Chronology of Swami Vivekananda

Chronology of Main Events related to Swami Vivekananda

1863	January 12	Birth in Kolkata (Calcutta)
1879		Enters Presidency College
1880		Transfers to General Assembly Institution
1881	November	First meeting with Sri Ramakrishna
1882-1886		Association with Sri Ramakrishna
1884		Passes B. A. Examination
	February	Father passes away
1885		Sri Ramakrishna’s last illness
1886	August 16	Sri Ramakrishna passes away
	Fall	Establishes Baranagore Math
	December 24	Informal vow of Sannyasa at Antpur
1887	January	Formal vows of sannyasa at Baranagore Math
1890-1893		Travels all over India as itinerant monk
1892	December 24	At Kanyakumari, South India
1893	February 13	First public lecture, Secunderabad, South India
	May 31	Sails for America from Mumbai (Bombay)
	July 25	Lands at Vancouver, Canada
	July 30	Arrives in Chicago
	August	Meets Professor John F. Wright of Harvard University
	September 11	First address at Parliament of Religions, Chicago
	September 27	Final address at Parliament of Religions
	November 20	Begins mid-western lecture tour
1894	April 14	Begins lectures and classes on East Coast
	May 16	Speaks at Harvard University
	July-August	At Green Acre Religious Conference
	November	Founds Vedanta Society of New York
1895	January	Begins classes in New York
	June 4-18	At Camp Percy, New Hampshire
	June-August	At Thousand Island Park on St. Lawrence river, N.Y.
	August-September	In Paris
	October-November	Lectures in London
	December 6	Sails for New York
1896	March 22-25	Speaks at Harvard University, offered Eastern Philosophy chair
	April 15	Returns to London
	May-July	Gives classes in London
	May 28	Meets Max Muller in Oxford
	August-September	In the Europe for six weeks
	October-November	Gives classes in London
	December 30	Leaves Naples for India
1897	January 15	Arrives in Colombo, Sri Lanka
	February 6-15	In Chennai (Madras)
	February 19	Arrives in Kolkata
	May 1	Establishes Ramakrishna Mission Association, Kolkata
	May-December	Tours northwest India
1898	January	Returns to Kolkata
	May	Begins North India pilgrimage with Western devotees
	August 2	At Amarnath, Kashmir
	December 9	Consecrates Belur Math
1899	March 19	Establishes Advaita Ashrama at Mayavati
	June 20	Leaves India for second visit to the West
	July 31	Arrives in London
	August 28	Arrives in New York City
	August-November	At Ridgely Manor, New York
	December 3	Arrives in Los Angeles
1900	February 22	Arrives in San Francisco
	April 14	Founds Vedanta Society in San Francisco
	June	Final classes in New York City
	July 26	Leaves for Europe
	August 3	Arrives in Paris for International Exposition
	September 7	Speaks at Congress of History of Religions at Exposition
	October 24	Begins tour of Vienna, Constantinople, Greece and Cairo
	November 26	Leaves for India
	December 9	Arrives at Belur Math
1901	January	Visits Mayavati
	March-May	Pilgrimage in East Bengal and Assam
1902	January-February	Visits Bodh Gaya and Varanasi
	March	Returns to Belur Math
	July 4	Mahasamadhi

Meeting the Great Master

Sri Ramakrishna

Narendra had heard about Sri Ramakrishna from the principal of his college, Reverend William Hastie. One day, Hastie was describing to his students about the word 'ecstasy' in Wordsworth's poem, 'The Excursion'. Hastie told them that he had seen that rare condition only in Sri Ramakrishna, the saint of Dakshineswar. 

Sri Ramakrishna lived in the temple garden at Dakshineshwar. He was the priest of the Bhavatarini Temple for many years. He hailed from Kamarpukur. It was a small village in West Bengal, situated some 107km from Kolkata. He was completely unlettered and spoke in rustic Bengali. However, his simplicity, purity, and love of God were unparalleled. With simple parables, he taught about God. Those  sincerely seeking spiritual guidance and solace came to Sri Ramakrishna and felt blessed.

November 1881. Narendra reached his eighteenth year. One day, he was invited to a festival at his friend and neighbour, Surendra's house. On Surendra's request, Narendra sang some devotional songs. The chief guest at the event was Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. Moved by Narendra's singing, Sri Ramakrishna requested Surendra to bring him to his place at Dakshineshwar.  

