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Born on 12 January 1863, Calcutta. Swami Vivekananda’s christened as Narendranath Datta.
Also called Narendra, Swami Vivekananda had a great interest in the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Puranas from childhood.
Swamiji met his guide Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa, a God-conscious sage in 1881.
On 1887 Swami Vivekananda, took his formal monastic vows. Through 1888-93, the truth seeker renounced worldly attachments and wandered India as a monk.
On September 1893, accepting an chance to represent Hinduism at Chicago's Parliament of Religions, Swamiji gave his revered philosophical speech on formless god and spiritual sacrifice. The West called him an ‘orator by divine right’ and as a ‘Messenger of Indian wisdom to the Western world’.
From 1893-1897, the spiritual genius spread the Vedanta philosophy in America and England. Returning to India on 1897, he founded the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission.
Swamiji established a universal pattern on ancient monastic ideals, accepted people without any distinction of religion, race or caste transferred the math to Belur, Howrah in1899.
Swamiji in June 1899 went to the West for a second visit. After delivering many lectures and spending his time in the West coast of USA, he returned to Belur Math in December 1900.
Swamiji passed away on 4 July 1902. Before his Mahasamadhi he had written to a Western follower: “It may be that I shall find it good to get outside my body, to cast it off like a worn out garment. But I shall not cease to work. I shall inspire men everywhere until the whole world shall know that it is one with God.”
In 1984 a decision was taken by the Indian Government to celebrate the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, that falls on 12 January, as National Youth Day.
The National Youth Day is celebrated by his followers and Ram Krishna Missions worldwide to remember the man and his preaching.