EVENT: Join Parliament to Celebrate Swami Chidananda 100-year Birth Anniversary in Chicago
The public is invited to join in followers of revered Hindu guru Swami Chidananda for a dinner and program Saturday, May 21 at the Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago celebrating the centenary of his birth, which falls in September 2016.
Chicago’s program is one of several students from Chidananda’s Ashram in Rishikesh, India are hosting this year at Hindu centers across the United States to commemorate the life of Swami Chidananda, who was president of the Divine Life Society and honored as “Hindu of the Year.”
It is especially poignant that Chidananda was among three luminaries to represent Hinduism in the 1993 Parliament of the World’s Religions; the Chicago program will include tributes to his legacy from Executive Director Larry Greenfield and one of the original Parliament Trustees who is currently serving on the Parliament Board, Swami Varadananda.
Beyond the 1993 Parliament, Swami Chidananda was an avid participant in global interfaith dialogues and met with world leaders including Pope John Paul II and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. While influenced by earlier Hindu saints like Swami Vivekananda, Chidananda also benefited from university-level study of Christianity and became known for drawing wisdom from his relationships with members of other faith traditions. Many reports on his life discuss his great acts of generosity such as constructing a mosque for Muslims in India, just one of many reasons he earned the nickname “Give-ananda.”
For more information about Swami Chidananda:
• Hinduism Today: Hindu of the Year – Ascetic President of Divine Life Society Honored, Swami Chidananda
• Life Positive: The Legacy of a Guru • The Sage of Rishikesh
• Swami Yatidharmananda’s Blog: Happy Birthday Gurudev Swami Chidananda
Please join us in Chicago or at events in a city near you:
Where: Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago at 10915 Lemont Rd, Lemont
Date: This Saturday the 21st of May
Time: 5pm – 7:30pm.
Cost: Free
Event Flyer: Below
