The Art Institute of Chicago will host a presentation on “The Monk, the World’s Parliament, and the Museum—Swami ’s 1893 Sojourn in Chicago” on Saturday, September 9, 2023. Curator Dr. Madhuvanti Ghose will discuss the time in 1893 when 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 The World’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.

The event will be held from 2–3 pm in Fullerton Hall at the AIC. The lecture is free with museum admission and registration is required.