National Youth Day

National Youth Day is celebrated with the great joy and enthusiasm in India every year on 12^th of January. It is celebrated to commemorate the birthday of Swami Vivekananda, maker of the modern India. It was first declared by the Government of India in the year 1984 to celebrate the birthday of Swami Vivekananda as the National Youth Day. Since then (1985), it is started celebrating as the National Youth Day all over the country.

History of National Youth Day

It is well known that the Government of India had declared to observe the National Youth Day every year on the birthday of Swami Vivekananda on 12^th of January. It was decided by the Government of India in order to inspire all the youths of country towards the philosophy of Swami Vivekananda and his ideals. The birthday of the Swami Vivekananda was decided to be celebrated as the National Youth Day to complete the aim of making better future of the country by motivating the youths through the way of life and ideas of the Swami Vivekananda.

It is the aim of great importance of distributing the ideas and ideals of the Swami Vivekananda among the youths of India. It is the great way to wake up the eternal energy of the youths as well as their big efforts to make the country developed.

National Youth Day Celebrations

Swami Vivekananda was born on 12^th of January in the year 1863 in the Pausha Krishna Saptami tithi. The birthday of the Swami Vivekananda is celebrated every year at many centres of the Ramakrishna Math, Ramakrishna Mission and their branch centres according to the Indian culture and tradition. A great mangal aarti, hoom, devotional songs, meditation, religious speech as well as the sandhya aarti is performed while celebrating the birthday of the Swami Vivekananda.

Activities on National Youth Day

National Youth Day is celebrated by the youths at all the schools, colleges by performing the parade, speech on Swami Vivekananda, recitations, music, songs, conventions, Yogasanas, presentations, competition for essay-writing, seminar, sports and etc. Lectures and writings related to the ideas of Swami Vivekananda are also performed by the students to inspire the Indian youths.

Variety of other performances are also carried out by the people participated in the event all over the India as well as outside the country in order to promote education, art, way of life, trust among youths inspire their inner soul.

An event for two days for all the age group is organized by the Mission Bhartiyam in Uttar Pradesh. This event includes dozen of activities and named as the Basti Yuvo Mahotsav. The day is celebrated by the government, non-profit organisations as well as corporate groups in their own way.

The event celebration is started in the early morning with the pooja of Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi, Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda and Swami Ramakrishnananda. A great hoom is performed after the pooja by the Monks and devotees. Then devotees offer pushpanjali and aarti to the statue of Swami Vivekananda. In the end, distribution of Prasad takes place.

Why National Youth Day is Celebrated

Philosophies, teachings and ideas of the Swami Vivekananda are the great cultural and traditional assets of India. Youths are the most important part of the country who leads the country ahead, that’s why youths are selected to be inspired first by the ideas and ideals of the Swami Vivekananda. So, the National Youth Day is started celebrating every year to encourage and inspire the honourable youths of the India. Schools and colleges are delightfully adorned to enthusiastically celebrate the event.

Swami Vivekananda was a great person who always believed in the youth power to lead and nourish the historical culture of the country and carry some advancement required by the country to be developed.