Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday recalled Swami Vivekananda's famous speech at the World's Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893, and said its spirit has the potential to create a more just, prosperous and inclusive planet.
Vivekananda's speech, which dwelt at length on Hinduism and Indian culture, had drawn all-round praise and remains resonant.
Modi tweeted, "Recalling Swami Vivekananda's iconic 1893 speech at Chicago, which beautifully demonstrated the salience of Indian culture. The spirit of his speech has the potential to create a more just, prosperous and inclusive planet."
Swami Vivekananda had introduced Indian philosophies of Vedanta and yoga to the western world.
Swami Vivekananda became popular in the western world after his famous speech at the World's Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893. He was also the chief disciple of the 19th-century Indian mystic Ramakrishna and the founder of the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission.
He was considered a major force in the revival of Hinduism in India and bringing it to the status of major world religion in the late 19th century.
