UN staff group holds exhibition on life, work of Swami Vivekananda

Swami Vivekananda’s role as an inspirer of spirituality worldwide and a builder of bridges was honored at an exhibition showcasing his life and work at the United Nations.

“As the centuries pass, Vivekananda stands taller and taller, inspiring people across the world, not only in India,” said Swami Sarvarpriyananda, the resident minister of the New York Vedanta Society, during the inauguration of the exhibition.

“He built a bridge between the East and the West when he traveled to the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893, and the bridge is very strong and vibrant today,” he added.

India’s Consul General in New York, Binaya Srikanta Pradhan, noted that Vivekananda’s message of the oneness of humanity, rooted in ancient Hindu wisdom, is particularly relevant at the UN.

The exhibition was organized by the Society for Enlightenment and Transformation (SEAT), a component of the UN Staff Recreation Council (UNSRC).

UNSRC President Peter Dawkins explained that the aim of the exhibition was to highlight Vivekananda’s relevance to “the core values, purposes, and mission of the United Nations.”

“We’re hoping to raise awareness of the life of Vivekananda, what he brought to the West, his strong connection to New York, and also, if not directly, at least indirectly, to the United Nations,” he said.

The exhibits were produced by the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS), which SEAT brought to the UN.

Ganesh Ramakrishnan, an outreach coordinator for HSS, emphasized that “Swami Vivekananda is more relevant even in these times. His clarion call for ‘seva,’ which is selfless service, resonates among the youth.”

Sarvarpriyananda added that Vivekananda could be seen as having “kick-started the Indian freedom movement” by “restoring to India and Indians a sense of pride and a modern national identity.”

“Somebody called him the unconscious father of modern Indian nationalism,” he said.

Sarvarpriyananda also highlighted Vivekananda’s promotion of education and scientific thought. The exhibition includes panels detailing his interactions with scientists such as Nikola Tesla.

Vivekananda was the inspiration behind the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru, Sarvarpriyananda noted. Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata founded the institute at Vivekananda’s suggestion, made during a meeting on a ship to the US.

Today, tens of thousands of scientists and engineers in the US are products of the institute or of those who developed through it in India.