kolkata: Around 1500 teachers, students and staff of Sister Nivedita University (SNU) joined a colourful ‘Prabhat Feri’ to celebrate the 161st birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda on Friday.
The gathering took out a tableaux from the University premises and went along New Town for a five-kilometer stretch before returning to the campus.The students sang songs in praise of Swami Vivekananda.
Alokesh Maharaj Barisha Ramakrishna Math president, who was present on the occasion, said: “I have dedicated my life to Swami Vivekananda and have tried to live my life based on his philosophy.
The youth of today must ask themselves and find the relevance of his preachings and understand how his doctrines can take this country forward even so many years after his death.”
Speaking on the occasion, Prof (Dr) Dhrubajyoti Chattopadhyay, vice-chancellor, SNU, said: “This is a special day. It is the birth anniversary of a man who stands as the youth icon for everyone. We want to imbibe his philosophy of a giver and not taker. We want to spread the philosophy that no one can survive alone.
We have a debt to this society as it silently backs us in our achievements and we have to work for the society for its overall growth in return.”
“Swamiji’s doctrines are relevant even today. He has said things way ahead of his time about education, character building and preached that each soul is potentially divine. So we have to hold on to his philosophy of positivity and vibrancy,” Prof Suman Chatterjee, registrar, SNU, said.