Swami Vivekananda

Played a major role in spiritual enlightenment of Indian masses; Spread Vedanta Philosophy in the West established Ramakrishna Mission for the service of the poor.

Swami Vivekananda was one of the most influential spiritual leaders of Vedanta philosophy. He was the chief disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahansa and was the founder of Ramakrishna Math and Ramkrishna Mission. Swami Vivekananda was the living embodiment of sacrifice and dedicated his life to the country and yearned for the progress of the poor, the helpless and the downtrodden. He showed a beacon of light to a nation that had lost faith in its ability under British Rule and inspired self-confidence among Indian that they are second to none. His ringing words and masterful oratory galvanized the slumbering nation.

In 1893, Swami Vivekananda went to America to attend the Conference of World Religious in Chicago. He earned wild applause for beginning his address with the famous words, Sisters and Brothers of America. Swamiji mesmerized everyone in America with his masterful oratory. Wherever he went, he dwelt at length on the greatness of Indian culture. He spoke with spontaneous ease on every topic, be it history, sociology, philosophy or literature. He deplored the malicious propaganda that had been unleashed by the Christian missionaries in India. Swami Vivekananda also went to England. Many people became his disciples. Most famous among them was M. Nivedita. She came to India and settled here. Swami Vivekananda returned to India in 1897 after four years of touring in the west. Her started disseminating the message of spiritual development among Indians. He realized that social service was possible only through the concerted efforts on an organized mission. To achieve this objective, Swami Vivekananda started Sri Ramkrishna Mission in 1897 and formulated its ideology and goal. During the next two years he bought a site at Belur on the banks of the Ganga, constructed the buildings and established the Ramkrishna Mutt. He once again toured the west from January 1899 to December 1990. Swami Vivekananda died on July 4, 1902 at Belur Mutta near Calcutta.