Every year on January 12, India celebrates National Youth Day in honor of Swami Vivekananda’s birth anniversary. In honor of the principles and teachings of Swami Vivekananda, this day is devoted to the nation’s youth.
Purpose of National Youth Day
The aim is to uplift and motivate the youth of the nation. Swami Vivekananda was born on January 12, 1983, in Kolkata, India as Narendranath Datta. He was an influential monk and philosopher who played a key role in introducing the Indian philosophies of Vedanta and yoga to the western world.
Swami Vivekananda showed interest in spirituality from a very young age. Later, he became a disciple of the renowned saint Ramakrishna Paramhansa and absorbed his teaching emphasizing the universality of all religions.
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After his address at the World’s Parliament of Religions in Chicago (1893), he became very popular around the world. He received a warm reception with a standing ovation for his introductory remarks “Sister and Brother of America”, which promoted Hindu philosophy in the west.
Swami Vivekananda founded Vedanta Society
After the Parliament of Religion, Swami Vivekananda founded the Vedanta Society in New York to spread the teaching of Vedanta and promote interfaith understanding. After his return to India in 1897, Vivekananda gave a number of speeches there on the importance of a spiritual awakening and the interplay of all religions.
In 1897, he established the Ramakrishna Mission, a philanthropic and spiritual organization dedicated to service, education and humanitarian work. Vivekananda’s philosophy stressed the idea of oneness, the divinity of the soul, and the importance of service to humanity. He believed in the synthesis of social and spiritual.
“My faith is in the younger generation, the modern generation. They will work out the whole problem, like lions”. – Swami Vivekananda
He passed away on July 4, 1902, at the young age of 39 but his teaching continues to inspire people worldwide. Various activities, events, and seminars are organized across the country on National Youth Day to engage and motivate the youth.
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To celebrate the occasion, schools, colleges and youth organizations take part in debates, cultural events, and voluntary work. The motive of the day is to remind people of Swami’s teachings and inspire youngsters to be the main force bind creating a powerful and progressive country.