Vivekananda Festival held in London to promote peace and tolerance

Vivekananda Festival 2019 has been held in London, with the theme: unity in diversity – universal tolerance, peace and tolerance.

The event marking a milestone of 25 years in London was organised by Vivekananda Human Centre, UK, at Logan Hall on Sunday.

All the speakers stressed on the importance of Swami Vivekananda’s message in today’s world besotted with hatred, violence and intolerance. They said the seeds of attaining unity and harmony are sowed in following his teachings and ideals.

Swami Sarvasthananda, president of Ramakrishna Vedanta Centre, UK inaugurated the event by lighting candle. A special magazine ‘Vivek’ was also unveiled.

Sarvasthananda spoke about the great civilisations of the world including the Indian civilisation and how it has now been so much accepted and revered in the West; Swami Vivekananda played a pivotal role in this matter.

Swami Sarvasthananda speaking at the Vivekananda Festival 2019 in London

About Swami Vivekananda’s teachings and messages, he mentioned that ‘the highest form of music has predominantly been considered as part of our religious traditions’ and Swami Vivekananda said, “The greatest aid to this practice of keeping God in memory is, perhaps, music”; “Any song, if one’s whole soul is in that song, one attains to salvation ……. It leads to the same goal as meditation.”

An eloquent speaker and highly acclaimed internationally, the key-note speaker, Sarvapriyananda, kept the audience mesmerised in his speech with a special message to the younger generation.

He described about three main aspects that will lead to one’s fulfilment in life; having faith in oneself, having a definitive aim in life and concentration.

He went on how Swami Vivekananda in all three matters gave a very clear message and how these could be attained in life. He also mentioned that combining service with spirituality, grounding religion in rationality and being very contemporary in sensitivities, Swami Vivekananda’s thought is poised to become the ideology of the modern world.

Swami Sarvapriyananda speaking at the Vivekananda Festival 2019 in London.

The other speakers in the festival were Gary Thomson, writer and journalist, David Russell, trustee, congregation of Jacob Synagogue, Stepney, London, Revd Alan Green, chair, Tower Hamlets Interfaith Forum, Virendra Sharma, MP and Rohit Vadhwana, first secretary (economic), Indian High Commission, London.

All the speakers, while eulogising the ideals that Swami Vivekananda believed in, said that his messages are also very relevant today. They impressed upon the teachings and messages of Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda which are so pertinent in today’s world of discord and hatred. They also said that in following their ideals on religious harmony and unity lies the real source of world peace.

Songs, dances and recitations were presented by various groups and individual artistes including Suraloy (directed by Gouri Chowdhury), Swaradhana (directed by Ashvini Kane), National Association of Patidar Samaj, Vedica Academy of Dance and Music (directed by Esha Ramesh and Lena Rai-Shetty), Malabika Ghosh, Suhita Saha, Prottusha Saha Progga, Champa Saha, Chittabrata Saha, Sanjoy Ghosh, Samar Saha, Sinthia Das, Sudipta Das, Parul Saha, Shreya Dey, Sreeja Dey and Sarita Saha.

Another part of the programme that was enjoyed and hugely applauded by the audience was entitled ‘Children’s Script 2019’. This was a reading from Swami Vivekananda’s messages which was co-ordinated by Sarita Saha, with 15 children participating.

An added feature of this year’s festival was the presentation of Vivekananda Award 2019 to 27 people as an acknowledgement of their unflinching support and help to Vivekananda Human Centre over the years which helped the Centre to carry out its various work and programmes.

In the second session, a video of renowned exponent of Tagore songs, Rezwana Choudhury Bannya, was shown in which she regretted having to skip the festival because of an injury she sustained in an accident recently. In the video, she spoke briefly about the mutual admiration of Rabindranath Tagore and Swami Vivekananda. She also rendered a couple of songs, much to the delight of the audience.

After Gouri Chowdhury’s rendition of a devotional song, the festival was rounded off by an enthralling performance by singer Tapan Chowdhury.

For about an hour, he sang a number of devotional and some of his popular songs in Bangla.