West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today kicked off the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Swami Vivekananda here amidst a colourful procession and a cultural program.
Banerjee presided over a colourful march past by the state police and Kolkata police officials at Red road in central Kolkata.
Various cultural personalities such as Dwijen Mukhopadhya and other eminent singers and film personalities graced the occasion.
Colourful tableaux featuring the Ramkrishna Mission, an institution founded by Vivekananda, were taken out on the occasion.
School children dressed as Swami Vivekanada also conducted a march past as also specially-abled athletes with the crowd cheering them on.
The state government had last year launched a year-long youth festival to commemorate Swamiji's 150th birth anniversary.
