Swami Vivekananda and guests at Green Acre School, in Eliot, Maine, around 1894. Picture: Smithsonian
Swami Vivekananda and guests at Green Acre School, in Eliot, Maine, around 1894. Picture: Smithsonian
Swami Vivekananda and guests at Green Acre School, in Eliot, Maine, around 1894. Picture: Smithsonian
Swami Vivekananda and guests at Green Acre School, in Eliot, Maine, around 1894. Picture: Smithsonian

India pays tribute to Swami Vivekananda on what would have been his 160th birthday


Taniya Dutta
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India's President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday paid tribute to Swami Vivekananda, one of the country's most prominent spiritual leaders, on what would have been his 160th birthday.

The Hindu monk and philosopher is credited with promoting the ideals of religious tolerance, brotherhood, peace and harmony.

He was also a social reformer and worked to end child marriage and illiteracy and to spread education among women and lower castes in a largely conservative British India.

India celebrates the anniversary of the monk's birth as National Youth Day to inspire young people with his teachings and their impact on the development of modern India.

"My tributes to Swami Vivekananda on his birth anniversary," Ms Murmu said on Twitter. "An iconic personality who combined spirituality and patriotism, he propagated Indian values globally.

"His life and teachings continue to inspire youth to follow their dreams and achieve greater goals."

Mr Modi, who has often spoken about Mr Vivekananda’s influence on him, said his ideas would continue to guide India.

“His life always inspires for patriotism, spirituality and hard work. His great thoughts,” Mr Modi said.

Early life

Mr Vivekananda was born into a Bengali aristocratic family in Calcutta, now Kolkata, as Narendranath Datta, in 1863.

He was educated at a western-style university where he was exposed to philosophy, science and Christianity. He was spiritual from a young age and often meditated in front of Hindu deities.

In 1881, at the age of 18, he found guru Ramakrishna, a Hindu religious and spiritual leader, and became his disciple.

He became a monk on Christmas Eve in 1886.

School students gather to practise yoga on at Ranital stadium as India celebrated Swami Vivekananda's birth anniversary. AFP
School students gather to practise yoga on at Ranital stadium as India celebrated Swami Vivekananda's birth anniversary. AFP

Hinduism and western esotericism

Mr Vivekananda believed in the unity of religions and their teachings. His philosophy is a reinterpretation of various strands Hindu with western esotericism and universalism.

He attended the Parliament of the World's Religions, a global dialogue of faiths, at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1893, where he delivered his iconic “Sisters and Brothers of America" speech.

He received a three-minute standing ovation from the crowd of 7,000.

“Sectarianism, bigotry, and its horrible descen­dant, fanaticism, have long possessed this beautiful earth," he said.

"They have filled the earth with vio­lence, drenched it often and often with human blood, destroyed civilization and sent whole nations to despair.

“Had it not been for these horrible demons, human society would be far more advanced than it is now."

He hoped the “convention may be the death-knell of all fanaticism”.

Several American newspapers wrote about the “Hindoo” monk who wore saffron robes, his speech, oratory skills and intellectualism.

The New York Critic called him an “interesting personality”.

“He speaks without notes, presenting his facts and his conclusions with the greatest art, the most convincing sincerity; and rising at times to a rich, inspiring eloquence,” the paper wrote in The Chicago Letter column on November 18, 1983.

Indian students dress up as Swami Vivekananda on the anniversary of his birth in 2018. (AFP)
Indian students dress up as Swami Vivekananda on the anniversary of his birth in 2018. (AFP)

He travelled across the US for two years and to the UK, Japan, China and Canada, spreading the message of “divine unity of existence and unity in diversity".

He was also offered academic positions in the Eastern Philosophy departments at Harvard and Columbia Universities but refused due to the conflict with his austere life as a monk.

He travelled across the subcontinent, acquiring first-hand knowledge of living conditions in British India.

He addressed social issues including eliminating caste system and promoting education, science and philosophy.

During his train travels, people often sat on the tracks to force him to stop so they could hear him.

He founded the Ramakrishna Math, a monastery that provides spiritual training for monks and devotees, and the Ramakrishna Mission, to provide charity, social work and education in 1897.

He died at the age of 39 after a rupture in a blood vessel in his brain. He had diabetes and had prophesied he would not live past the age of 40.

Swami Vivekananda’s quotes

Here are some of the quotes of one of the greatest thinkers of all time.

  • "The more we come out and do good to others, the more our hearts will be purified."
  • "Arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached."
  • "Be true to yourself, and you will be true to the world. "
  • "The greatest sin is to think yourself weak."
  • "Education is the manifestation of the perfection already in man."
  • “In a conflict between the heart and the brain, follow your heart.”
  • “Do not wait for anybody or anything. Do whatever you can, build your hope on none.”
  • “You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul.”
  • “Condemn none: if you can stretch out a helping hand, do so. If you cannot, fold your hands, bless your brothers, and let them go their own way.”
  • “Ask nothing; want nothing in return. Give what you have to give; it will come back to you, but do not think of that now.”

