President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday paid tributes to Swami Vivekananda on his 155th birth anniversary, celebrated as the ‘National Youth Day’.
In a tweet, Kovind said: My tributes to Swami Vivekananda on his birth anniversary. In honour of this great scholar, monk and nation builder, we commemorate this day as National Youth Day.”
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The prime minister in his message said: “I bow to Swami Vivekananda on his Jayanti. Today, on National Youth Day I salute the indomitable energy and enthusiasm of our youngsters, who are the builders of New India.”
Modi also shared a montage wherein he is seen paying floral tributes to Swami Vivekananda and highlighting his vital role in nation building.
“The thoughts of Swami Vivekananda continue to inspire the youth of our nation and have united them… They are guiding the youngsters on the path of nation building,” Modi said.
“We are a country of youth and its time that we start a people’s movement towards a developed and prosper India,” he added.
Swami Vivekananda was born on January 12, 1863, in an aristocratic family in Bengal.
His original name was Narendra Nath Datta.
He was the chief disciple of the 19th-century saint Ramakrishna and a key figure in introducing the Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world.
In 1984, the government had decided to observe the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekanand as the National Youth Day.
