25th November is marked as an important day for animal rights groups. The 25th of November had been marked by the International Meatless Day & International Vegetarian Day. The month of November is anyway known to be the Vegan month. This month is recognized to remember and celebrate the success of the Vegan movement and how far it has come. 25th November is celebrated in remembrance of Sadhu T.L. Vaswani, who was an educationist. So, let’s get to know more about Sadhu T.L. Vaswani and his spiritual aim of the International Meatless Day & International Vegetarian Day.

What is the International Meatless Day & International Vegetarian Day? And why is it celebrated?

International Meatless Day & International Vegetarian Day is celebrated annually on 25th of November. This day is observed in many countries, but specially in India and over the Asian region. The International Meatless Day & International Vegetarian Day marks the birth anniversary of Sadhu T.L. Vaswani, who actually started this vegetarian living mission. 

On this International Day, people go totally vegetarian or may be vegan. Many butcher shops remain closed, vegetarian meals are adopted as a significant part of healthy living and as a respect towards the environment & animals. 

Officially, the government of four Indian states issued notice to shut butcher/meat shops on 25th November. These states are Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka (Source: Oneworld). 

Origin

The first ever International Day was observed back in 1986. When the educationist Sadhu T.L. Vaswani proposed the mission to adopt the vegetarian diet and living. He motivated the masses to drive towards the adoption of vegetarian diet and vegetarian living. This mission gained huge support, recognition and success. 

Masses were persuaded to go meatless on that day. Sadhu T.L. Vaswani made people understand the importance of animals and that they are equal to humans at birth. Therefore, they deserve the respect and right to live. So, people agreed to adopt the vegetarian living on that day. He also influenced the masses about the health benefits of green vegetables. Swami educated the people that intake of green veggies not only makes them healthy but also improves their stamina, making them feel fresh and energetic the whole day. And so, people were convinced to take the green veggies in their diet. 

From that year onward, the day of 25th November is marked as International Meatless Day & International Vegetarian Day. To remember Sadhu T.L. Vaswani and his lessons, the day which is also his birthday is dedicated in honor of this pure spiritual soul

More Interesting Topics to Read: