Swami Vivekananda Jayanthi

Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902 C.E.) was born as Narendra Nath Datta, on Pushya Krishna Saptami. He was a key figure in the introduction of Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the western world, and was credited with raising interfaith awareness, bringing Hinduism to the status of a major world religion in the late 19th century. He was the spiritual ambassador of India who spread the network of Ramakrishna mission worldwide,

He was the chief disciple of the 19th century Saint Ramakrishna and the founder of the Ramakrishna Math, the Ramakrishna Mission as well as the Belur Math. He is perhaps best known for his inspiring speech beginning with "Sisters and Brothers of America," through which he introduced Hinduism at the Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago in 1893. He firmly believed that a country's future lies in its youth.

A summary of his philosophy of life: (a) Each Soul is potentially Divine. (b) The goal is to manifest this Divine within by controlling nature, external and internal. (c) Do this either by work, or worship, or psychic control, or by philosophy; by one or more or all of these—and be free! (d) This is the whole of religion.