National Youth Day

Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda

The 12th day of January is very special for the whole country. This is not just a normal date. January 12 marks the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, one of India’s greatest philosopher, spiritual and social leaders. Our country is a country of youth. This is an occasion to remember the great soul who brought laurels to the nation throughout the world. Introduced the world to Indian culture and the eternal way of life. In his honor, January 12 is celebrated as National Youth Day across the country.

Swami Vivekananda was born on 12 January 1863. This day is celebrated with great pomp across the country. The future of any country depends on the youth of that country. The younger generation contributes greatly to the development of the country. National Youth Day is celebrated every year so that the youth of the country get the right guidance. Do you know why National Youth Day is celebrated on the day of Swami Vivekananda’s birth anniversary? Today, through this article, we will tell you why National Youth Day is celebrated on the day of Swami Vivekananda’s birth anniversary.

What is the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda in 2021?

158th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda

Swami Vivekananda’s life at a glance: 

1863 Narendra Nath Dutta, a stunning boy, was born into an aristocratic family in Kolkata, India. The boy later became the flag bearer of Indian culture and became known as Swami Vivekananda.

In 1893, Swami Vivekananda addressed the World Parliament of Religions held in Chicago, USA. During this, he introduced the Western world to Indian Vedanta philosophy in his brief but effective statement. Apprised them of Indian culture and eternal life. This moment is known as East Meat West.

In 1897, Swami Vivekananda established the Ramakrishna Mission for social services in the name of his Guru Saint Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa. Its ideals are based on Karma Yoga and the teachings of Guru Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa.

On 04 February 1902, Swami Vivekananda went to his room and sat attentively. In this meditation, he departed from this world to the hereafter.

Swami Vivekananda’s birthday was declared as National Youth Day in 1984 by the Government of India to honor his great spiritual and philosophical leader and to encourage the youth of the country with his thoughts.

Yoga revived Vedanta culture: 

National Youth Day is celebrated every year to honor the ideals and thoughts of Swami Vivekananda in the country. Swami Vivekananda was very vocal about the importance of youth in the process of nation building. What Vivekananda achieved abroad has played a major role in reviving India’s spirituality image and Yoga Vedanta culture.

Swami Vivekananda, the pioneer of self-aggrandizement: His Thought, Education of Yoga and Vedanta.

Reputation from the World Parliament of Religions

in Chicago : The  speech he gave at the World Religion Parliament in Chicago in 1893 began with “America’s sisters and brothers”, who recognized him as a supernatural and fiery orator and philosopher globally Administered. His teachings and stated ideals are still immortal. Swami Vivekananda always focused on harnessing the potential of youth. He wanted to inspire the younger generation so that they could compete with the British and achieve independence.

Wherever he lectures in the world, his speeches delivered by him become an inspiration to the people. Each word he spoke was a reflection of a deeper subject in itself. Swami Vivekananda’s aspiration was to inspire the youth to the extent that they start giving voice to the changes that they want and eventually complete them. To honor his vision and inspire the youth to act on it, National Youth Day is celebrated across the country. He said that unless you can trust yourself, you cannot trust God. Get up, wake up and don’t stop until you have achieved your goal.

Education and peace are weapons: 

Swami Vivekananda’s ideas have the potential to change the life of every person. Vivekananda’s weapons to conquer the world were education and peace. They wanted the youth to get out of their comfortable lifestyles and achieve anything they wanted. Vivekananda established his ideas through wisdom and logic. Vivekananda had a unique understanding of philosophy, religion, literature, Vedas, Puranas, Upanishads. Vivekananda said that concentration is necessary for reading and meditation is necessary for concentration. Only by meditation can we get concentration by keeping restraint on our senses.

On which day is National Youth Day made?

12th January

17th October 1984, Government of India has announce to celebrate National Youth Day on 12 January. Since then, on January 12 every year we celebrate the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda as National Youth Day.

Why is National Youth Day celebrated on the day of Swami Vivekananda’s birth anniversary?

Swami Vivekananda was the greatest social reformer, thinker and philosopher of the country. A “great Indian youth icon”. Swami Vivekananda accorded great importance to youth power towards nation-building and universal brotherhood. His ideas can encourage the youth of the country. Adopting the thoughts of Swami Vivekananda in life, a person can never fail.

What is the purpose of National Youth Day?

The main purpose of celebrating this day is to tell the younger generation that the way Swami Vivekananda achieved success in his life, in the same way, the younger generation should also succeed by adopting his ideas.

How is National Youth Day celebrated?

National Youth Day is celebrated with great pomp across the country. On this day speeches, lessons, youth conferences, presentations, youth festivals, competitions, seminars, sports events, yoga sessions, music performances etc. are organized. This time, due to Corona virus, different types of events will not be organized every year.

The day is celebrated with musical concerts around the country in order to celebrate the energy of youth. The day also sees various educational discussions being organized by school and college students around the country.

Inspirational Quotes by Swami Vivekananda

Here are some of the wisdom worthy pearls that he showered on the world:

1. “The more we come out and do good to others, the more our hearts will be purified, and God will be in them.”

2. “If faith in ourselves had been more extensively taught and practiced, I am sure a very large portion of the evils and miseries that we have would have vanished.”

3. “Never think there is anything impossible for the soul. It is the greatest heresy to think so. If there is sin, this is the only sin; to say that you are weak, or others are weak.”

4. “Condemn none: if you can stretch out a helping hand, do so. If you cannot, fold your hands, bless your brothers, and let them go their own way.”

5. “All the powers in the universe are already ours. It is we who have put our hands before our eyes and cry that it is dark.”

6. “The great secret of true success, of true happiness, is this: the man or woman who asks for no return, the perfectly unselfish person, is the most successful.”

7. “You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul.”

Speech delivered by Swami Vivekananda on September 11, 1893 at the First World’s Parliament of Religions in Chicago

Sisters and Brothers of America,

It fills my heart with joy unspeakable to rise in response to the warm and cordial welcome which you have given us. I thank you in the name of the most ancient order of monks in the world; I thank you in the name of the mother of religions, and I thank you in the name of millions and millions of Hindu people of all classes and sects.

My thanks, also, to some of the speakers on this platform who, referring to the delegates from the Orient, have told you that these men from far-off nations may well claim the honor of bearing to different lands the idea of toleration. I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true. I am proud to belong to a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and all nations of the earth. I am proud to tell you that we have gathered in our bosom the purest remnant of the Israelites, who came to Southern India and took refuge with us in the very year in which their holy temple was shattered to pieces by Roman tyranny. I am proud to belong to the religion which has sheltered and is still fostering the remnant of the grand Zoroastrian nation. I will quote to you, brethren, a few lines from a hymn which I remember to have repeated from my earliest boyhood, which is every day repeated by millions of human beings: “As the different streams having their sources in different paths which men take through different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to Thee.”

The present convention, which is one of the most august assemblies ever held, is in itself a vindication, a declaration to the world of the wonderful doctrine preached in the Gita: “Whosoever comes to Me, through whatsoever form, I reach him; all men are struggling through paths which in the end lead to me.” Sectarianism, bigotry, and its horrible descendant, fanaticism, have long possessed this beautiful earth. They have filled the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human blood, destroyed civilization and sent whole nations to despair. Had it not been for these horrible demons, human society would be far more advanced than it is now. But their time is come; and I fervently hope that the bell that tolled this morning in honor of this convention may be the death-knell of all fanaticism, of all persecutions with the sword or with the pen, and of all uncharitable feelings between persons wending their way to the same goal.