Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, Belur Math

National Youth Day

12 January

 In 1984, the Government of India declared and decided to observe the Birthday of Swami Vivekananda (12 January, according to English calendar) as National Youth Day every year from 1985 onwards. To quote from the Government of India’s Communication, ‘it was felt that the philosophy of Swamiji and the ideals for which he lived and worked could be a great source of inspiration for the Indian Youth.’

Swamij’s Birthday according to Indian Almanac (Vishuddha Siddhanta Almanac) is on Pausha Krishna Saptami tithi, which falls on  different dates of English Calendar every year.
The Headquarters of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission as well as their branch centres observe the birthday of Swami Vivekananda with mangalarati, special worship, homa, meditation, devotional songs, religious discourses, sandhyarati, etc. on Pausha Krishna Saptami tithi, and as National Youth Day (12 January) with processions, speeches, recitations, music, youth conventions, seminars, Yogasana presentation, competitions in essay-writing, recitations, speeches, music, sports, etc. on 12 January.
 

Programme
12 January 2009, Monday
Venue: Belur Math
 

Celebration at Belur Math

PHOTO GALLERY 2008
PHOTO GALLERY 2007

Selected Teachings of Swami Vivekananda
My ideal, indeed, can be put into a few words, and that is: to preach unto mankind their divinity, and how to make it manifest in every movement of life.

 Education is the manifestation of the perfection already in man.

We want that education by which character is formed, strength of mind is increased, the intellect is expanded, and by which one can stand on one's own feet.

So long as the millions live in hunger and ignorance, I hold every man a traitor who, having been educated at their expense, pays not the least heed to them.

Whatever you think, that you will be.  If you think yourselves weak, weak you will be; if you think yourselves strong, strong you will be.

If you have faith in all the three hundred and thirty millions of your mythological gods, … and still have no faith in yourselves, there is no salvation for you. Have faith in yourselves, and stand up on that faith and be strong; that is what we need.

 Strength, strength it is that we want so much in this life, for what we call sin and sorrow have all one cause, and that is our weakness. With weakness comes ignorance, and with ignorance comes misery.

 The older I grow, the more everything seems to me to lie in manliness. This is my new Gospel.

 Purity, patience, and perseverance are the three essentials to success, and above all, love.

 Religion is realization; not talk, not doctrine, nor theories, however beautiful they may be. It is being and becoming, not hearing or acknowledging; it is the whole soul becoming changed into what it believes.

 Religion is the manifestation of the Divinity already in man.

 Teach yourselves, teach everyone his real nature, call uon the sleeping soul and see how it awakes. Power will come, glory will come, goodness will come, purity will come, and everything that is excellent will come when this sleeping soul is roused to self-conscious activity.

 They alone live who live for others, the rest are more dead than alive.

 This is the gist of all worship – to be pure and to do good to others.

 It is love and love alone that I preach, and I base my teaching on the great Vedantic truth of the sameness and omnipresence of the Soul of the Universe.

LIFE AND TEACHINGS OF SWAMI VIVEKANANDA

Teachings of Vivekananda
  Contributions to World
  Contributions to Hinduism
  Contributions to India
  Chronology of Main Events

Addresses at the Parliament of Religions, Chicago
A Short Life of Swami Vivekananda (PDF)

National Youth Day Celebration at Belur Math

PHOTO GALLERY 2008
PHOTO GALLERY 2007