Belur Math: On 15 August, the temples and their surrounding areas as well as the headquarters office and other important buildings were decoratively illumined. In the afternoon, students of the Veda Vidyalaya performed a few patriotic songs in front of Sri Ramakrishna Temple.
Almost all centres in India celebrated the 76th Independence Day (15 August) with the unfurling of the national flag, speeches and cultural programmes. As part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, several centres conducted programmes such as youths’ conventions and cultural competitions from June to August. Details of the significant programmes are given below:
Asansol: Cultural competitions in July and August in which about 1200 students took part.
Bagda: (i) Cultural competitions on 5 August, and (ii) A youths’ convention on 11 August attended by 130 people.
Bamunmura: A youths’ conference on 7 August attended by 50 students and 10 teachers.
Baranagar Mission, Kolkata: Cultural competitions from 31 July to 7 August in which 201 students from 17 schools took part.
Barasat: A devotees’ convention on 13 August attended by about 900 devotees, and a youths’ convention on 14 August attended by 950 youths. The General Secretary spoke in the devotees’ convention.
Barisha: A youths’ convention on 16 July attended by 225 students and 56 teachers.
Basavanagudi, Bengaluru: (i) A college lecturers’ convention on 30 July attended by about 200 lecturers, (ii) Cultural competitions on 6 & 7 August for students, and (iii) Two youths’ conventions on 13 and 20 August which were attended by a total of 1740 college students.
Bhubaneswar: (i) A seminar on ‘Swami Vivekananda and Enlightened Youth’ on 6 August attended by 300 students, and (ii) A commemorative programme at Balasore District Jail on 13 August.
Bilaspur: Two commemorative programmes at educational institutions in Bijuri and Bilaspur of Madhya Pradesh on 22 & 23 July attended by 1300 students in all.
Bolpur: (i) A residential youths’ camp from 22 to 24 July in which 30 youths took part, and (ii) A youths’ convention on 6 August attended by 250 youths.
Chapra: A seminar on 7 August in which 350 people participated.
Chennai Math: (i) Competitions in essay writing, elocution, painting, yogasana and short-film making for school and college students, (ii) A youths’ convention and prize distribution ceremony at the Math for school students on 20 August, and (iii) Speeches and prize distribution ceremony at Vivekananda Cultural Centre (next to the Vivekananda House) for college students on 20 August.
Chennai Mission Ashrama: A youths’ camp on 30 July attended by 180 students and teachers.
Chennai Students’ Home: Cultural competitions and special lectures on 29 July and 10 August in which a total of 391 students from 23 schools and colleges took part.
Coimbatore Math: Two seminars at a nursing college in Coimbatore on 2 & 10 August which were attended by 1550 people in all.
Coimbatore Mission: (i) Drawing competitions for school and college level students on 29 July, (ii) Four youths’ conventions from 30 July to 18 August at educational institutions which were attended by 815 students in all, (iii) A state-level inter-school yogasana competition 30 July, (iv) A state level badminton tournament for school boys on 30 & 31 July, (v) A state level inter-collegiate yogasana competition on 7 August, and (vi) State level tournaments in adapted sports for persons with disabilities on 14 & 15 August. In all, 1378 people participated in the above competitions and tournaments.
Cooch Behar: Students’ conventions at five schools and colleges from 2 to 6 August which were attended by 820 students and teachers.
Cuttack: (i) A Yuva Sammelan on 6 and 7 August attended by 230 youths, and (ii) A commemorative programme at the Circle Jail at Choudwar in Cuttack district on 13 August.
Darjeeling: Cultural competitions on 31 July and 7 & 15 August in which 200 students took part. The winners were awarded prizes on 15 August.
Delhi: A quiz competition in three phases for 10,000 school children of 100 schools from June to August. The winners were awarded prizes on 5 August.
Dhaleswar, Agartala: (i) A commemorative programme at Bishalgarh Jail, Tripura, on 13 August attended by 250 inmates, (ii) Cultural competitions on 11 August in which 50 students took part, and (iii) A cultural programme on 11 August attended by 130 persons.
Dibrugarh: Six youths’ conventions in July and August in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh which were attended by 1150 youths in all.
Digboi: A Yuva Sammelan on 7 August attended by 160 youths from 13 schools and colleges.
Ghatshila: Two youths’ conventions: (i) on the centres’ campus on 7 August attended by 150 youths, and (ii) at a school in Ghatshila on 13 August attended by 850 youths.
Gourhati: (i) Cultural competitions on 23 and 24 July in which 140 youths took part, and (ii) A youths’ conference on 14 August attended by 200 youths and 50 teachers.
Guwahati: A cultural and lecture programme in Borgaon, Dist. Morigaon, on 7 August attended by 215 school and college students and 140 devotees.
