Seminar on “Swami Vivekananda’s Vision of the Unity of the East and the West”

The Ramakrishna Mission, New Delhi, in collaboration with Gandhi Bhawan, University of Delhi, organized a Seminar on “Swami Vivekananda’s Vision of the Unity of the East and the West” on Monday, the 14th February, 2011, at 10.00 a.m. at the Auditorium of the Institute of Life Long Learning, Academic Research Centre, University of Delhi.

Many dignitaries including the Vice-Chancellor of Delhi University, Principals, Lecturers and college students were invited to participate.  A life-size portrait of Swami Vivekananda, duly garlanded, was placed on the stage to inspire everyone. Shri T.N. Chaturvedi, former Member of Rajya Sabha and Governor of Karnataka, was requested to inaugurate the Seminar.

The Seminar started with the lighting of the lamp by Shri T.N. Chaturvedi.  Then Swami Shantatmanandaji, Secretary, Ramakrishna Mission, New Delhi, presented mementos to Shri T.N. Chaturvedi and Prof. Ashum Gupta and  gave a short welcome address. Shri  Chaturvedi gave his Inaugural Addres. This was followed by a speech by Pravrajika Brahmaprana of the Vedanta Society of Southern California (USA). Swami Sarvapriyanandaji, Acharya at the monastic probationers’ Training Centre at Belur Math, gave his address in which he dwelt at length on the concept of ‘One in the many’. Swami Vidyanathanandaji (Mahan Mahraj) of the Ramakrishna Vivekananda University spoke for 15 minutes.

After a short Tea Break, the Seminar resumed at about 12.50 p.m. and  Dr. Ram Murty, Professor, Queen’s University, Canada, spoke for about 25 minutes.  Swami Atmapriyanandaji, Vice-Chancellor, Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University spoke on the subject for about 20 minutes. A Question and Answer session followed this.  Prof. Dinesh Singh, Vice-Chancellor, University of Delhi arrived at the Auditorium was introduced to the audience by the compere (Shri Sukumar Lahiri). Prof. Dinesh Singh spoke for about 20 minutes, which was  followed  by a short question-answer session.

Prof. Ashum Gupta of the University of Delhi proposed a Vote of Thanks.

The Seminar successfully ended  at 2.15 p.m.