Swami Vivekananda’s speech 131 years ago inspired PM Modi’s self-discovery

New Delhi:

As the nation celebrates Digvijay Diwas, honouring the legacy of Swami Vivekanand and commemorating his historic speech in Chicago, here’s a look back at how his historic speech, 131 years ago, inspired Narendra Modi to embark on a journey of self-discovery in the Himalayas.

It was on September 11, 1893 that Swami Vivekanand delivered his timeless speech at the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago.

His words not only introduced the world to India’s rich spiritual heritage but also inspired countless people in future generations, including a 17-year-old boy: Narendra Modi.

Modi Archive, a popular X-account chronicling the Prime Minister’s life journey through its archives, on Wednesday shared an old photo of Narendra Modi and informed about the impact Swami Vivekanand’s speech had on his young and impressionable mind.

Narendra Modi was so inspired by the teachings of Swami Vivekanand at such a young age that he left his home in Vadnagar for the Himalayas, on a journey of self-discovery.

The popular X account also shared a picture of Narendra Modi, at a wedding ceremony in his village, just a day before he left for the Himalayas.

131 years ago, on September 11, 1893, #SwamiVivekananda He delivered his timeless speech at the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago. His words not only introduced the world to the rich spiritual heritage of India but also inspired countless people in future generations, one of them being… pic.twitter.com/3XNvOpviwP

— Modi Archives (@modiarchive) September 11, 2024

He also informs that young Narendra Modi came to know and understand the works of Swami Vivekanand through Dr Vasantbhai Parikh, a native of his village.

131 years ago, Swami Vivekanand delivered his memorable speech at the Parliament of World Religions in Chicago and left the world awestruck with his knowledge of ancient Hindu scriptures and his visionary insight.

To this day, this speech is remembered by all Indians as a path-breaking event and a landmark moment in the history of interfaith dialogue, as it introduced Indian spirituality and the Vedas to the Western world.

Prime Minister Modi has repeatedly spoken about the impact of Swami Vivekanand’s teachings on his life and has often reflected on his years of public service.

This year, after concluding his whirlwind tour across the country for the 2024 assembly elections, Prime Minister Modi spent two days meditating on the rocks of the Swami Vivekanand memorial in Kanyakumari.

The memorial is named after Swami Vivekananda, who sat here in meditation after his tour of India. It was here in Kanyakumari that Swami Vivekanand is said to have had the vision of modern India.

(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)