Life & Times of Swami Vivekananda
- Birth – 12 January 1863 (Makara Sankranthi), Kolkata.
- Original name – Narendranath Datta.
- Nicknames – Cyclonic Hindu Monk of India, Intellectual Monk of India, The Patriot Saint Of India.
- Parents – Vishwanath Dutta & Bhuvaneshwari Devi.
- Teacher – Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.
- Took the vow of Sannyasa in 1886.
- Name "Vivekananda" – suggested by Ajit Singh of Khetri.
- Slogan – "Go back to Gita."
- Founder of Ramakrishna Mission.
- Represented India in the First Parliament of Religious in Chicago (September 11, 1893).
- Famous introductory speech – "Sisters and brothers of America..", earning him 2min standing ovation of 7,000 people.
- Established Vedanta Society in New York (1894).
- Propagated Hindu philosophies of Advaita Vedanta & Yoga in the West.
- First public speech in the East – Colombo (1897).
- Attended the Congress of History of Religions in Paris (1900).
- Spiritual Father of the Modern Nationalist Movement – Subhas Chandra Bose.
- Disciples – Swami Abhayananda, Alasinga Perumal, Sister Nivedita, Swami Sadananda
- The Spiritual Daughter of Swami Vivekananda – Sister Nivedita.
- Death – July 4, 1902, Belur Math (West Bengal).
Literary works & Publications
- My Master.
- Karma Yoga: The Yoga of Action.
- Jnana Yoga: The Yoga of Knowledge.
- Raja Yoga: Conquering the Internal Nature.
- Bhakti Yoga: The Yoga of Love and Devotion.
- Magazines – Prabudha Bharat (English), Brahmavadin &Udbodhan (Bengali).
Biographies & Memorials
- The Master as I Saw Him – Sister Nivedita
- The Life of Vivekananda – Romain Rolland.
- National Youth Day – January 12.
- Memorial – Belur Math (West Bengal).
- Vivekananda Rock Memorial (Kanyakumari, 1970).
- Eknath Ranade played an instrumental role in the construction.
- Honorary Swami Vivekananda Way, Chicago (November 11, 1995).
- West Bengal Police Training College was renamed as Swami Vivekananda State Police Academy (2011).
- The Raipur airport was renamed Swami Vivekananda Airport (2012).
- State technical university in Chhattisgarh was renamed as the Chhattisgarh Swami Vivekanand Technical University.
- Bengali film, The Light: Swami Vivekananda to celebrate 150th birth anniversary in 2013.
- Stamps – India, Sri Lanka & Serbia.
- First Vivekananda stamp issued in India – 1963.
The Indian Government in 1985 decided to celebrate January 12, Vivekananda's birthday as the national youth day.
Ramakrishna Mission
- Established on May 1, 1897.
- Headquarters – Belur Math (1899).
- Motto – Atmano Mokshartham Jagat Hitaya (for the salvation of our individual self and for the well-being of all on earth, Rigveda).
- Also known as Vendanta Movement.
- First monastery – Baranagar Math.
- Woman wing of Ramakrishna Mission – Sri Sarada Math (1954).
- First Sri Ramakrishna Math in Kerala – Haripad (by Swami Nirmalananda, 1913).
📝 SideNotes:
- International Youth Day – August 12.
- Universal Brotherhood Day – September 11.
- Kerala Vivekanandan – Swami Agamananda. (Previous PSC Question: 10th Preliminary Exam, 2021)
- Original Name of Sister Nivedita – Margaret Elizabeth Noble (Irish).
- Swami Abhayananda – Marie Louise.
- First Person in the West to write Sri Ramakrishna's biography – Max Muller.
- Max Muller of Karnataka – Dr. Phakirappa Gurubasappa Halakatti.
- Brahmavadin was later renamed as – The Vedanta Kesari.
- Swami Vivekananda Karmayogi Award 2020 – Jadav Payeng.
- Forest Man of India – Jadav Payeng.
- Kumaranasn translated "Raja Yoga" to Malayalam and published it in SNDP's Vivekodayam.
