The state has lined up an action-packed tribute in Ranchi for Swami Vivekananda from Tuesday, his 153rd birth anniversary.
Yuvotsav - a week-long sports and cultural extravaganza - and bhoomi puja to construct a life-size statue of Swami Vivekananda will mark the celebrations.
The state government has decided to erect Swami Vivekananda's statue on an island of Bada Talab in the heart of the capital. Chief minister Raghubar Das will perform the bhoomi puja on Tuesday.
Sports, tourism, art and culture and youth affairs minister Amar Kumar Bauri announced on Sunday that the statue would be built as part of the beautification project of the 52-acre water body.
"The state urban development department had drawn up the beautification plan for the immensely polluted water body in the capital to convert it into a centre of attraction. Swami Vivekananda's life-size statue at its centre will ensure that it remains a green lung of the capital city," the minister said.
Bauri added the exact height of the statue had not been decided.
The day will also mark the beginning of first Yuvotsav that will conclude on January 18. Bauri said the state government, in association with NGO Round Table Initiative, had planned the week-long sports and cultural extravaganza, in keeping with the ideals of Swami ji.
"The aim is to draw youths to the world of sports, arts and culture. A rally by school and college students and NCC cadets from Morabadi grounds to Bada Talab will mark the start of Yuvotsav on January 12. It will feature an interactive session on the role of the youth on January 13; a kite-flying contest on January 14; sessions on traditional sports like kabaddi, wrestling and kho-kho by experts and sit-and-draw on January 16; a half-marathon on January 17 and an inter-university sports on January 18 to conclude the festival," he said.
Bauri added that the plans were chalked out so as not to limit the celebrations of Swami Vivekananda's birth anniversary to mere garlanding of his statues.
"We thought of organising the Yuvotsav to hold aloft his ideals for youths to emulate. In its first year, the event is being held in Ranchi only, but in the coming years, Yuvotsav will be held in all districts and culminate in a grand ceremony in the state capital," Bauri said.
