The best representative of Neo-Hinduism in the second half of the nineteenth century was –

Explanation

Swami Vivekananda founded the Ramakrishna Mission on 1 May 1897 in memory of his guru. After taking sannyasa, he made an extensive study of religious scriptures. The credit for giving a practical form to the interpretation of his guru’s teachings goes to Swami Vivekananda (1863–1902). He described these teachings in simple language. Swami Vivekananda emerged as a propagator of this Neo-Hinduism. In 1893, he went to Chicago, where he delivered his famous speech at the ‘Parliament of the World’s Religions’ (World Parliament of Religions). Through this speech, for the first time, he presented the importance of India’s culture before the Western world in a very effective manner. After this, he travelled in America and England and propagated Hinduism. Swamiji strongly condemned the tendency in Hinduism that says, “Don’t touchism.” According to him, Hinduism had now become confined only to food and drink. He was very unhappy with religion’s silence on the exploitation of the poor by the rich. According to him, to speak of religion to a hungry person is an insult to God and humanity. Vivekananda did not give any political message; yet, through his writings and speeches, he awakened in the new generation a renewed sense of self-respect in their past. He was a true patriot. Subhas Chandra Bose said about him: “As far as Bengal is concerned, we may look upon Vivekananda as the ‘Spiritual Father’ of the modern national movement.”