Tales of Yusuf Tadros

Adel Esmat (translated by Mandy McClure)

Hoopoe

UAE v Gibraltar

What: International friendly

When: 7pm kick off

Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City

Admission: Free

Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page

UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)

The British in India: Three Centuries of Ambition and Experience

by David Gilmour

Allen Lane

Januzaj's club record

Manchester United 50 appearances, 5 goals

Borussia Dortmund (loan) 6 appearances, 0 goals

Sunderland (loan) 25 appearances, 0 goals

F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)

Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits

Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine

Storage: 128/256/512GB

Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4

Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps

Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID

Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight

In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter

Price: From Dh2,099

Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill

Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.

Brief scores:

Manchester City 3

Bernardo Silva 16', Sterling 57', Gundogan 79'

Bournemouth 1

Wilson 44'

Man of the match: Leroy Sane (Manchester City)

WHY%20AAYAN%20IS%20'PERFECT%20EXAMPLE'
%3Cp%3EDavid%20White%20might%20be%20new%20to%20the%20country%2C%20but%20he%20has%20clearly%20already%20built%20up%20an%20affinity%20with%20the%20place.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3EAfter%20the%20UAE%20shocked%20Pakistan%20in%20the%20semi-final%20of%20the%20Under%2019%20Asia%20Cup%20last%20month%2C%20White%20was%20hugged%20on%20the%20field%20by%20Aayan%20Khan%2C%20the%20team%E2%80%99s%20captain.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3EWhite%20suggests%20that%20was%20more%20a%20sign%20of%20Aayan%E2%80%99s%20amiability%20than%20anything%20else.%20But%20he%20believes%20the%20young%20all-rounder%2C%20who%20was%20part%20of%20the%20winning%20Gulf%20Giants%20team%20last%20year%2C%20is%20just%20the%20sort%20of%20player%20the%20country%20should%20be%20seeking%20to%20produce%20via%20the%20ILT20.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%9CHe%20is%20a%20delightful%20young%20man%2C%E2%80%9D%20White%20said.%20%E2%80%9CHe%20played%20in%20the%20competition%20last%20year%20at%2017%2C%20and%20look%20at%20his%20development%20from%20there%20till%20now%2C%20and%20where%20he%20is%20representing%20the%20UAE.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%9CHe%20was%20influential%20in%20the%20U19%20team%20which%20beat%20Pakistan.%20He%20is%20the%20perfect%20example%20of%20what%20we%20are%20all%20trying%20to%20achieve%20here.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%9CIt%20is%20about%20the%20development%20of%20players%20who%20are%20going%20to%20represent%20the%20UAE%20and%20go%20on%20to%20help%20make%20UAE%20a%20force%20in%20world%20cricket.%E2%80%9D%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

Racecard

5.25pm: Etihad Museum – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,200m

6pm: Al Shindaga Museum – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (Dirt) 1,200m

6.35pm: Poet Al Oqaili – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,400m

7.10pm: Majlis Ghurfat Al Sheif – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,600m

7.45pm: Hatta – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,400m

8.20pm: Al Fahidi – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 2,200m

8.55pm: Zabeel Trophy – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (T) 1,600m

9.30pm: Coins Museum – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,600m

10.05pm: Al Quoz Creative – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,000m

Boulder shooting victims

• Denny Strong, 20
• Neven Stanisic, 23
• Rikki Olds, 25
• Tralona Bartkowiak, 49
• Suzanne Fountain, 59
• Teri Leiker, 51
• Eric Talley, 51
• Kevin Mahoney, 61
• Lynn Murray, 62
• Jody Waters, 65

ESSENTIALS

The flights 

Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Mykonos, with a flight change to its partner airline Olympic Air in Athens. Return flights cost from Dh4,105 per person, including taxes. 

Where to stay 

The modern-art-filled Ambassador hotel (myconianambassador.gr) is 15 minutes outside Mykonos Town on a hillside 500 metres from the Platis Gialos Beach, with a bus into town every 30 minutes (a taxi costs €15 [Dh66]). The Nammos and Scorpios beach clubs are a 10- to 20-minute walk (or water-taxi ride) away. All 70 rooms have a large balcony, many with a Jacuzzi, and of the 15 suites, five have a plunge pool. There’s also a private eight-bedroom villa. Double rooms cost from €240 (Dh1,063) including breakfast, out of season, and from €595 (Dh2,636) in July/August.

Graduated from the American University of Sharjah

She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters

Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks

Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding

 

Tips for job-seekers
  • Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
  • Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.

David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East

Updated: January 12, 2023, 2:00 PM`