On December 6, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted a draft resolution, co-sponsored by India, to designate December 21 as World Meditation Day. This date coincides with the winter solstice, which holds special significance in Indian tradition as the beginning of Uttarayana—an auspicious period for meditation and self-reflection. Interestingly, the International Day of Yoga falls on June 21, the summer solstice.
Archaeologists trace the origins of meditation back to 5,000 BCE, with roots in ancient Egypt, China, and religions such as Judaism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and Buddhism. Meditation gained recognition as a physical and emotional self-help practice in the West only in the late 1960s. However, at the United Nations, meditation has held a special place since 1952, when a "Room of Quiet" for meditation was inaugurated.
Swedish diplomat Dag Hammarskjöld, the UN's second Secretary-General, was instrumental in designing the space. Sweden contributed a six-ton iron ore stone altar, symbolizing "permanence" in a changing world. The room featured 12 benches designed by Swedish furniture maker and architect Carl Malmsten and an abstract mural by Swedish artist Bo Beskow, Hammarskjöld’s close friend.
The mural, painted in geometric forms of blue, white, yellow and grey, includes a single black dot or half-circle to focus the viewer's eye, offering a point of rest. The abstract design was chosen to reflect the room's interfaith purpose, allowing people of any belief or religion to find solitude and introspection. Over time, diverse groups came together under the banner of the “Friends of the UN Meditation Room” to support its renovation and upkeep.
Elected Secretary-General in 1953 and re-elected in 1957, Dag Hammarskjöld played a pivotal role in shaping peacekeeping operations and advancing "preventive diplomacy" to resolve global crises, including the Suez Crisis and conflicts in Lebanon and Jordan. In his later years, Hammarskjöld concentrated on fostering peace and dialogue in emerging nations across Africa and Asia.
During the opening ceremony of the meditation room, Hammarskjöld said: "We have within us a centre of stillness surrounded by silence. This house, dedicated to work and debate in the service of peace should have one room dedicated to silence in the outward sense and stillness in the inner sense… People of many faiths will meet here and, for that reason, none of the symbols to which we are accustomed in our meditation could be used.”
In October 2021, the Permanent Mission of Sweden to the United Nations undertook efforts to enhance the meditation room by replacing its furniture. They donated 12 new benches, crafted to replicate the original Carl Malmsten designs. These benches were produced by the same company, using the original techniques, designs and materials.
