PATNA: The Vivekanand Express, which is an exhibition-on-wheels, reached Patna Junction on Thursday morning. It would stay on platform number 7 to facilitate the denizens, including the youths, know the multifaceted personality of Swami Vivekananda. Railways is running this special train to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, said East Central Railway (ECR) CPRO Amitabh Prabhakar.
According to Prabhakar, the five-bogie fully air-conditioned Vivekanand Express train is presently traversing through different parts of the country so that people can get a glimpse of Swami Vivekananda's life and get inspiration from his philosophy. The special train would be stationed at Patna Junction till June 22 evening. It displays some of the rare photographs of the great saint and also some of the materials associated with his life, he said.
It may be recalled that Swami Vivekananda was born as Narendra Nath Dutta in a Bengali family. He was the chief disciple of the 19th century mystic, Ramkrishna Paramhans, and founder of the Ramkrishna Mission. He is considered as a key figure in the introduction of Hindu philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world. He is also credited with raising interfaith awareness, and bringing Hinduism to the status of a major world religion during the end of the 19th century. That apart, Vivekananda is considered to be a major force in the revival of Hinduism in modern India.
The beautifully displayed exhibition throws light on various stages of Swami Vivekananda's life. From his childhood, he showed an inclination towards spirituality and realization of God. His guru Ramakrishna taught him 'Advaita Vedanta (non-dualism)', which means that all religions are true and that service to man was the most effective worship of God.
The exhibition-on-wheels also displays how Vivekananda became a wandering monk after death of his Guru and toured extensively different parts of the country to get first-hand knowledge of condition in India. He later travelled to Chicago and represented India as a delegate in the 1893 Parliament of World Religions. He conducted hundreds of public and private lectures and classes, disseminating Vedanta and Yoga in America, England and Europe. He also established the Vedanta societies in America and England, which is displayed at the exhibition.
Meanwhile, the CPRO said a huge crowd turned up at Patna Junction to have a glimpse of the exhibition on Thursday. There is no fee for viewing the exhibition, which is open from 7am to 5pm till June 22, he said.
Source:TOI
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