Swami Vivekananda Jayanti
National Youth Day -12th January 2024
Every year 12 January is celebrated as National Youth Day to honour the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, primarily in West Bengal. Swami Vivekananda was a revered Hindu saint and a follower of the Vedanta philosophy of Hinduism as well as a chief disciple of Ramakrishna.
His profound teachings and philosophy had a significant impact on the development of India. Vivekananda was the founder of Belur Math, Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission. National Youth Day is celebrated by remembering the ideals and teachings of Swami Vivekananda.
Swami Vivekananda was an esteemed Hindu monk, philosopher, patriot saint, and highly influential spiritual leader of India. Vivekananda was born as Narendranath Dutta on 12 January 1863 in a distinguished Bengali family in Calcutta.
From an early age, he showed his deep inclination towards spirituality and also became a disciple of Saint Ramakrishna and joined the Brahmo Samaj Movement. After Ramakrishna’s demise, Narendranath became a monk and adopted the name Swami Vivekananda.
He breathed his last on 4 July 1902. His notable works, including Sangeet Kalpataru, Karma Yoga, Raja Yoga etc., were published in nine volumes. Besides this, Vivekananda also instinctively worked for social justice to uplift the marginalised status of women and lower castes in Indian society.
According to the Hindu calendar, Swami Vivekananda was born during Krishna Paksha Saptami, seven days after the Paush (December–January) Purnima. Hence, Vivekananda's birthday, as per the Hindu calendar, is known as Swami Vivekananda Jayanti.
However, the Government of India opted to observe Swami Vivekananda Gregorian's date of birth, 12 January, as National Youth Day. Therefore, in 1984, the Government of India officially announced to celebrate 12 January every year as National Youth Day in India.
In 1984, the Government of India declared 12 January as National Youth Day to mark the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. The day is considered an important annual celebration in India where young persons are encouraged to follow the path of Vivekananda and disseminate his message across the world.
Vivekananda's philosophy and teachings, including an emphasis on education, self-improvement, and social reform, made him a role model for people of all generations.
Swami Vivekananda has inspired millions of youth around the world with his teachings. His prominence was realised in 1893 at a convention in Chicago, where he represented India and Hinduism. During this conference, he received praise from Americans, especially intellectuals, for his speech on India's spiritually-inspired culture and strong history.
Swami Vivekananda’s strong personality, vast knowledge of science and Vedanta and empathy towards human and animal life made him a beacon of peace and humanity. Meanwhile, he was strongly against any form of superstition and also condemned any form of violence.
His approach to religion was a blend of scientific study and Vedanta. Swami Vivekananda was also a devoted disciple of a Hindu mystic and Saint Ramakrishna. He is primarily revered as a Hindu saint, for whom humanity is the first thing.
Swami Vivekananda Jayanti, or National Youth Day, is celebrated enthusiastically in numerous schools and colleges every year, including cultural events and programmes. Lectures, seminars and competitions related to the teachings of Swami Vivekananda are organised to mark the occasion.
On this happy day, some people also partake in some community service projects or other activities to promote the ideals of Swami Vivekananda. Many government organisations also organise various events and cultural programs as a tribute to Swami Vivekananda's legacy.
The day is widely celebrated in the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, with Mangal Aarti, Sandhya Aarti, devotional songs, dance, meditation and recitation of the teachings of Vivekananda.
In addition, blood donation camps are also organised by many clubs on this day. Swami Vivekananda Jayanti is also commemorated abroad with profound devotion and enthusiasm, such as in the Vedanta Society of Toronto, Canada. The Vedanta Society is renowned for its effort to spread the Vedanta-inspired teaching of Vivekananda to the world.
National Youth Day is a celebration of the life of Swami Vivekananda and serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of working together for a bright future. It is a time for everyone to come together and reflect on the importance of education, self-improvement and social responsibility.
This is all about Swami Vivekananda Jayanti. We wish you a very happy Swami Vivekananda Jayanti as well as National Youth Day. One of his quotes is, “All the powers in the universe are already ours”.
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