Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh): Gopal Lal Villa, the place where Swami Vivekananda spent his final days has been hit by the government's apathy.
Once known to be a place of attraction with a beautiful rose garden, the place now presents a dilapidated look.
This place in Varanasi is close to the hearts of many followers of Swami Vivekanand, however, the government has not paid any attention to renovate or restore the building to its original glory. The local social activists have said that despite the assurances of many leaders visiting the place, nothing has been done yet.
India celebrates January 12 as the "National Youth Day" to honour the ideals of Swami Vivekanand on his birth anniversary. The day is also referred to as Swami Vivekanand Jayanti.
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In 1984, the government declared his birth date as the "National Youth Day" as Vivekananda was vocal about the importance of youth in the process of nation-building.
Even though the BJP has been quite vocal about Swami Vivekanand's contribution to India and Hinduism, the place where he spent his last days in Varanasi lies in shambles.
Vivekanand's last days in Varanasi, which also happens to be Prime Minister Narendra Modi's constituency, have faded into memory as the place he lived in is nothing more than a ruin. Gopal Lal Villa is the place where Vivekanand spent almost one-and-a-month before his death in July 1902.
