Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday called for the empowerment of the youth and the preservation of India’s cultural heritage, while urging spiritual and cultural organisations to contribute to India’s ambition of becoming a developed nation by 2047.Prime Minister Narendra Modi and others during the inauguration of 'Chinmaya Amrit Mahotsav Global Sammelan ' in New Delhi. (YouTube/ @NarendraModi)Inaugurating the Chinmaya Amrit Mahotsav Global Sammelan at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, PM Modi linked India's goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047 to the centenary of the Chinmaya Mission, which will also fall that year.The three-day gathering to mark 75 years of the Chinmaya Mission has brought together more than 9,000 participants from India and abroad.Modi said the mission’s centenary and India’s 100 years of independence should advance together. He urged spiritual organisations to work towards national development and social unity, saying India must address emerging challenges and build public awareness around the goal of a developed nation.Modi recalls his association with Swami ChinmayanandaRecalling his association with the mission’s founder, Swami Chinmayananda, the prime minister described an emotional experience at the event, where technology recreated his interaction with his spiritual mentor.“It felt as if I had gone back 33 years in time,” Modi said, recalling his guru’s affection and blessings.He said he met Chinmayananda in Chicago in February-March 1993 to invite him to the centenary celebrations of the World Parliament of Religions.
The spiritual leader accepted the invitation and promoted the event in the US, but died in San Diego on August 3, weeks before the gathering in Chicago on September 11.Recalling their last meeting, Modi said youth empowerment and building a strong India were central to Chinmayananda’s vision. He also highlighted an initiative in which young people travelled nearly 40,000 km over about 300 days, reaching more than 100,000 people, and congratulated those involved.Connecting the mission’s milestone with the idea of Amrit Kaal, Modi said the Upanishadic concept of being children of Amrit represented enduring consciousness and cultural continuity, rather than physical immortality.
He said India’s civilisational strength stemmed from its commitment to truth, knowledge and enlightenment.Spiritual progress and human welfareModi said Chinmayananda sought to link spiritual progress with human welfare and national self-respect. Through the Gita Gyan Yagna, he took the teachings of the Vedas, Upanishads and other scriptures to the public, making Indian philosophical traditions more accessible.The prime minister credited the mission’s educational institutions and cultural activities with introducing Indian values to younger generations.
More than 100 institutions run by the mission, he said, were combining modern education with Indian values.He cited the National Education Policy as an effort to integrate India’s knowledge traditions, mother-tongue instruction, modern science and emerging technologies into education.Modi also recalled Chinmayananda’s support for the Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Kanyakumari, saying the spiritual leader made the first financial contribution to the project. He highlighted the development of cultural and religious centres, including Kashi Vishwanath Dham, the Ram temple in Ayodhya, and sites at Kedarnath and Badrinath.Modi says restoring India’s cultural heritageThe prime minister said India had recovered more than 650 stolen ancient artefacts over the past 12 years, describing the recovery as part of efforts to restore the country’s cultural heritage.He also cited International Yoga Day as an example of Indian spiritual traditions reaching a global audience.Concluding his address, Modi said the Chinmaya Mission’s global network of acharyas, spiritual practitioners and volunteers could contribute to the country’s transformation.With the mission set to complete 100 years in 2047, he said its centenary journey and India’s pursuit of Viksit Bharat shared a common objective.