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The Maha Kumbh 2025 at Prayagraj is set to witness a "Yuva Maha Kumbh", a mega gathering of youth and students from across the country bound by a common thread: Swami Vivekananda, whose birth anniversary on January 12 is celebrated as National Youth Day. This initiative to mobilise the student community has been undertaken by the Vivekananda Kendra, established in 1972, with its first UP chapter opening in 2006 in Lucknow. The Kendra's motto of 'Man Making and Nation Building' is at its core. "From January 20, the Vivekananda Kendra will hold a Yuva Maha Kumbh at the mega Maha Kumbh. The gathering will include youth and students -- undergraduate, postgraduate, engineering and management students, teachers and those preparing for competitive exams. They will participate in a day-long workshop where the takeaway from Swami Vivekananda's thoughts will be discussed and disseminated," Deep Narayan Pandey (38) head of the Kendra's Lucknow chapter, told PTI. "We will meditate and discuss .
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has inaugurated the bust of Swami Vivekananda at India's cultural centre here in Tanzania, saying it stands in testimony to his timeless teachings which have transcended boundaries and underlines his message of faith in humanity. Jaishankar arrived here on Thursday after visiting Zanzibar. "Honoured to inaugurate the bust of Swami Vivekananda at the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre in Dar es Salaam," Jaishankar tweeted after inaugurating the bust on Friday. In his address on the occasion, the minister said, "It is a momentous occasion" to inaugurate the bust of one of the greatest spiritual leaders. "This bust must certainly stand in testimony to his timeless teachings, which have transcended boundaries and actually underlying his message of faith in humanity," Jaishankar said. He also highlighted the importance of the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre, which has played a very significant role in promoting Indian culture and arts in Tanzania
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday paid tributes to Vinoba Bhave, an ardent Gandhian who had launched the Bhoodan movement, on his birth anniversary. His life was a manifestation of Gandhian principles, Modi tweeted. The prime minister also recalled the "special connection" September 11 has with Swami Vivekananda, noting that the renowned spiritual figure had delivered his famous speech in Chicago on this day in 1893. Sharing the speech on Twitter, Modi said, "It was on this day in 1893 that he delivered one of his most outstanding speeches in Chicago. His address gave the world a glimpse of India's culture and ethos." The speech at the World's Parliament of Religions is celebrated for Swami Vivekananda's impressive articulation of India's cultural ethos and its ancient values while underlining its philosophical acceptance of the truth guiding every religion. Paying tributes to Bhave, who was born in 1895, Modi said, "His life was a manifestation of Gandhian principles. He was