To take part in the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: World-renowned yoga guru Baba Ramdev will be coming to the US at the end of the next month as part of a celebration to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Swami Vivekananda, his first trip to the US since 2010.
Ramdev will first visit Chicago for an event commemorating the 120th anniversary of the famous speech Vivekananda gave there on September 11th, 1893, to the World Parliament of Religions, which contained the famous opening line “Sisters and brothers of America.” From there, he will go to Houston, New York, New Jersey, and finally Atlanta. His visit to the US will begin on Sept. 26th, and he will return to India on the 30th; en route to the US, he will visit the United Kingdom for four days, as well.
Swami Vivekananda is a key figure in modern India and Hindu society. He is credited with bringing Hinduism, yoga and Vedanta to the world’s stage. He was a native of Calcutta, born there on January 12th, 1863, and a well-learned man who studied the works of social, religious, and political philosophers from all around the world. Vivekananda died on July 4th, 1902 while meditating, the official cause of death speculated as being a ruptured blood vessel in the brain.
Ramdev is a popular and controversial spiritual leader known for inspiring masses of Indians the world over to adopt yoga as a way of life. He has taught yoga to celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan and even on the floor of the British Parliament building. He has recently become a social and political activist, calling for an end to government corruption, but has also come under fire for various allegations. He has been accused of tax evasion, and has been criticized heavily for saying that he can cure cancer, AIDS, and homosexuality through Ayurveda therapy and yoga. Recently, he expressed his belief that the Indian military should kill at least 50 Pakistani soldiers as punishment for a recent shooting at the Line of Control that separates the two nations.
To contact the author, email to deepakchitnis@americanbazaaronline.com