwahati. She is a regular faculty in All India Yoga Shiksha Shibirs and All India Spiritual Retreats conducted at Vivekanandapuram, Kanyakumari.