Gwalior: (i) A classical vocal music concert on 11 June, and (ii) Cultural competitions from 11 to 15 July in which 1526 students took part. Prizes were given to the winners on 27 August.
Hatamuniguda: (i) A special lecture on ‘Indian Navy as a Career Choice’ on 11 August attended by 730 students and teachers, and (ii) Commemorative programmes in the jails at Berhampur and Bhanjanagar on 12 and 13 August respectively which were attended by a total of 1218 jail inmates.
Hyderabad: A youths’ convention on 13 August on the theme ‘Love India, serve India’ attended by 900 school and college students.
Ichapur: A youths’ convention on 31 July attended by 46 youths.
Imphal: Cultural competitions in July and August in which 300 students from 18 schools took part.
Indore: Cultural competitions and prize distribution on 14 August.
Jaipur: A Yuva Sammelan on 7 August attended by 350 people. Prizes were distributed to the winners of the cultural competitions conducted in July.
Jalpaiguri: (i) Cultural competitions on 30 & 31 July in which 125 students took part, (ii) A football tournament from 4 to 7 August which saw the participation of 8 teams, (iii) A youths’ convention on 8 August in which 211 students took part, and (iv) Two public meetings on 13 August – one at the centre and another in Siliguri, attended by 715 people in all.
Jammu: A Yuva Sammelan on 5 August in which 150 youths from 6 colleges and those attached to the centre’s library took part.
Jhargram: Launched a plantation drive on 5 August. The drive aims at planting 10,000 trees of native species near Nayagram town and another 2000 trees in schools and colleges elsewhere in Jhargram district.
Kadapa: Cultural competitions in which about 14,000 students from 117 schools took part.
Kamarpukur: A youths’ convention on 19 June in which 317 students participated.
Kankhal: A bicycle rally and a procession on 13 August.
Karimganj: Two youths’ conventions on 4 and 5 August attended by a total of 670 students from 20 schools and colleges.
Kathamrita Bhavan, Kolkata: A Yuva Sammelan on 7 August attended by 50 selected young people.
Kayamkulam: Students’ conventions at four schools from 10 to 12 August attended by altogether 830 students.
Khetri: (i) A three-day programme from 29 to 31 July comprising seminars, lectures, exhibitions, heritage walks, music and dance, and (ii) Cultural competitions on 4, 5, 6 and 12 August in which 516 students from 18 schools took part. Swami Gautamanandaji gave away the prizes to the winners in a programme held on 12 August.
Krishna Nagar: A youths’ convention on 13 August attended by 625 people.
Lucknow: A seminar on ‘Swami Vivekananda – The Essence of India’ on 31 July attended by 450 youths.
Madurai: Cultural competitions in July and August in which 319 students from 14 schools took part.
Malliankaranai: A youths’ camp on 3 August attended by 200 students.
Medinipur: Cultural competitions from 7 to 14 August in which 368 students from 18 schools took part. The prize awarding ceremony was held on 21 August.
Mumbai: (i) A youths’ convention on 30 July attended by 443 students, and (ii) A public meeting on 31 July in which Sri Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Governor of Maharashtra, and 500 devotees took part.
Muzaffarpur: A students’ convention on 14 August.
Mysuru: Cultural competitions in July in which 580 students from 48 institutions participated. The winners of the competitions were given prizes in a programme held on 1 August.
Nabadwip: Cultural competitions on 31 July in which 462 students from different institutions took part. The prize distribution ceremony was held on the same day.
Naora: (i) An essay writing competition in which 50 students took part, and (ii) A football tournament in August which saw the participation of 14 coaching centres.
Narainpur: Lectures and cultural programmes on 13, 14 & 15 August.
Ooty: Cultural competitions on 30 July in which 1100 students from 42 schools took part. The prize distribution ceremony was held on 31 July. A class-8 girl who has lost both her hands won the first prize in the drawing competition for her piece of art drawn with legs.
Patna: A Yuva Sammelan on 12 August attended by 250 youths.
Port Blair: Cultural competitions from 25 to 30 July in which 400 students from 18 schools and 3 colleges took part. The prize distribution ceremony was held on 7 August.
Prayagraj: Cultural competitions on 30 and 31 July in which 200 students from 20 schools and colleges took part. The prize distribution ceremony and a youths’ convention were held on 7 August.
Pune: A youths’ convention on 31 July attended by 350 youths.
Puri Math: A youths’ convention on 31 July attended by 100 students.
Puri Mission: (i) Cultural competitions from 19 to 31 July in which 118 school and college students took part, (ii) A youths’ convention on 31 July attended by 142 youths, and (iii) A commemorative programme at Circle Jail in Baripada of Mayurbhanj district on 13 August.
