Wednesday 1 November 2017

Chronology of Sister Nivedita's Life - 4

यतो धर्म: ततो जय:

1902 January 9. Starts for India from Marseilles with R.C. Dutt and Mrs Bull.

February 3. Reaches Madras.

February 4. Given public reception at Madras Mahajana Sabha. Speaks at length on great Indians and their achievements, particularly on Bose's scientific achievements. – Returns to Calcutta.

February 28. Meets for the first time. E.B. Havell, Principal Govt. School of Arts and Crafts, Calcutta, says, 'passion for India' can bring 'tide of art.' (Beginning of a friendship with far-reaching influence on Indian Art Movement.)

March. Meets Okakura, (who comes to take Vivekananda to Japan), introduces him to important persons of Calcutta, joins him to form a revolutionary group.-Starts re-writing Okakura's book, Ideals of the East. – Vivekananda disapproves  hasty political actions without preparing the people.

March 23. Lectures at Classic Theatre on 'Hindu Mind in Modern Science.'

April. Christine arrives from America and joins her at School work.

May. At Mayavati with Okakura and others.

June 26. Returns to Calcutta.

June 28. Vivekananda comes to visit her at her residence at 17 Bose Para Lane.

June 29. Goes to Math to discuss urgent matters.

July 2. Goes to Math. Vivekananda, 'all blessing.' Insists on serving her meals; at the end pours water on her hands and dries them with a towel, as Jesus did to his disciples 'at the last time'.

July 4. Swamiji passes away at 9 P.M.

July 5. Receives news in early morning, comes to the Math immediately, fans the body till 2 P.M., feels Swamiji's presence even after death.
 

July 10. Goes to the Math, long talks with Brahmananda and Saradananda on her political affiliations, decides to sever formal connections with the Math in conformity with the Rules and Regulations of the Math framed by Swamiji, "One belonging to the Order can have no 'connection with politics.'

July 19. Publishes a note in the newspapers stating that 'her work shall hence-forth be regarded as free and entirely independent of their (Mission's) sanction or authority.' Signs as 'Nivedita of Ramakrishna', (Later as 'Nivedita of Ramakrishna-Vivekananda'.

July 17. Writes an inspiring and illuminating article for Hindu, 'The National Significance of the Swami Vivekananda's Life and work.'

August. Writes Introduction to Okakura's Ideals of the East.

September 22. Leaves for Bombay with Swami Sadananda, on lecture tour, for preaching nationalism and Vivekananda's national ideas.

September 26. Speaks on Vivekananda at the Gaiety Theatre, Bombay, creating tremendous enthusiasm.-More lectures in the following days on 'The Unity of Asia', 'Hindu Mind in Modern Science,' 'Indian Woman-hood', 'Indian Woman as she strikes an English Woman', 'How and Why I adopted the Hindu Religion'.

October 7-18. Lectures at Nagpur, Wardha, Amraoti.

October 20. Reaches Baroda and lectures for three successive days, meets Gaekwar of Baroda, also Aurobindo Ghose, then in service at Baroda. (This meeting produces far-reaching results in the Indian political struggle)

October 26-29. Lectures at Ahmedabad. Reviews Bose's book, The Response in the Living and Non-Living, in the Review of Reviews of England.

November 3. Visits Caves of Ellora.

November 7. Returns to Calcutta.

November 19. Becomes suspicious about Okakura's real intention behind his revolutionary activities in India. (Ultimately thought that Okakura was a Japanese agent). S.K. Ratclifie, editor statesman, now comes regularly to her house and becomes 'an integral part of the …little group. He supports India's national cause in Statesman, and urges her to write regularly for Statesman.

December 8. Leaves for South Indian lecture tour.

December 13. Spends the night on Khandagiri hill, near Bhubaneswar, observes Christmas Eve, feeling within 'Resurrection' of Swamiji.

December 19. Reaches Madras, stays there under guiding care of Swami Ramakrishnananda.

December 20-28. Lectures and meetings with the students.

December 30-31. Lectures and discourses at Conjeevaram.

 Sister Nivedita 150th Birth Anniversary

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