Swami Vivekananda's travels in India (1888–1893)
In 1888,
North
In August 1888 Swami Vivekananda's first destination was
While on the way to Haridwar, in September 1888,[12] Narendra stayed at Hathras. There in the railway waiting room Narendra met Sharat Chandra Gupta, a railway station master.[13] Gupta went to Narendra and asked if he was hungry, to which he got a reply in positive. He took Narendra to his home. When Narendra asked him what food he was going to offer, Gupta quoted a Persian poem in reply: "Oh beloved, I shall prepare the most delicious dish with the flesh of my heart".[14] Narendra told Gupta that he had a great mission in life — he wanted to serve his motherland where starvation and poverty stalk millions of people. He narrated his dream of seeing India regaining her old glory. During the conversations, Gupta asked Narendra if he could help him anyhow. Narendra immediately replied— "Yes, take up the kamandalu and go begging". Gupta understood that he was being asked to renounce his personal interest for the welfare of many. He decided to renounce the world and became a disciple of Narendranath.[15] Narendra and Gupta left Hathras together.[15]
After leaving Hathras Narendra and Gupta first went to Haridwar, and from there travelled to Rishikesh, on foot. Here Narendra initiated Gupta into Sannyasa and was named Swami Sadananda.[16][17] Gupta was the directly initiated monastic disciple of Vivekananda.[16] Vivekananda called him "the child of my spirit".[10]
Meeting with Pavhari Baba
Between 1888 and 1890, Swami Vivekananda visited
Return to Baranagar Math and Himalayan journey (1890–91)
During the first half of 1890, after the deaths of fellow Ramakrishna disciples Balaram Bose and Suresh Chandra Mitra, Narendra returned to Baranagar Math because of ill health and to arrange for the math's financial support.
This constituted the first phase of a journey which would bring Swami Vivekananda to the West.[13][23] He visited the sacred sites of Nainital, Almora, Srinagar, Dehradun, Rishikesh and Haridwar. During these travels, he met Swami Brahmananda, Saradananda, Turiyananda and Advaitananda. They stayed at Meerut for several days, engaged in meditation, prayer and study of the scriptures. At the end of January 1891, Swami Vivekananda left his colleagues and travelled to Delhi.[23][24]
Rajputana (1891)
After visiting historical sites at Delhi, Swami Vivekananda started his travel towards Rajputana. In these days, he drew inspiration from the words of the Gautama Buddha— [25][26][27]
Go forward without a path,
Fearing nothing, caring for nothing!
Wandering alone, like the rhinoceros!
Even as a lion, not trembling at noises,
Even as the wind, not caught in the net,
Even as the lotus leaf, untainted by water,
Do thou wander alone, like the rhinoceros!
In February 1891, he first went to
From Alwar, Swami Vivekananda went to
... Vivekananda's friendship with Maharaja Ajit Singh of Khetri was enacted against the backdrop of Khetri, a sanctified town in Northern Rajasthan, characterized by its long heroic history and independent spirit. Destiny brought Swamiji and Ajit Singh together on 4 June 1891 at Mount Abu, where their friendship gradually developed through their mutual interest in significant spiritual and secular topics. The friendship intensified when they travelled to Khetri and it became clear that theirs was the most sacred friendship, that of a Guru and his disciple.[31]
At
West (1891–92)
Swami Vivekananda visited
Swami Vivekananda's next destinations included Mahabaleshwar, Pune, Khandwa and Indore. At Kathiawar he heard of the 1893 Parliament of the World's Religions, and was urged by his followers to attend it. After a brief stay in Bombay in July 1892, he met Bal Gangadhar Tilak during a train journey.[33] After staying with Tilak for a few days in Pune,[34] Swami Vivekananda travelled to Belgaum in October 1892 where he met Panth Maharaj, and to Panaji and Margao in Goa, spending three days at Rachol Seminary (the oldest convent in Goa, with rare religious manuscripts and printed works in Latin) studying Christian theological works.[35]
South (1892–93)
Swami Vivekananda later travelled to
From Bangalore, Swami Vivekananda visited
"At Cape Camorin sitting in Mother Kumari's temple, sitting on the last bit of Indian rock—I hit upon a plan: We are so many
To realize this, he needed collaborators and funds. The people were easily to find, but the funds were hard to acquire, and therefore Narendra decided to travel to America, "to earn money myself, and then return to my country and devote the rest of my days to the realisation of this one aim of my life."[43]
From Kanyakumari, Swami Vivekananda visited
Notes
See also
References
- ^ Rolland 2008, p. 7.
- ^ Dhar 1976, p. 243.
- ^ a b Richards 1996, pp. 77–78.
- ^ a b Bhuyan 2003, p. 12.
- ^ a b c d e Rolland 2008, pp. 16–25.
- ^ a b Banhatti 1995, p. 19.
- ^ a b Bhuyan 2003, p. 11.
- ^ a b Virajananda 2006, pp. 214–216.
- ^ a b Badrinath 2006, p. 118.
- ^ a b Nikhilananda 1953, p. 43.
- ^ "Swami Vivekananda Images 1886 to 1893". Vivekananda.net. Retrieved 12 March 2012.
- ^ Badrinath 2006, p. 123.
- ^ a b c Banhatti 1995, pp. 19–22.
- ^ Banhatti 1995, p. 20.
- ^ a b Badrinath 2006, pp. 123–124.
- ^ a b Badrinath 2006, p. 124.
- ^ Rolland 2008, pp. 11–12.
- ^ a b Badrinath 2006, p. 119.
- ^ Virajananda 2006, pp. 227–228.
- ^ Nikhilananda 1953, pp. 44–45.
- ^ Sil 1997, pp. 216–218.
- ^ Badrinath 2006, p. 120.
- ^ a b Virajananda 2006, pp. 243–261.
- ^ Rolland 2008, p. 15.
- ^ Cooper 1984, p. 49.
- ^ Vivekananda 1976, p. 22.
- ^ a b Nikhilananda 1953, p. 49.
- ^ a b Nikhilananda 1953, pp. 49–50.
- ^ Banhatti 1995, p. 21.
- ^ Nikhilananda 1953, p. 50.
- ^ Swami Tathagatananda (June 2011). "Swami Vivekananda's special relationship with Raja Ajit Singh". The Vedanta Kesari. 98 (6). Ramakrishna Math and Mission: 230. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
- ^ Virajananda 2006, pp. 262–287.
- ^ Rolland 2008, p. 25.
- ^ Dhar 1976, p. 1434.
- ^ Virajananda 2006, pp. 288–320.
- ^ Beckerlegge 2008, p. 129.
- ^ Nikhilananda 1953, p. 52.
- ^ Virajananda 2006, pp. 323–325.
- ^ Virajananda 2006, pp. 327–329.
- ^ Virajananda 2006, pp. 339–342.
- ^ a b Agarwal 1998, p. 59.
- ^ a b Banhatti 1995, p. 24.
- ^ Michelis 2005, p. 109.
- ^ Badrinath 2006, pp. 135–138.
- ^ Badrinath 2006, p. 137.
- ^ Gosling 2007, p. 18.
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