Purnea: Twenty-three programmes in the form of youths’ conventions, lectures and distribution of books on Swami Vivekananda at schools, colleges and coaching centres in Purnea in August. In all, 3656 people attended these programmes.
Purulia: Cultural competitions in which 212 students from 68 educational institutions took part. The prize distribution ceremony was held on 11 August.
Rajamahendravaram: (i) Cultural competitions in May and August in which 400 students in all took part, (ii) A youths’ convention on 6 August attended by 200 youths, and (iii) Commemorative programmes at Narsapuram Sub Jail and Rajamahendravaram Central Jail on 12 and 13 August respectively.
Rajarhat Bishnupur: A drawing competition on 7 August in which 100 students took part.
Rajkot: (i) A seminar on “The Role of Teachers in Nation Building” on 7 August in which about 500 teachers from various parts of Gujarat took part. Sri Jitubhai S Vaghani, Education Minister, Government of Gujarat, inaugurated the seminar. He also released the Gujarati book Jai Jai Swadhin Bharat on this occasion, (ii) A commemorative programme at Amreli District Jail on 13 August attended by 300 prison inmates, and (iii) A cultural show by students on 14 August.
Ramanathapuram: Cultural competitions on 8 and 10 August in which 500 school and college students took part.
Ranchi Morabadi: (i) A workshop on “Swami Vivekananda, Sustainable Development Goals and Model Village Development – Experiences and Experiments” on 6 July attended by 250 people, (ii) Cultural competitions on 22 July in which 65 students took part, and (iii) A two-day programme titled ‘Naya Jivan Garho’ (Build a New Life) at Birsa Munda Central Jail in Ranchi on 12 and 13 August.
Salem: Elocution competitions in July and August in which 835 students from 35 schools took part. Prizes were distributed to the winners in a programme held on 12 August.
Sargachhi: Cultural competitions on 12 August in which 200 students from 22 schools participated.
Sarisha: Competitions in essay writing, elocution, yogasana, painting and poetry in which respectively 216, 180, 76, 47 and 55 students took part.
Shimla: (i) Yuva Sammelans at two schools and a college on 6 and 13 August which were attended by 1000 students in all, (ii) A lecture programme at the Himachal Pradesh Assembly on 12 August in which all members of the legislative assembly including the Chief Minister took part.
Sikra Kulingram: A commemorative programme on 31 July and a youths’ convention on 7 August attended by 400 people in all.
Somsar: A Yuva Sammelan on 14 August attended by 270 students.
Srinagar: Cultural competitions at a public hall in Sheikhpora on 15 August in which 152 students took part.
Taki: (i) Cultural competitions from 15 July to 8 August in which 370 students took part, and (ii) A youths’ convention on 10 August attended by 680 students.
Tamluk: A teachers’ convention on 7 August attended by 240 teachers from 116 schools.
Thanjavur: An online programme on the stories of some unsung heroes of India’s freedom struggle.
Tirupati: (i) Cultural competitions in July in which 1000 students took part, (ii) A workshop for teachers on 6 August attended by 120 teachers, and (iii) Two conventions on 8 & 9 August attended by 250 women students and 150 men students respectively.
Vadodara: Five youths’ conventions in July and August attended by an average of 355 youths.
Varanasi Advaita Ashrama: A youths’ convention on 10 August attended by 120 school and college students.
Visakhapatnam: A commemorative programme at Visakhapatnam Central Jail on 13 August attended by 300 inmates.
Viveknagar, Agartala: (i) Cultural competitions from June to August in which 550 students took part, and (ii) A colourful procession and a public meeting at Agartala Railway Station on 13 August.
Vrindaban: A youths’ convention on 10 August.
Besides the above events, ‘Prabuddha Bharat’, a drama on Swamiji’s life and teachings, and a group dance performance on the heroic tales of India’s freedom struggle, both performed by the students of our various schools, were staged at some centres. Details are given below. At each venue, hundreds of people watched the performances which were assisted by the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC), Ministry of Culture, Government of India, Kolkata.
Balaram Mandir, Kolkata: The centre held the group dance performance by students of Rahara Boys’ Home on 11 August. The show was held at Girish Manch, a public auditorium in Baghbazar.
Baranagar Mission, Kolkata: Students of the centre’s high school staged the drama on 7 August.
Gol Park, Kolkata: Students of Baranagar Mission school staged the drama on 15 August.
Jayrambati: Students of the centre’s girls’ school staged the drama on 29 August.
Kamarpukur: Students of the centre’s school performed the group dance on 28 August.
Narendrapur: Students of the centre’s school staged the drama on 26 July and performed the group dance twice, on 27 and 28 July.
Rahara: Students of the centre’s school performed the group dance on 7 & 8 August.