Swami Vivekananda's 150th birth anniversary

The Vedanta Society of Korea celebrated Swami Vivekananda's 150th birth anniversary here. The function showcased various facets of Indian culture, including dance, music, yoga, tourism and food.

The event, 'Vivek 150', included Vivekananda Yoga Olympiad, a speech contest, and an exhibition on Swami Vivekananda's life and message, which were organised at Sookmyung University. The event was supported by the Indian Cultural Centre (ICC) Seoul, the Indian Chamber of Commerce of Korea (ICCK) and Sookmyung Women's University of Korea.

The formal programme started with ceremonial lighting of lamp and offering floral tributes to Swami Vivekananda, followed by a documentary on his teachings and message to the world.

In his address, Swami Medhasananda, chairman of the Vedanta Society of Japan, said that Swami Vivekananda had taught the world that in essence all religions advocated service to mankind, as the most effective form of worship. Ambassador Vishnu Prakash observed that though Swami Vivekananda's earthly sojourn was short, but his message is universal and enduring. He preached that all religions were equal and God was embodied in each individual.

Swami Vivekananda emphasized yoga, meditation and abstinence while speaking out powerfully against the curse of poverty, prejudice and discrimination, the ambassador said.

Performances by Korean Fan dance group and Bangladeshi-African-Korean artists group gave it a unique flavour.