Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited the birthplace of Swami Vivekananda in north Kolkata on Saturday and said that the ideals of the 19th-centur icon are more relevant today than ever before.
Shah, who is on a two-day visit to West Bengal, paid tribute to Swami Vivekananda, hailing him for magnifying India's culture and ethos to the rest of the world.
"Swami Vivekananda took India's culture, vision and ethos to the world. He bridged the gap between spirituality and modernity. After visiting his birthplace, I feel his ideals are still relevant in the present-day world. Rather, his ideals are more needed during the present times," he told reporters.
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The path shown by Vivekananda will not only lead India but the entire world to prosperity, Shah said.
He further said Vivekananda gave a call for worshipping the nation as “Bharatmata” during his Chicago address.
Amid beats of the dhaak, Shah arrived at Vivekananda's ancestral home in Simla Street that has been turned into a museum. Members of the BJP women's wing, donning traditional white saree with red borders, welcomed him by showering flower petals.
After garlanding the statue of Swami Vivekananda outside the complex, Shah was shown the articles used by him. The BJP leader also interacted with the monks.
