Swami Vivekananda

Swami Vivekananda was an Indian monk who is known for his intellectual contributions to the field of religion. A chief disciple of Ramakrishna, Vivekananda is known to have introduced Hindu philosophies of yoga and vedanta to the western world. His best known presence in the West is his speech at the Parliament of the world's religions in 1893 where he introduced the basic concepts of Hinduism to an international audience. After this session at Chicago, Vivekananda toured around several parts of USA and UK, spreading philosophies on religion. The aspect of Hinduism that Vivekananda represented is known as 'neo-Vedanta' which is an interpretation of Hinduism through a Western esoteric lens. He died on July 4, 1902, while he was meditating. Vivekanda's contributions to Indian religious thought is celebrated till date. Subhas Chandra Bose had once remarked that Vivakanda was the "maker of modern India."