12TH JANUARY - A Very Special Day

Today is 12th January. I asked my friends and colleagues why the date is special, they couldn't answer...after searching in net somebody came back with an answer that 12th January is National Youth Day in India. But how many of us remember the birthday of Swami Vivekananda, on that very day 12th January, in the year 1863 he was born in Kolkata (earlier Calcutta), India. Who is Swami Vivekananda? Do we remember him? Somebody said yes, I know Swami Vivekananda, founder of Vivekananda Rock Memorial, in Kanyakumari, Tamilnadu. People shouldn't forget him, as an Indian how can we forget his contribution for our country, our religion.

Swami Vivekananda introduced Vedanta and Yoga in Europe and America, brought Hinduism to the status of a world religion during the end of 19th century.
We shouldn't forget his inspiring speech beginning with "Sisters and Brothers of America", through which he introduced Hinduism to the people of world at the parliament of the World's Religion at Chicago in 1893.
Swamiji travelled entire India for five years, during his travelling he came across the suffering and poverty of the masses and he decided to uplift the nation. He addressed all poor Indians as his brothers.

During his visit to South India, at Kanyakumari, Swami Vivekananda reportedly meditated on the 'last bit of Indian rock' later famously known as the 'Vivekananda Rock Memorial' for three days.

Some of his famous quotes are:
"You cannot believe in God until you believe in yourself"
"The world is the greatest gymnasium where we come to make ourselves strong"
"To devote your life to the good of all and to the happiness of all is religion, whatever you do for your own sake is not religion"
"Religion is the manifestation of the Divinity already in man"
According to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, "Vivekananda is the maker of modern India"
and for Gandhiji, Vivekananda's influence increased his love for his country a thousand hold.
Rabindranath Tagore said "If you want to know India, study Vivekananda. In him everything is positive and nothing negative."
Please do not forget to celebrate at least to remember 12th January.

(Quotes of Swami Vivekananda from thinkexist.com, other quotes from wikipedia.org)