500,000 youths participated in Worldwide Bhagavad Gita Reading Program

California, January 11:  Around 500,000 youths participated in the Worldwide Bhagavad Gita Reading Program during the period of Gita Jayanti to the birth date of Swami Vevekananda  (5 December to 12 January). This programme was conducted through social media network such as Facebook and Google Plus.

The campaign started with an acknowledgement of world Guru— Swami Vivekananda, and a great Yogi— Shri Guru Ji (2nd President of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh)’s contribution in awakening millions of people of Sanatan Dharma.
International Gita Society launched it’s month long program—31 days of Science and Spirituality for the Bhagavad Gita on Gita Jayanti Day “December 5, 2011.” The program was aimed to connect youths to understand the Bhagavad Gita for daily life and to remember world known great Yogis, scientists, philosophers, and literates.
Participants were also briefed about scientist such as Albert Einstein, J. Robert Oppenheimer (Father of Atom Bomb), philosopher like Ralph Waldo Emerson, Leo Tolstoy, Henry David Thoreau, and a great political leader Mahatma Gandhi and the Bhagavad Gita’s role in shaping their lives.
Along with this campaign, a worldwide Bhagavad Gita essay competition was also held by IGS. Jaime Murphy of the United States was declared as a winner of the competition. This program concluded on January 5 by paying tribute to great Hindi literate Dr. Harivansh Rai Bachchan.  Dr. Bachchan translated the Bhagavad Gita in Avadhi to make it music friendly and popular like Ramayana in 1954. However, this great work is remained unknown and unnoticed by most of Bhagavad Gita readers.
The IGS was founded by Dr. Ramanananda Prasad, Retired U.S.Navy Official and Professor of San Jose State University in 1984. It is a registered, non-profit, tax-exempt, spiritual institution in the US. It has its branches in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Europe, and South American countries.