“I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true. I am proud to belong to a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and all nations of the earth,” Said Swami Vivekananda in his welcome address.
Swami Vivekananda was born in Kolkata on 12 January 1863. Narendranath's father Vishwanath Datta was a lawyer while his mother Bhuvaneshwari Devi was a pious housewife.
Narendranath Datta was interested in spirituality since his childhood. He always thought deeply of God and developed doubts over his/her existence later on. A curious Narendranath met Sri Ramakrishna who was staying at the Kali Temple in Dakshineshwar for better clarity.