** Swami Vivekananda delivers an inspiring speech on his paper at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago.

After an accidental meeting between Jamsetji N. Tata and Swami Vivekananda on a ship in 1893 where they discussed Tata's plan of bringing the steel industry to India, Tata wrote to Vivekananda five years later:

Swami Vivekananda was born as Narendranath Dutta in Calcutta, the capital of British India, on 12 January 1863 during the Makar Sankranti festival.

Such Grihastha disciples financially helped the monastic disciples led by Vivekananda to form fellowship at a derelict house at Baranagar on the river Ganges.

Living mainly on bhiksha ( alms ), Vivekananda travelled on foot and railway tickets bought by his admirers whom he met during the travels.

At Kanyakumari, the Swami meditated on the " last bit of Indian rock ", famously known later as the Vivekananda Rock Memorial, for three days.

With the aid of funds collected by his Madras disciples and Rajas of Mysore, Ramnad, Khetri, Dewans and other followers, Vivekananda left for Chicago on 31 May 1893 from Bombay assuming the name Vivekananda — the name suggested by the Maharaja of Khetri, Ajit Singh.

Swami Vivekananda on the platform of the Parliament of Religions September 1893.

Vivekananda left for India on 16 December 1896 from England with his disciples, Captain and Mrs. Sevier, and J. J. Goodwin.

Vivekananda had earlier inspired Jamsetji Tata to set up a research and educational institution when they had travelled together from Yokohama to Chicago on Vivekananda's first visit to the West in 1893.

The Swami Vivekananda temple at Belur Math, on the place where he was cremation | cremated.

On the day of his death he woke up very early in the morning, went to chapel and meditated for three hours, sang a song on Kali and then he whispered, " If there were another Vivekananda, then he would have understood what this Vivekananda has done!

Vivekananda died at ten minutes past nine p. m. on 4 July 1902 while he was meditating.

Swami Vivekananda believed a country's future depends on its people ; his teachings focussed on this area.

Swami Vivekananda believed that the essence of Hinduism was best expressed in the Vedanta philosophy, based on the interpretation of Adi Shankara.

* ( Collected articles on Swami Vivekananda, reprinted in 1994 )

* Vivekananda on Max Müller

Youth Day in India is celebrated on 12 January on the birthday of Swami Vivekananda.

In January 1962, the people of Kanyakumari thought that as Swami Vivekananda ’ s birth centenary was being celebrated, it would be wise if they put up some memorial on the rock where he had meditated and discovered the mission of his life.

A judicial probe ordered by the Madras ( now Tamil Nadu ) government stated in unequivocal terms that the rock was Vivekananda Rock, and that the Cross was a trespass.

It decreed that although the rock was Vivekananda Rock, there would be no memorial constructed on it.

The then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Shri M. Bhaktavatsalam, said that only a tablet declaring that the rock was associated with Swami Vivekananda could be put up, and nothing else.

After visiting historical sites at Delhi, Vivekananda journeyed towards Alwar in Rajputana.

Later Vivekananda travelled to Bangalore, where he became acquainted with K. Seshadri Iyer, the Dewan of the Mysore state, and stayed at the palace as a guest of the Maharaja of Mysore, Chamaraja Wodeyar.

On learning that Vivekananda lacked credential to speak at the Chicago Parliament, Wright is quoted as having said, " To ask for your credentials is like asking the sun to state its right to shine in the heavens.

The Boston Evening Transcript reported that Vivekananda was " a great favourite at the parliament ... if he merely crosses the platform, he is applauded ".

Swami Vivekananda at Chennai 1897

On 1 May 1897 at Calcutta, Vivekananda founded the Ramakrishna Mission — the organ for social service.

The Union Finance Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, approved in principle the " Swami Vivekananda Values Education Project " at the cost of with the objectives such as involving the youth through competitions, essays, discussions and study circles and publishing Swami Vivekananda's complete work in different languages.

* Swami Vivekananda, Hindu philosopher – lived briefly at 63 St George's Drive

Swami Vivekananda was the chief architect who profoundly projected the rich culture of India to the west at the end of 19th century.

Ratnam grew up in Chennai, doing his schooling there completed his graduation with a degree in commerce at Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda College which is affiliated with Madras University, Chennai and then obtained an MBA from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, after which he worked as a management consultant before becoming a filmmaker.

The Metropolitan Transport Corporation has a terminus called the ' Anna Square ' terminus at the northern end of the beach, Triplicane Terminus near Kannagi statue / Pycrofts Road, Vivekananda House ( Ice House ) Terminus and Foreshore Estate terminus.

After the death of their master, the monastic disciples led by Vivekananda formed a fellowship at a half-ruined house at Baranagar near the river Ganges, with the financial assistance of the householder disciples.

Swami Vivekananda at the Parliament of Religions

Later Swami Vivekananda became a wandering monk and in 1893 he was a delegate at the 1893 Parliament of the World's Religions.

The original monastery at Baranagar known as Baranagar Math was subsequently moved to Alambazar area nearby in 1892, then to Nilambar Mukherjee's Garden House, south of the present Belur Math in 1898 before finally being shifted in January 1899 to a newly acquired plot of land at Belur in Howrah district by Swami Vivekananda.

Like Swami Vivekananda, he was a great success at the Parliament and received a fair bit of media attention.

At Kanyakumari, Vivekananda had the " Vision of one India ", also commonly called " The Kanyakumari resolve of 1892 ".

Vivekanandapuram in Kanyakumari, Vivekananda Kendra Prashikshan va Seva Prakalpa in Nashik, Vivekananda Kendra Ashram at Nagdandi in Kashmir, Vivekananda Kendra Laipuli in Tinsukia

* Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalaya, Kanyakumari VKV

He was also the driving force behind the construction of the Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Kanyakumari in 1963.

Historians view that that Vivekananda visited the Swamithope Pathi during his visit to Kanyakumari in December 1892 and he was impressed by the principles behind rituals of this monistic faith, such as wearing a head gear during worship in temple, worshipping in front of mirror etc., and started wearing a turban from then on.

C. P. carried out a great deal of pioneering work for the Vivekananda Rock at Cape Comorin and built guest-houses at Kanyakumari.

Vivekananda Rock Memorial is a sacred monument and popular tourist attraction in Vavathurai, Kanyakumari, India.

Image: Vivekananda Memorial Kanyakumari. jpg | Vivekananda Rock

* Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari