099, Virchand Gandhi sent a shipload of wheat and Rs. 40,000 whereas Vivekananda sent clippings

Late Virchand Gandhi was a contemporary of Swami Vivekananda. He represented Jainism, attending the World Congress of Religions 1893, Chicago. He too extensively toured U.S. giving lectures about the tenets of Jainism. Vivekananda blamed Ramanuja and Shankaracharya as pedantics because they have not wept for the poor, whereas he wept for poor. But unlike Vivekananda, Virchand Gandhi was a practical person. When Virchand Gandhi heard the news of severe drought of India in 1896 while he was in America, he at once established a Relief Committee under the Presidentship of Mr. C.C. Boney the President of Parliament of Religions, himself being the secretary. He sent a shipload of foodgrains and Rs. 40,000 as cash as a relief measure for the suffering people in India ...

This is a world of propaganda and publicity. Saint or no saint, after a person's death, there should be somebody behind to perpetuate memory by celebrating birthdays, mahasamadhi days, write biographies and memoirs, to keep the publicity machine on. Otherwise nobody will remember a person, even if he has done silent work of magnitude of a thousand times.

In the World Parliament of Religions, 8 persons represented Hindus, according to its proceedings. But only Vivekananda received grandeose publicity and acclaim. The moment he uttered the words "Brothers and Sisters of America" , a scene of applause is described as having taken place.

Virchand Raghavji Gandhi represented Jainism. Pl. see the link of www.jaina.org provided below.

jaina.org/vrgcommittee/documents

Quote from the link

"TWO HEROS OF PARLIAMENT OF RELIGIONS
Both of them had compassionate heart. Shri Virchand Gandhi had also a compassionate heart. When he heard the news of severe drought of India in 1896 while he was in America, he at once established a Relief Committee under the Presidentship of Mr. C.C. Boney the President of Parliament of Religions, himself being the secretary. He sent a shipload of foodgrains and Rs. 40,000 as cash as a relief measure for the suffering people in India ... "

BLOGGER'S VIEW
"TWO HEROES" and "Both" refer to Vivekananda and Virchand Gandhi. The Jaina.org website does NOT denigrate and ignore Vivekananda. At the sametime, it is the only website (as far as I know) which depicts the genuine work done by Virchand Gandhi, albeit he represented their religion.

This happened because Virchand Gandhi did not work for publicity. On the other hand let us see, how Vivekananda wrote to Mary Hale:

"... Things are turning out most curiously for me. From Colombo in Ceylon, where I landed, to Ramnad, the nearly southernmost point of the Indian continent where I am just now as the guest of the Raja of Ramnad, my journey has been a huge procession — crowds of people, illuminations, addresses, etc., etc. A monument forty feet high is being built on the spot where I landed. The Raja of Ramnad has presented his address to "His most Holiness" in a huge casket of solid gold beautifully worked. Madras and Calcutta are on the tiptoe of expectation as if the whole nation is rising to honour me ... "

In fact trumpeting oneself is an art. Vivekananda wrote to Alasinga from Chicago on Nov. 2, 1893: