Celebration of Universal Brotherhood Day
Universal
Brotherhood Day is celebrated on September 11 in our Vidyalaya every year. It
marks the commemoration of Swami Vivekananda’s famous speech delivered on
September 11, 1893 in Chicago to the delegates of the World Parliament of
Religions. The speech is popularly remembered for its opening words “Sisters
and Brothers of America”.
This year
on this day the students and teachers of our Vidyalaya gathered in the
Sanskriti Sabha Griha of the Vidyalaya and began the celebration with the
welcoming of the Chief Guest Smt. Suparna Bagchi, Social Worker, member of
Bharat Vikash Parishad, Dibrugarh and well wisher of Vivekananda Kendra. The programme
began with a Sattriya Nritya performance as this dance form depicts harmony and
so does this day which recognises harmony and oneness of humanity for world
peace.
This was
followed by the welcome address by Principal, Sri Ravindranath D. Savdeykar and
felicitation of our Chief Guest by our senior teacher Smt. Rajkumari Sharma. In
his speech he threw light on the significance of the day and Swamiji’s message
to accept all religions as true and to have faith in all of them in order to
attain world peace. He also mentioned
that this year is the 50th year of Vivekananda Rock Memorial and for which
celebrations have begun from September 2, 2019.
The
audience also enjoyed a documentary on Vivekananda Rock Memorial which carried
the theme ‘Ek Bharat Vijayi Bharat.’
A student
of class X - Kr. Debupam Dutta delivered the Swamiji’s speech given by Swamiji
in Chicago on 11th September, 1893.
A group of
students also presented a Vivek Geet “He Vivekananda Swami”. All the events
effectively conveyed the importance of the occasion.
The
programme concluded with a speech by the Chief Guest in which she explained the
meaning of Swamiji’s famous words -‘Arise, Awake, and stop not till the goal is
reached.’ She laid stress that one should not just be awake with open eyes but
should awaken their sleeping souls and one’s real nature, only then one can
move towards attainment of one’s goal in life.
She also
emphasised that as Indians we should bow down to our elders and touch their
feet as it is believed that when a
person bows down and touches the feet of their elders, their ego gets
suppressed as this gesture indicates respecting the age, experience, and wisdom
of the person whose feet are being touched. The elder person then, in turn,
blesses the person touching their feet.
She also
spoke of the significance of saying Namaste with folded hands as oppose to
shaking hands. When one bows down to a person with their hands forming a
Namaskar Mudra, he/she bows down to the spiritual energy within a person rather
than his physical aura.