Chicago, Jan 28: India will provide a $ 500,000 grant to the prestigious Art Institute of Chicago, where Swami Vivekananda delivered a landmark address on Hinduism in 1893, as part of initiatives to mark the 150th birth anniversary of the 19th century luminary.
The agreement to this effect will be signed during Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee's two-day visit to the city that will also see an agreement with the University of Chicago for a USD 1.5 million endowment to establish a Vivekananda Chair for Indian studies.
The Indian Government would provide an amount of USD 500,000 for a programmee by the Art Institute of Chicago that will allow professional exchange of ideas between it and various museums in India.
The grant is in honour of the historic address made by Vivekananda at the World's Parliament of Religions in 1893 through which he introduced Hinduism in the United States. He had begun his landmark speech with “Sisters and brothers of America” and had made a passionate plea for religious tolerance.
The famous lecture on September 11, 1893 is a shining moment in India's cultural history. The agreement will allow the Art Institute of Chicago to work with the Indian Government a broad range of knowledge on modern operations of museums like conservation, and planning of exhibitions for a four year period.
The agreement will be signed at the inauguration of a major exhibition of paintings of one of the greatest artists of the 20th century Rabindranath Tagore by Mukherjee.
“It is a supreme honour to be recognised by the Government of India as a partner in the preservation, exhibition, and promotion of India's cultural heritage,” Art Institute director Douglas Druick was quoted as saying by the local media.
Mukherjee would also unveil Swami Vivekananda Memorial Plaque at the Art Institute of Chicago and oversee the signing of another agreement with the University of Chicago for an endowment to establish ‘The Indian Ministry of Culture Vivekananda Chair'.
In consideration of a grant of USD 1.5 million for creation of an endowment, the University of Chicago will establish the chair to honour the life and legacy of Swami Vivekananda by promoting fields of study most relevant to his teachings.
University of Chicago will give wide publicity to the establishment, a Ministry official said. The University will also display the title of the Chair in all appropriate materials, print and electronic media wherever such Chairs are promoted and publicised.
With an aim to invest USD 1 trillion in infrastructure for the next five year plan 2012-2017, Mukherjee will seek suitable partners for the Indian economy. During his two-day visit, the finance minister will also look for investments in power, infrastructure, ports, highways.
The finance minister had visited Washington D C and New York last September to look for Foreign Institutional Investors investments.
Mukherjee will also be having important meetings with business leaders of the corporate world mainly of Fortune 500 companies.
On January 29, he will have a breakfast meeting with the Indian community here.
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