When Narendra, again and again, refused all marriage proposals, his uncle Ramachandra Datta advised him: "If you sincerely wish to lead a spiritual life and realise God, then go to the Master at Dakshineswar. There is no point in visiting the Brahmo Samaj or other places." 

Dakshineswar Temple

About a month later, Surendra took Narendra to visit the temple garden of Dakshineswar. It was Narendra's first visit to Dakshineswar. 

The temple garden of Bhavatarini at Dakshineshwar was situated on the banks of the Ganges river. The temple was constructed in 1855 by Rani Rasmani. Today, it is one of the main pilgrimage centres in Kolkata. The temple has twelve shrines of Shiva in a row and a shrine for Radhakanta (Lord Krishna and Srimati Radharani). The main temple was dedicated to Goddess Bhavatarini (a benign form of Goddess Kali). 

The first meeting between Sri Ramakrishna and Narendra was significant. On Sri Ramakrishna's request, Narendra sang a few songs starting with the famous 'Mano Calo Nija Niketan'. 

When Narendra finished the songs, Sri Ramakrishna stood up and went to Narendra. Then, holding Narendra's hand, he took him out to the verandah. Closing the door, he stood to face Narendra. As it was winter, a bamboo screen was hung to stop the cold wind. Suddenly, Sri Ramakrishna held Narendra's hand and shed tears of joy. He spoke to him as if they were long-lost friends. "You have come very late! How could you do this? Don't you know that I am waiting for you here? My ears are scorched by listening to the talks of worldly people." He continued to cry and talk for some time. Narendra was flabbergasted. He did not know what to do. Then, Sri Ramakrishna stopped crying and stood still. Folding his hands, he saluted Narendra as if he was a god and said: "I know who are you, my Lord. You are Nara, the ancient Rishi, the incarnation of Narayana. You have come to earth to remove the sufferings of all." 

Narendra had learned from his father to never show surprise. Though he was shocked with the behaviour of Sri Ramakrishna, he did not show any reaction. He thought to himself: "Who is this strange man? He must be mad!" 

Sri Ramakrishna went back to the room and came out shortly with sweets. Despite Narendra's protest, Sri Ramakrishna fed him with all the sweets. Then, Sri Ramakrishna said: "Please promise me that you will come again soon." Narendra could not refuse his earnest request and said, "I shall try, sir." 

Then, Sri Ramakrishna took him back to his room. Narendra sat with his friends. Sri Ramakrishna started talking to everyone casually. There were no signs of madness or unusual behaviour. Narendra watched him eagerly. Though he felt Sri Ramakrishna was mad, he was also convinced that Sri Ramakrishna was a pure man. Therefore, he burst out the question which was in his mind for many months - "Can God be seen?"

Sri Ramakrishna looked at him and said: 

"Yes, I have seen God. I see Him as I see you here, only more clearly. God can be seen. One can talk to him. But who cares for God? People shed torrents of tears for their wives, children, wealth, and property, but who weeps for the vision of God? If one cries sincerely for God, one can surely see Him."

Student Days

From now onwards, we shall call Biley with his formal name, Narendranath Datta or simply Narendra. When he was six, Narendra was sent to a hut school. However, after a few days, his father decided to appoint a private teacher to teach him at home. Every day, the teacher came to their house and taught Narendra and a few other boys. Bhuvaneshwari Devi also taught him to read English and Bengali. An old uncle taught Narendra songs and hymns in Sanskrit and passages from the Mahabharata and Ramayana. 

Narendra had a sharp and strong memory like his mother. Just by hearing once, his mother could remember a hymn and passages from the epics. Narendra learnt by listening to his teacher reading a passage. Even when he was old, he did not forget some of the passages which he had learned by heart during his early education. 

Narendra reached his seventh year. He was enrolled in the Metropolitan Institution. It was a famous school in Kolkata. Narendra continued with his active and playful manner in school. Even during lessons, he would talk loudly.

One day, he was chatting noisily in the classroom. His teacher heard the noise and started questioning the boys about the lesson. None of the boys could answer the teacher's questions. When Narendra's turn came, he answered the questions correctly! Then, the teacher asked the pupils about the culprit who made the noise. Everyone pointed to Narendra. The teacher refused to believe them as Narendra seemed to have followed the lesson. He ordered the boys to stand on the chairs. Narendra stood up and confessed that he was the one who talked loudly during the lesson. 

