India celebrates 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda

New Delhi: To commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda on Saturday, a number of functions are being held across the country.

President Pranab Mukherjee will inaugurate the anniversary celebrations at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi and release a set of commemorative coins and stamps. UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi along with several Union Ministers will be present on the occasion. A National Committee under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was constituted to consider policies, lay down guidelines for the anniversary commemoration and decide on the time frame for related activities. Madhya Pradesh will observe Swami Vivekanand`s 150th birth anniversary year from January 12 by establishing Vivekananda Youth Centres at district and development block levels. Swami Vivekananda born as Narendra Nath Datta was a key figure in the introduction of Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the western world. He was also credited with raising interfaith awareness, bringing Hinduism to the status of a major world religion in the late 19th century. ANI