Early on Monday morning the air reverberated with Vedicchants by students at the city's Ramkrishna Mission.

Monks of the ashram joined the students in the chant. The occasion was the birth anniversary celebration of Swami Vivekananda.

Around 300 students from 12 schools and colleges, including Ravindra Balika Inter College, Aghor Prakash Shishu Sadan, Saraswati Vidya Mandir, PN Anglo Sanskrit High School and Patna University, took part in the celebrations in a traditional style.

Apart from chants of vedic shlokas, students also spoke about the life of Swami Vivekananda on the occasion. Kumari Indrani Mehta, an MCom third-semester student of Patna University, asked students to imbibe the preaching of Swamiji. 'He stressed on the youth's role in developing the nation. He asked youths to work hard in their respective fields. His preaching is very relevant in today's scenario,' said Mehta.

Bihar Public Service Commission chairperson K.C. Saha was the chief guest on the occasion. He hailed Ramkrishna Mission for running a residential school for underprivileged children and training them in various fields.

Four books on the life of Swami Vivekananda were distributed among students on the occasion. At the end of the programme, students and the devotees savoured khichdi prasad. Swami Dwarakeshananda, a senior monk at Ramkrishna Mission, said: 'Swami Vivekananda's birth anniversary fell on the National Youth Day, making it more relevant. The Union government had declared to celebrate January 12 as Youth Day. This year, Swamiji's birth anniversary fell on that very day. This was the reason why we had asked students, who participated in Monday's programme, to focus on the youth's role and on Swamiji in their speeches.'?

Ramkrishna Mission secretary Sukhanand said: 'Ramkrishna Mission prefers to celebrate every occasion in a traditional manner. This was the reason why we asked our students to chant shlokas.'?

The National Service Scheme wing of TPS College also organised a programme to mark the National Youth Week on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. Principal Shreekant Sharma inaugurated the event.

On the occasion, Bhagalpur's Safali Yuba Club organised a seminar on 'Youths are the catalyst for the formation of the nation'.

'Swami Vivekananda, who dreamt about a united India with active youth forces, has become almost irrelevant now. Unless the country follows the path shown by Swamiji, it would be impossible for us to emerge as a super power in the world,' said Farooq Ali, a senior teacher with Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University (TMBU) and also the convener of Safali Yuba Club.

He added that youths comprise 65 per cent of the total population of India and they hold a key to country's growth.

'We are still lagging behind in the overall development, mainly because the youth of this country have been divided into different socio-political manipulations,' he said.

On the occasion, speakers like Sabia Faiz, Rounak Parveen, Hari Kumar emphasised the need for adopting Swamiji's views to change the nation.

Sri Ramkrishna Pathachakra, a local volunteer organisation in the city took out a colourful prabhat pheri (morning procession). The procession, which started from Bhagalpur Institute premises, concluded at Ramkrishna School after moving through different parts of the city.

Apart from the members of the organisation, representatives of the local unit of Vivekananda Kendra, a human rights body, the local chapter of Bihar Bengalee Association, students from different schools and residents, including homemakers, participated in the prabhat pheri. Amita Moitra, a senior teacher at TMBU and also the secretary of the organisation, said: 'The prabhat pheri was taken out to spread Swamiji's messages among the people, particularly among the youth.'

On Sunday evening, the Bhagalpur unit of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, the youth wing of the BJP, organised a youth conference to mark the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. Speakers at the function appealed the youths to come forward and associate themselves with the teachings of Swamiji to make the nation a better place.