Embassy of India, Hanoi hosts the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre (SVCC) under the aegis of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations of India since September 2016. The centre was inaugurated on 20th April 2017 by the Minister of State for External Affairs, Gen. V.K. Singh and the Deputy/Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Thien.
SVCC promotes and nurture friendship cultural linkages between India and Vietnam by enhancing understanding through organizing cultural programmes, seminars, photo exhibitions, film screenings, lectures, workshops and classes in varied areas such as Yoga, Indian dance, art and philosophy, Hindi and Sanskrit languages, traditional medicine, shared Buddhist and Cham heritage with Vietnam, etc. The Centre also cooperates with diverse institutions and organizations in Vietnam, which engaged with Indian studies, Universities, National Library of Vietnam, and regional/national friendship associations.
The Centre’s library has a collection of over 2,500 books, magazines, CDs and DVDs on various aspects of Indian history, art, culture, nature, tourism and international affairs. The core collection includes books on well-known Indian luminaries like Guru Nanak, Sant Tukaram, Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, Kuvempu and Suryakanth Tripathi Nirala. The subjects are varied such as Buddhism, art, iconography, culture, history, philosophy, dharma, literature, sports, films, politics and foreign policy of India. The library also has a children’s section that displays books on stories of ancient times and new Indian heros, heroines from Amar Chitra Katha series. The books are mainly available in three languages: English, Hindi and Vietnamese.
SVCC also organizes cultural events covering various aspects of Indian culture and history including art, dance, literature, festivals, national personalities, freedom movement etc. Promotion of Yoga is also an important part of SVCC’s activities including organizing events to mark the International Day of Yoga every year. SVCC also focusses on highlighting historical, cultural and civilizational linkages between India and Vietnam. Restoration and conservation work of Cham temple complexes has been undertaken by Government of India at the UNESCO World Heritage site at My Son. The Cham Museum at Da Nang also houses many artifacts showcasing Indian cultural linkages with Vietnam.
Supporting India-Vietnam Buddhist linkages is another area of work of SVCC. For this, SVCC proactively engages with Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, Vietnam University of Buddhism, and other important institutions to preserve and promote Buddhist linkages between the two countries. SVCC also collaborates with Buddhist organisations in Vietnam to celebrate important festivals like Vesak and Asadha Poornima. To promote understanding of these linkages among youth and other visitors, SVCC has also opened an interactive kiosk inside its premises to showcase our shared Buddhist heritage.
To know more about the Centre's activities and programmes, either visit SVCC at No.63 Tran Hung Dao street, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi or follow the Facebook page of the SVCC at: https://www.facebook.com/IndianCultureInVietnam
