Talk: The Monk, the World’s Parliament, and the Museum—Swami Vivekananda’s 1893 Sojourn in Chicago @artinstitutechi
Talk: The Monk, the World’s Parliament, and the Museum—Swami Vivekananda’s 1893 Sojourn in Chicago @artinstitutechi
Uploaded October 2023 | Updated September 2026, 4 days ago
In 1893, an unknown Hindu monk, Swami Vivekananda, travelled from Calcutta to Chicago to deliver a speech at the inaugural session of the World’s Parliament of Religions held at Chicago’s Columbian Exposition. The oration, delivered in what is today the Art Institute’s Fullerton Hall, earned him a two-minute standing ovation and provided a groundbreaking articulation of Hinduism for Western audiences.

Curator Madhuvanti Ghose discusses this speech and the immense relevance of Vivekananda’s words today.
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The Art Institute of Chicago |

Talk: The Monk, the World’s Parliament, and the Museum—Swami Vivekananda’s 1893 Sojourn in Chicago

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