National Youth Day was celebrated at Ramakrishna Math, Halasuru on January 12, 2025, consisting of a number of programs, spanning the entire day as mentioned below:
- 5:30 am – Marathon “RUN YOUNG INDIA”
- 8:00 am – Garlanding of Swami Vivekananda statue at Halasuru Lake
- 8:30 am – Procession by school students and devotees
- 11:00 am – 1:00 pm: Youth convention at Math premises
- 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm: Garlanding of Swami Vivekananda statue at Vivekananda Memorial Park, KSR Bengaluru railway station, followed by a youth convention and cultural program
Marathon: About 200 people participated in the Marathon, which created awareness about Swami Vivekananda among the students as well as the citizens. Revered Swami Satyeshanandaji Maharaj, Assistant General Secretary, Belur Math, spoke to the runners and flagged off the event. He even joined the Marathon along with some monks and brahmacharins. Swami Bodhaswarupananda and Sharat Basavaraj of Athayoga Training Centre spoke to the people in the valedictory session of the program. The distance covered in the Marathon was 5.3 km.
Garlanding of Swami Vivekananda statue: The students paid respect to Swamiji by garlanding Swamiji’s statue at Halasuru Lake by performing Arati and offering flowers. Revered Swami Satyeshanandaji Maharaj, Assistant General Secretary, Belur Math, Dr. Marappa, Swami Bodhaswarupananda, and others participated in it.
Procession: A grand procession was taken out with Swami Vivekananda’s photos in a silver chariot, along with another vehicle displaying photos of Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi, and Swami Vivekananda. The procession went through the streets of Halasuru, Jogupalya, and nearby areas, spreading awareness about Swami Vivekananda and his message. Students carried placards containing Swamiji’s messages. The procession involved a large number of local youth in organizing and participating. Highlights included the accompaniment of Chande and Yakshagana artistes performing drum beats and dances. Swami Vivekananda’s sayings were displayed on large banners along the route.
Youth convention at Ashram: Esteemed speakers elaborated on the legacy of Swamiji and his message. The program began with Vedic chanting by monks and brahmacharins, followed by an opening song by Yogeshwarananda school students. Revered Swami Satyeshanandaji Maharaj conveyed Swamiji’s message, “Every soul is potentially divine,” vividly demonstrating it with a matchstick analogy. Mr. Prabhuji, a social worker, hailed Swami Vivekananda’s global influence. Mr. Ritesh Kumar Singh, IAS, Principal Secretary, Education Department, Government of Karnataka, emphasized discipline, physical and mental strength, and selfless service. He engaged in an interactive session with students, addressing their queries. Mr. Vivekananda, Advocate and Professor at University Law College, Bengaluru, urged students to read Swamiji’s quotations daily and seek the company of monks at Ramakrishna Math. Swami Bodhaswarupanandaji Maharaj highlighted Swamiji’s key messages: divinity of the soul, the power of prayer, service to humanity as service to God, and harmony of religions.
Prizes were distributed to children who excelled in essay writing, drawing, singing, quiz, and elocution competitions held earlier, with participation from eight schools. This was followed by the National Anthem and Lunch Prasad.
Youth convention and cultural program at Railway premises: The function began with Vedic chanting and Bhajans by Viveka Hamsa Balaga. Dignitaries offered flowers to the garlanded statue of Swami Vivekananda at the Bengaluru Railway Station premises. Swami Bodhaswarupananda welcomed the gathering, and Sri Sudarshan Kumar delivered the vote of thanks. Eminent speakers, including Dr. Nadoja W.P. Krishna, Mr. Anup Dayananda Sadhu, and Revered Swami Satyeshanandaji Maharaj, addressed the audience. Prasad was distributed to all participants, including students and railway commuters.
Sumptuous cooked food was provided to all devotees and participants: Breakfast for 600, lunch for 800, and dinner for 200 people at the Math Campus, and evening Prasad for about 1,000 people at KSR Railway Station.
