1. India never invaded any country in her last 100000 years of history. 2. The name ‘India’ is derived from the River Indus, the valleys around which were the home of the early settlers. 3. The Aryan worshippers referred to the river Indus as the Sindhu. 4. Chess was invented in India. 5. Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus are studies, which originated in India. 6. The ‘Place Value System’ and the ‘Decimal System’ were developed in India in 100 B.C. 7. India is the largest democracy in the world, the 6th largest Country in the world, and one of the most ancient civilizations. 8. India has the largest number of Post Offices in the world. 9. The largest employer in the world is the Indian Railways, employing over a million people. 10. The world’s first university was established in Takshila in 700 BC. More than 10,500 11. students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education. 11. Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to mankind. The Father of Medicine, Charaka, consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago. 12. India was one of the richest countries till the time of British rule in the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus, attracted by India’s wealth, had come looking for a sea route to India when he discovered America by mistake. 13. Bhaskaracharya rightly calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the Sun hundreds of years before the astronomer Smart. According to his calculation, the time taken by the Earth to orbit the Sun was 365.258756484 days. 14. The value of “pi” was first calculated by the Indian Mathematician Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is known as the Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the 6th century, long before the European mathematicians. 15. Until 1896, India was the only source of diamonds in the world (Source : Gemological Institute of America). 16. India exports software to 90 countries. 17. The four religions born in India - Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, are followed by 25% of the world’s population. 18. Martial Arts were first created in India, and later spread to Asia by Buddhist missionaries. Yoga has its origins in India and has existed for over 5,000 years.
WELCOME ADDRESS - Chicago, Sept 11, 1893 Sisters and Brothers of America, It fills my heart with joy unspeakable to rise in response to the warm and cordial welcome which you have given us. I thank you in the name of the most ancient order of monks in the world; I thank you in the name of the mother of religions, and I thank you in the name of millions and millions of Hindu people of all classes and sects. My thanks, also, to some of the speakers on this platform who, referring to the delegates from the Orient, have told you that these men from far-off nations may well claim the honor of bearing to different lands the idea of toleration. 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. I am proud to tell you that we have gathered in our bosom the purest remnant of the Israelites, who came to Southern India and took refuge with us in the very year in which their holy temple was shattered to pieces by Roman tyranny. I am proud to belong to the religion which has sheltered and is still fostering the remnant of the grand Zoroastrian nation. I will quote to you, brethren, a few lines from a hymn which I remember to have repeated from my earliest boyhood, which is every day repeated by millions of human beings: “As the different streams having their sources in different paths which men take through different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to Thee.” The present convention, which is one of the most august assemblies ever held, is in itself a vindication, a declaration to the world of the wonderful doctrine preached in the Gita: “Whosoever comes to Me, through whatsoever form, I reach him; all men are struggling through paths which in the end lead to me.” Sectarianism, bigotry, and its horrible descendant, fanaticism, have long possessed this beautiful earth. They have filled the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human blood, destroyed civilization and sent whole nations to despair. Had it not been for these horrible demons, human society would be far more advanced than it is now. But their time is come; and I fervently hope that the bell that tolled this morning in honor of this convention may be the death-knell of all fanaticism, of all persecutions with the sword or with the pen, and of all uncharitable feelings between persons wending their way to the same goal. CONCLUDING ADDRESS - Chicago, Sept 27, 1893 The World’s Parliament of Religions has become an accomplished fact, and the merciful Father has helped those who laboured to bring it into existence, and crowned with success their most unselfish labour. My thanks to those noble souls whose large hearts and love of truth first dreamed this wonderful dream and then realized it. My thanks to the shower of liberal sentiments that has overflowed this platform. My thanks to this enlightened audience for their uniform kindness to me and for their appreciation of every thought that tends to smooth the friction of religions. A few jarring notes were heard from time to time in this harmony. My special thanks to them, for they have, by their striking contrast, made general harmony the sweeter. Much has been said of the common ground of religious unity. I am not going just now to venture my own theory. But if any one here hopes that this unity will come by the triumph of any one of the religions and the destruction of the others, to him I say, “Brother, yours is an impossible hope.” Do I wish that the Christian would become Hindu? God forbid. Do I wish that the Hindu or Buddhist would become Christian? God forbid. The seed is put in the ground, and earth and air and water are placed around it. Does the seed become the earth, or the air, or the water? No. It becomes a plant. It develops after the law of its own growth, assimilates the air, the earth, and the water, converts them into plant substance, and grows into a plant. Similar is the case with religion. The Christian is not to become a Hindu or a Buddhist, nor a Hindu or a Buddhist to become a Christian. But each must assimilate the spirit of the others and yet preserve his individuality and grow according to his own law of growth. If the Parliament of Religions has shown anything to the world, it is this: It has proved to the world that holiness, purity and charity are not the exclusive possessions of any church in the world, and that every system has produced men and women of the most exalted character. In the face of this evidence, if anybody dreams of the exclusive survival of his own religion and the destruction of the others, I pity him from the bottom of my heart, and point out to him that upon the banner of every religion will soon be written in spite of resistance: “Help and not fight,” “Assimilation and not Destruction,” “Harmony and Peace and not Dissension.”
