Baby Chakraborty, KalimNews, September 12, 2024, Kolkata: Swami Vivekananda’s historic speech at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago on September 11, 1893, gave India a new impetus towards fraternity and unity. To commemorate this landmark event, a youth rally was organized at the foot of Swamiji’s statue in South Kolkata’s Chetla Park on Wednesday. The event was organized by the Vivekananda Bhava Syndication Center, Shasvat Nirbhik Pathik.
The Ramakrishna Mission has been observing this day as World Brotherhood Day for the past 26 years. In honor of this occasion, a grand procession was organized by the Mission. The procession started from the foot of Swamiji’s statue in Chetla Park, South Kolkata, and passed through significant landmarks associated with Ramakrishna and Vivekananda. These included the Advaita Ashram Seva Institution, Sarada Mission, Metropolitan Institution, Kathamrita Bhavan, Swamiji’s ancestral home, Balaram Mandir, his school and house, his mother’s house, Udyanbati, Baranagar Mission, and Math. The procession culminated at the Adyapith Temple in Dakshineshwar, touching several important sites in Kolkata along the way.
The colorful procession was inaugurated by Swami Ishtabratananda Maharaj of the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Golpark, at the foot of Swamiji’s statue in Chetla Park. In his address, he stated, “Hinduism is the mother of all religions; it accepts all religions. Religion means the progress of the nation. Nivedita’s fight was not only against British rule but also for individual freedom.” Following the inauguration, Swami Ishtabratananda Maharaj elaborated on the significance of the day and the various philosophies espoused by Swamiji, delivering his message in eloquent terms.
Later, a religious gathering was organized by the Ramakrishna Mission at the Nat Mandir of the Adyapith Temple. The Secretary of Dakshineshwar Ramakrishna Sangha Adyapith, Brahmachari Muralbai, and Swami Nisthananda Maharaj of Belur Math delivered speeches during the gathering, emphasizing the teachings of Swami Vivekananda. Several monks from the Ramakrishna Math and Mission were also present at this event.
The day concluded with a public meeting at Adyapith, where Swami Nisthananda Maharaj of Belur Math delivered a valuable speech on Swamiji’s philosophy and relevance in today’s world. Reflecting on Swami Vivekananda’s powerful address in Chicago on September 11, 1893, he remarked, “When Swami Vivekananda addressed the world as ‘Sisters and Brothers of America,’ he inaugurated a new era of world brotherhood. That message is even more relevant today in our violence-ridden world.”