In India, the 12th of January is observed as National Youth Day. This holiday, also known as Vivekananda Jayanti, celebrates the birthday of Swami Vivekananda. This day has been observed as a national holiday and has been since the mid-1980s.
This day is observed all across India at schools, colleges, and universities, and these events usually feature music, speeches, conventions, presentations, and essay-writing competitions.
There are also usually sporting events and recitations observed on this day as well. Of course, those are only a few of the activities that are enjoyed on and around this holiday and people can expect a lot of activity surrounding this special day.
The History Of National Youth Day In India
Swami Vivekananda was born on the 12th of January in 1863. He was a Hindu monk of Indian descent and was one of the main disciples of the mystic Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. He was important in introducing many of the Vedanta and Yoga philosophies to the West and has been cited as the reason Hinduism was resurrected throughout India. His travels across Europe and the United States also helped to spread Hinduism to the rest of the world.
Beginning in 1887, he published a number of different books. Some of the books he wrote included Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga, Sangeet Kalpataru, and Vendanta Philosophy, among others. On July 4th, 1902, Vivekananda would die at the age of 39 years old.
In 1984, the Indian Government decided to celebrate the birthday of Swami Vivekananda on the 12th of January each year. They cited his philosophy and ideals as the main reasons why he is a source of inspiration for India’s youth. The following year, Vivekananda’s birthday was observed with a variety of events and it’s been observed this way ever since.
Observing National Youth Day In India
As we stated previously, National Youth Day is celebrated all across India with a number of different activities. These include plenty of music, processions, speeches, seminars, presentations, competitions, sporting events, lectures, and writings.
Thanks to modern technology, this day can also be observed by the diaspora of Indians through various webinars and other online events. Online, people can use the hashtag #NationalYouthDayIndia to spread the word about this holiday all across the world.
When is National Youth Day in India? |
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| This year (2023) | January 12 (Thursday) |
| Next year (2024) | January 12 (Friday) |
| Last year (2022) | January 12 (Wednesday) |