In school, Narendra often indulged in talking about his future plans. "When I grew up... I will be a king. I will do this... I will do that..." Then after awhile, he would be inspired to be a monk. "Look here, this line shows that I will be a monk like my grandfather," he would tell showing his palm. Caught by his enthusiasm, his friends too dreamed to be a monk.   

What is caste?

Viswanath Datta, Narendra's father was a lawyer in the High Court of Kolkata. Various types of people often came to their house. In Bengali custom, guests will be served with hookah for smoking. Vishwanath had different hookahs for different castes and religions. Narendra found that caste was something intriguing. He could not see any difference between one caste and another. He also found it strange that people from different castes would not dine together. What would happen if a person from one caste smokes the hookah of another caste? Would the sky fall down? Narendra wanted to investigate the matter. One day, when no one was around, the quietly went to his father's room and took a puff from one of the hookah pipes. He waited for a while, then he tried one after another, all the hookah pipes. Suddenly, his father came into the room and saw him. "What are you doing, Naren?" Narendra was a truthful boy. He said, "Father, I want to find out what will happen if I break caste rules. So far, nothing has happened to me." His chuckled and left the room. 

Narendra and his friends enjoyed climbing trees and hanging upside-down from the branches. As they made noise, an old man in the neighbourhood wanted to stop them. Though many times, he tried to dissuade the boys, they did not heed his words. 

Finally, the old man thought of a clever plan. He told them that it was a haunted tree. The ghost would rip the neck of anyone who climb the tree. The boys were frightened and did not want to go near the tree. Narendra, however, started to climb the tree and called his friends. "Why do you believe the old man's story? How long have we been playing here? If his story his true, my neck must have been broken by now!" 

While Narendra was eleven years old, he and his friends started a drama group in their house. Every day, they enacted various plays which they made up. Unable to tolerate their noise, an uncle broke down their stage. Sadly, they disbanded their drama group. 

Narendra and his family stayed here at Raipur

Some time later, Narendra started a mini gymnasium in their courtyard. All the boys in the neighbours became members of the gymnasium. Every day, they performed various exercises noisily. This was going on until a boy broke his arm while exercising. As usual, Narendra's uncle grabbed the opportunity to throw out all the gym equipment. 

However, the boys interest in exercising continued. Not far away from their house, there was a proper gymnasium. Soon, Narendra and his friends joined the gym. Here, Narendra learnt physical exercises, boxing,  swimming and other sports. He also learned horse-riding at home. 

In 1877, Vishwanath Datta took his family to Raipur, a small isolated town in Chhattisgarh. They stayed here for two years. Narendra could not attend to formal education as the town do not have any high school. During his spare time, Vishwanath Datta taught Narendra the Hindi language and culinary arts. Vishwanath Datta was an expert in various dishes. Narendra also took music lessons from professionals. He learned to play various musical instruments and also to sing. Chess was another game which Narendra mastered and once, he won a chess competition. 

Vivekananda Sarovar at Raipur 

Youth

After two years at Raipur, Narendra and his family returned to Kolkata in 1879. He was then a young man of sixteen. 

His old teachers at the Presidency College allowed him to sit for the Entrance Examination that year. As he had missed two years, he had to cover the lessons within a short time. However, with hard work, Narendra passed the Entrance Examination in the first rank. His father presented him a Swiss wrist watch. 
The following year, Narendra joined the General Assembly Institution (now known as Scottish Church College) in the art medium. He chose western philosophy, European history, and logic as his main subjects. History was his favourite subject. 

Narendra learnt the writings of Hume, Immanuel Kant, Spinoza, Hegel, Schopenhauer, Comte, Herbert Spenser, John Stuart Mill and Charles Darwin. He was particularly attracted to the ideas of Herbert Spenser and his book called 'Evolutionism'. Narendra also often corresponded with Spenser and translated his book, 'Education' into Bengali. 

Scottish Church College

Narendra had an attractive personality, strong body and sweet voice. Many who saw him for the first time had the impression that he was from a royal family. One of his professors, Dr William Hastie said, "Narendra is really a genius. I have travelled far and wide but I have never come across a lad of his talents and possibilities, even in German universities, among philosophical students."

Purity was an essential element in Narendra's life. He was taught by his mother to respect others, especially women. Till the end of his life, he remembered a verse which he learned on the first day of his school. 

  

“He indeed is a learned man who looks upon all women as his mother, whole looks upon every man's property as so much dust, and looks upon every being as his own soul."

