Vivekananda Kendra International Opened In New Delhi

Source: Hinduism Press International (

http://www.hinduismtoday.com/hpi/2008/3/28.shtml

 )

Author: By Rajiv Malik

NEW DELHI, March 23, 2008: “There has to be darkness before the dawn; the more prolonged the darkness, more brilliant will be the dawn,” said Shri P. Parameswaran, the All-India President of Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari.

He was addressing an assembly of eminent intellectuals of the city on the occasion of Grihapravesham festival (dedication) of Vivekananda Kendra International at Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, on the subject, “The Task Before Us” at a grand function on March 20, 2008.In an exclusive interview to Hinduism Today, Shri P. Parameswaran said, “Vivekananda Kendra International, New Delhi is our third step.

First was Vivekananda Rock Memorial at Kanyakumari and second was Vivekananda Kendra movement which works on a national level. What we propose this center to be is that this should become a center for dialogue with various cultures, religions and civilizations all over the world. So that we can bring about a harmony of civilizations and harmony of cultures and religions.

 Now people speak of clash of civilizations but that is their point of view. But the Hindu concept is that there should be harmony among the cultures and not conflict. This is what Swami Vivekananda said at Chicago Parliament of Religions also.”He went on to state, “This is the global mission we have. So far it has been national. Eknath Ranade ji himself wanted that Vivekananda Movement should become an international movement. Swami Vivekananda was one of the earliest spokesperson of Sanatana Dharma.”

According to Shri Parmeswaran, “It is only Hinduism that can promote harmony of religions. Hinduism alone says that there can be various approaches. ‘Ekam sat vipra bahuda vadanti.’ No other religion says this. Only when this message of Hinduism goes out our objective will be achieved. Basically we will be propagating Hinduism only. We want to create a forum at an international level so that the Hindu thought can be spread all over the world. Promotion of Hinduism is our objective.”He further said, “As a matter of fact, funds have not been a very great problem for us. We believe that every good cause will be supported by the society. When we wanted to set up the memorial, we had no funds with us. Shri Eknath Ranade came and said that this should be a people’s memorial. It is not for individuals with a lot of money. It is not their generosity that should make it possible. It is the generosity of the people that should make it possible. So the one rupee coupons were printed at a large scale and were distributed at schools and colleges everywhere. Through those coupons in the late sixties a sum of US$213,000 was collected.”Sri Parameswaran concluded by saying, “So far we have not had any of our projects suffer due to want of money.

If the cause is correct and right type of people are there, then the money comes. There is a beautiful sentence which Swami Vivekananda said- ‘Money and everything I want must come because they are my slaves and I am not their slave.’ “Housed in a 32,000 square feet area in the prestigious diplomatic enclave of Chanakyapuri, built at an estimated cost of US$2.5 million, Vivekananda Kendra International will continue the work that Swami Vivekananda initiated at the Parliament of the World’s Religions, 1893, at Chicago in the genre of Inter-Civilizational Dialogue. The two blocks of five-storied buildings at the center will have facilities like seminar halls, a meditation hall, an exhibition hall, a library and an auditorium.Earlier in the day, elaborate house warming Poojas were conducted in the premises led by Shri Khandeshwar of Saraswat tradition.

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