HSS USA participates at the Parade of Faiths Aug. 13

The Parliament of World Religions is celebrating 130 years of history in the city of Chicago from Aug 14-18. This parliament is among the biggest interfaith events in the world with spiritual leaders and religious practitioners across the world participating in this event.

As a pre-parliament event, a Parade of Faiths was held on Aug. 13 at Chicago's South Loop where local faith, spiritual, and cultural communities participated showcasing their music, dance, and culture through floats and walking groups.

Hindu SwayamSevak Sangh USA (HSS USA) participated in the parade with a strong 60-plus member contingent. HSS USA's walking group consisted of members of HSS USA, Dhol-Tasha (a combination of drum and percussion instruments) players from the Rudragarjana Chicago group and Lezim (a small musical instrument with jingling cymbals) participants from the Maharashtra Mandal Chicago group.

Participants carried U.S. flags, HSS banners, HSS posters, balloons, Om symbols, religious flags as well as an indomitable spirit as they walked and danced through the nearly 1-mile parade path. All through the parade, the participants energized themselves with various slogans.

When the World Parliament of Religions was hosted in 1893, it gave birth to the modern interfaith movement. The world-renowned Hindu saint Swami Vivekananda delivered his glorious speech at the World Parliament in 1893 that inspired many. And the same inspiration guided the HSS USA members as they walked with pride carrying posters and banners depicting the yeoman service HSS USA is doing in society. Service such as ensuring food security through its Sewa Diwali program, Respect to Teachers through its Guru Vandana program, Universal Oneness through its Raksha Bandhan program, Health for Humanity through its Sun Salutations Yogathon and Service to Society and Civic Engagement through various other service programs. The inclusive message of HSS USA reached one and all.

As the infectious dance movements, the mesmerizing Flag dance and the powerful music from the Dhol-Tasha reverberated on the parade path (Martin Luther King Jr Drive), every member of the audience along both sides of the road could not help but react enthusiastically. As the HSS USA group walked by, people on the sidelines gave their hearty approval by dancing with them, waving and smiling at them, clicking pictures away and capturing videos of them!