The City of Kolkata was the centre of the British empire in India. It was the hub of western learning and culture. The educated class were easily influenced by foreign culture and abandoned their own traditional lifestyles. Even some of Narendra's friends became westernised. They spent their youthfulness and money in vain pleasures. 

Narendra had a sharp mind. He could see the impermanence of worldly pleasures and the dangers in leading an immoral life. He valued his pure body and mind as an asset to realise God. With firmness, he told his parents that he wants to be a celibate to realise God. Though at this time, many rich people sent marriage proposals to Narendra, he refused everything.  

One day, Narendra went to his friend, Girish Ghosh's theatre to watch a show. Before the start of the show, Girish requested Narendra to sing a few devotional songs. Narendra played his tanpura and sang. The actresses who were in the dressing room heard his songs. They shivered in fear. The next day, an actress went to Girish and said: "Sir, why did you bring that young holy man to the theatre? What will happen to us if we cast our evil eyes on him? How could we purge ourselves?" Such was Narendra's purity! 

Narendra was a thinker and an idealist. He started to question everything which could not be explained  rationally. However, mere facts could not satisfy his heart and intellect. He wanted the real experience of the truth which he had read his books without any doubt. His search for truth brought him before many scholars, thinkers and holy men of the day, such as Herbert Spenser, Devendranath Tagore and Keshab Chandra Sen. 

Brahmo Samaj was a newfangled reform movement established in 1828. The main aim of this movement was to reform and revolutionised the Hindu religion and society. Among others, the Brahmo Samaj contributed to the abolishment of the Sati custom. Brahmo Samaj leaders also fought against the caste system and child marriage.  

A view of the famous Howrah Bridge, Kolkata,
circa the 1890s.

The progressive ideas of the Brahmo Samaj and its dynamic leader, Keshab Chandra Sen attracted many young educated men. They became its members. Its members took a pledge of not worshiping idols, to be vegetarian, and not to tell lies. Narendra and his friends too joined the Brahmo Samaj. 

Western philosophy and the influence of Brahmo Samaj, stirred a deep question in Narendra's mind. He realised that he must get at the truth and that mere intellectualism will not satisfy his longing for truth. He wanted to know if God exists. He wanted to know if God can be seen and if there is anyone who has seen God. His questions, made him roaming around Kolkata asking the scholars, thinkers, and holy men if they have seen God. Unfortunately, no one could give him a satisfactory answer. 

Childhood

Monday, 12 January 1863. The people of Kolkata (then known as Calcutta) were celebrating the Makara Sankranti festival. Millions of Hindus gathered near the banks of the Ganges to worship the River Goddess. A few minutes before dawn, a boy was born as No.3 Gour Mohan Mukherjee Street, Simla, Kolkata. 

Seeing the baby, an old lady exclaimed: "Look! How big are his eyes!" Another lady said, "He looks just like is grandfather Durgaprasad!" 

Bhuvaneshwari, the mother of the baby, just looked at him silently. She had prayed for years to the Great Lord Mahadeva for a son. She had even asked her relative in Varanasi (also called Benaras and Kasi) to offer special prayer to Lord Vireshwar (one of the names of Lord Siva) to bless her with a son. Her prayers were answered that day. 

Remembering the Lord, Bhuvaneswari named her child as Vireshwar. In Bengali, Vireshwar is pronounced as Bireshwar. In short, Bireshwar became 'Biley'. Later, he was called Narendranath Datta. 

Biley's father, Vishwanath Datta was a lawyer in the High Court of Kolkata. He was a generous man. 

Biley became a very active and boisterous child. When he was three years old, almost everyday Bhuvaneshwari had to hear complaints about Biley. His two elder sisters; Swarnamayi and Haramani were the targets of his pranks. Whenever they tried to catch him to teach him a lesson or two, he would run into a pool of mud, spraying them with muddy water. The only way Bhuvaneshwari could calm the boy was by pouring cold water on his head and chanting 'Shiva, Shiva!' This made Bhuvaneshwari wonder if Lord Shiva had sent one of His demons to her! 

Biley had a strong instinct to verify the truth of something he had heard. One day, he heard someone saying that God watches all our actions. Biley wanted to test it out. He ran to his room and laid on his bed. He waited for awhile saying, "Now, the roof will open and I can see God's face!" 

