When George Ferris was exhibiting his original Ferris Wheel, when Eadward Muybridge was showing the zoopraxiscope, a young Indian monk represented Hinduism at the World Parliament of Religions.
On September 11, 1893, Swami Vivekananda was greeted to a standing ovation.
The World Parliament of Religions was being held for the first time as part of the Columbian Exposition, a world fair organized to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus' arrival.
It went on from September 11-27 at what is now the Art Institute of Chicago.
Apart from Swami Vivekananda, other Indian representatives included Pratap C. Mazumdar (of Calcutta Brahmo Samaj) and B.B Nagarkar; Virchand Gandhi, representing the Jains; CN Chakravarti of the Theosophical Society and Miss Jeanne Sorabji of the Episcopalian order from Poona.
In his 1st ever speech in the afternoon of Sept 11, Swami Vivekananda thanked the audience "in the name of the most ancient order of monks in the world...in the name of the mother of religions, and...in the name of millions and millions of Hindu people of all classes and sects."
Swamiji addressed how "sectarianism, bigotry, fanaticism...have filled the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human blood, destroyed civilization and sent whole nations to despair."
The other four speeches too reflected the theme of universal brotherhood.
Swami Vivekananda not only extolled the virtues of Hinduism, he also talked about the upliftment of the untouchables as he believed only a more united society could fight against the British for liberation. His idea of nationalism inspired the likes of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
Rabindranath Tagore reportedly wrote to Romain Rolland, "If you want to know India, study Vivekananda. In him, there is everything positive and nothing negative."
That famous speech is inscribed on the Grand Staircase of the Art Institute of Chicago, installed by Jitish Kallat.
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