Swamiji enters the Parliament

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1933039.cms

NEW DELHI: There is fresh inspiration for MPs at their place of work. Life-size statues of spiritual gurus and thinkers Swami Vivekananda and Sri Aurobindo now grace Parliament House.

The Monsoon Session closed on Friday last with the two sculptures being unveiled by Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, and Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee. Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh presented shawls to the sculptors of the statues.

Both the statues are in bronze, are 82 inches high and have been donated by former Member of Parliament Dr L.M. Singhvi. The statue of Swami Vivekananda has been carved by well-known sculptor, CD Dakshinamoorthy, while that of Sri Aurobindo has been carved by a team of sculptors from Sri Aurodhan, Pondicherry.

Among the dignitaries that paid floral tributes at the statues were Chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance Sonia Gandhi, Leader of the House in Lok Sabha and Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Leader of Opposition L. K. Advani, ministers Shivraj Patil, Priyaranjan Dasmunsi, E. Ahamed and Suresh Pachouri among others.

Swami Vivekananda was a spiritual genius of commanding intellect. Exhorting the nation to spiritual greatness, he awakened India to a new national consciousness. He was the founder of the Ramakrishna Mutt and Mission to spearhead the teachings of his spiritual guru, Sri Ramakrishna. Swami Vivekananda was a guiding spirit to the youth and his teachings remain an inspiration.

Shri Aravind Ghose, popularly known as Sri Aurobindo was the first of the national leaders to insist on full independence for India as the goal of the nationalist movement, besides lending all his energies to the freedom struggle