OMSATI OM DAKSHA YAGYA INAASHINI OM SARVA ASUR VINAASHAA OM SAADHAVI OM APARNAA OM SARVADAANAVGHAATINI OM BHAV PREETA OM ANEK VARNAA OM SARVA SHAASTRAMAVI OM BHAWAANI OM PAAATLAA OM SATYA OM BHAVMOCHANI OM PAATLAAVATI OM ANEK SHASTRA HASTAA OM AARYAA OM PATTAAMBAR PARIDHAANA OM ANEKAASTRAA DHAARINI OM DURGAA OM KALMANJINI OM KUMARIOM JAYAA OM AMEVA VIKRAMA OM EK KANYA OM AADYAA OM KROORAA OM KAISHORI OM TRINETRAA OM SUNDARI OM YUVATI OM SHOOLDHARINI OM SARSUNDARI OM YATI OM PINAAK DHARINI OM VAN DURGA OM APRAUDHA OM CHITRAA OM MAATANGI OM PRAUDAH OM CHANDRA GHANTAA OM MATANGMUNI PUJITA OM VRIDDHMAATA OM MAHAATAPA OM BRAAHMI OM BALPRADAA OM MAN OM MAAHESHWARI OM MAHODARI OM BUDDHI OM EIDREE OM MUKTAKESHI OM AHANKAARA OM KAUMAARI OM GHOR RUPAA OM CHITTAROOPAA OM VAISHNAVI OM MAHAABALAA OM CHITTAA OM CHAAMUNDAA OM AGNI JWALAA OM CHITTI OM VAARAAHI OM RAUDRAMUKHI OM SARVAMANTRAMAVI OM LAKSHMI OM KAAL RATRI OM SATTAA OM PURUSHA KRITI OM TAPASVINI OM SATANANDASWAROOPINI OM VIMLAOM NAARAYANI OM ANANTA OM UTKARSHINI OM BHANDRAKAALI OM BHAAVINI OM GYAANAA OM VISHNU MAAYA OM BHAAVYAOM KRIYAA OM JALOORI OM BHAVYA OM NITYAA OM SHIV DOOTI OM ABHAVYA OM BHDDHIDDA OM KARAALI OM SADAGATI OM BAHULAA OM ANANTAA OM SHAAMBHAVI OM BAHUL PREMA OM PARMESHWARI OM DEVMAATA OM SARVA VAAHAN VAAHANAA OM KAATYAAYANI OM CHINTAA OM NISHUMBHASHUMBHAHANINI OM SAAVITRIOM RATNA PRIYAA OM MAHISHASUR MARDINI OM PRATYAKSHAA OM SARVVIDYAA OM MADHU KAITABH HANTARI OM BRAHM VAADINI OM DAKSHA KANYAA OM CHANDA MUNDAVINAASHINI OM SARVA SHAASTRAMAYI
Mantras for Kalyan (well Being) HARI OM SVASTI NA INDRO VRIDDHA SHRAVAAH, SVASTI NA POOSHAAH VISHVA VEDAAH, SVASTI NA ANTARIKSHYO ARISHTA NEMI, SVASTI NO BRIHASPATIR DADHAATU, PAYAH PRITHVIYAAM, PAYAH AUSHADHISHU, PAYO DIVYA ANTARIKSHAY, PAYODHAAH PAYA SVATIH PRADISHAH SANTU MAHAYAM. VISHNOR RAATAM ASI, VISHNOH SHNAPATRESTHO, VISHNO SYOO RA SI, VISHNO DHRUVO ASI VAISHNAVAM ASI VISHNA VETVAA. AGNIRDEVATAA VAATO DEVTAA SURYO DEVATAA CHANDRAMAA DEVATAA VASVO DEVATAA RUDRA DEVATAA, AADITYA DEVATAA MAARUTO DEVATAA VISHVEDEVAH DEVTAA. BRISHASPATIR DEVATENDRO DEVATAA, VARUNO DEVATAA. OM DHYAU SHANTIR ANTARIKSHE SHAANTIH PRITHVI SHANTI RAAPAH SHAANTIR AUSHADHAYAH, SHAANTI VANASPATYAH. SHAANTI VISHVE DEVAH SHAANTI REVA SHAANTIH SAAMA SHAANTIREDHI SUSHANTIR BHWATI. OM VISHVAANI DEVA SAVITURDURITANI PARAASUV YAD BHADRAM TANNA AASUVA, IMAA RUDRAAYE TAVASE KAPADDIR NEKSHAYA DWIRAAYE PRAVARAAMAHE MATIH YATHAA SHAMSADWAI PADEY CHATUSHPADEY VISHVAM PUSHTAM GRAAMEY ASMINNAATURAM, ETANTEY DEVA SAVITUR YAGYAM PRAHURBRIHASPATYE BRAHMANEY TEYN YAGYAMAV TEYN YAGYA PATIM TEYN MAAMAV MANO JYOTIR JUSHATAM AJASYA BRIHAS PATI YAGYAM IMAM TANO TVARISHTAM YAGYA SAMIM MAND DHATTU VISHVEDEVAAH SA IHMADYANTAAMO PRATISHTHA AISHAVEY PRATISHTHAA NAAM YAGYO YATRE TEYN YAGYEN YAJANTEY SARVAM EVA PRATISHTHITAM BHAWATI OM DEVASYATVAA SAVITUH PRASAVE ASHWINO BAAHUBHYAAM POOSHANO HASTAABHYAAM. Meaning All the mantras of Swasti vachan pray for the well being (Kalyan) of the world and exhort that peace should prevail upon the earth and the Universe. Oh God, let your eight elements viz. the heavens, space, earth, water medicines, flora, Vishvay Deva and Brahma spread peace in the Universe and ensure the well being of all.