Biley's father, Vishwanath Datta was a very generous man. Many mendicants used to visit their house to beg alms. Biley too had a same generous heart. Moreover, Biley had a strong attraction for monks. He always remembered that his grandfather Durgaprasad had become a monk many years ago. Whenever Biley saw a monk, he gave away everything in the house. One day, he was wearing a new dhoti, when a monk came to beg alms. Biley was overjoyed to see the monk. Immediately, he removed his dhoti and gave it to the monk! At times, he even gave away expensive things from the house. Finally, Bhuvaneshwari had to lock him in a room to stop him. However, even that could not deter Biley! The moment he heard anyone shouting for alms, he threw out through the window anything he could find in the room. 

                                                                  

Biley was a loving boy. He had many pets which he took care very well. Among his pets were a monkey, a goat, a peacock, pigeons, a parrot, and some guinea pigs. His family had their own dairy with many milch cows. During the festivals, Biley and his sisters would decorate the cows with sandal paste and worship it. Their family also had a shed with many horses to pull their carriage. Biley loved to play with the horses and soon he learned to ride horses. 

Sometimes, Biley became very silent. He loved listening to stories. His mother and grandmother told him many wonderful stories from the Mahabharata and Ramayana. Sitting on their laps, he learned about the culture, tradition, and religion of India. 

One of Biley's favourite stories was the story of his paternal grandfather, Durgaprasad. Biley had a great regard and admiration for his grandfather though he had never met him. Durgaprasad was a handsome, hardworking and talented man. He married a beautiful lady, Syamasundari. After the birth of their son, Vishwanath, one day Durgaprasad left his home and went to Varanasi. He became a monk. After many years, he returned to Kolkata as a wandering monk. Someone recognised him and brought him forcefully to their house. For three days, the locked him up in a room. Durgaprasad screamed for help and refused to eat anything. On the third day, he fainted in exhaustion. Someone pitied him and secretly let him escape. Since then, Durgaprasad had never returned to the family. 

Biley also loved the story of Lord Rama and Sita Devi. Every day, he decorated the images of Rama and Sita and worshiped. This was continuing for long until Biley heard a horrible story. One day, a coachman told Biley about the troubles ad suffering in a married life. The story made Biley imagine the marriage must be something like a huge chain tying people together. His imagination carried him to his favourite god and goddess! He was struck to think that Rama and Sita were married. Biley could not stop his tears. He rushed to his mother to seek consolation. "Mother, Sita was Rama's wife. How can I worship them?" Bhuvaneshwari understood her son. She pacified him and said, "Don't worry. You can worship Siva. He is a great monk."

Biley wiped his tears. He ran to the room where he kept the images of Rama and Sita. Though feeling sad, he made a firm resolution. He took the images to the balcony and threw it down. The clay images broke into pieces. The next day, Biley went to the market and bought an image of Lord Shiva. He kept the new image in his room and started worshiping it with devotion. 

Even though Biley broke the images of Rama and Sita, he was never tired of the Ramayana. The great hero Hanuman, was his favourite hero. Whenever the Ramayana was read in anyone's house, Biley would attend it. 

Game of 'Meditation

Biley also loved to 'meditate', sitting with crossed leg and closing his eyes. Often, he and his friends would sit in a meditation pose. Sometimes, while playing meditation, Biley would completely forget about everything. One day, he was playing meditation with his friends. Suddenly, a cobra entered the room through the window. Hearing the sound of hissing, the boys opened their eyes and was terrified to see the cobra. Screaming aloud, they ran out of the room. But Biley did not move from his place. He was sitting, absorbed in his thoughts about God. After awhile, the cobra left the room without harming Biley. When his mother questioned him about the incident, Biley was suprised. "I did not know about the cobra. I was feeling very blissful." 

Short Life of Swami Vivekananda

In San Francisco, 1900

Swami Vivekananda was born on 12 January 1863 into a Bengali family of Kolkata (then Calcutta), India. He was a Hindu monk of the Dasanami order established by Sri Sankaracharya (also known as Adi Sankaracharya). Swami Vivekananda was a chief disciple of the 19th-century Indian mystic, Sri Ramakrishna. Swami Vivekananda was a key figure in the introduction of the Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world. He is also credited with raising interfaith awareness, bringing Hinduism to the status of a major world religion during the late 19th century. He was a major force in the revival of Hinduism. In India, he is regarded as a patriotic saint as his writings and lectures had inspired many Indian freedom fighters. Recognizing his stature as a youth icon, Swami Vivekananda's birthday, January 12th, is celebrated as the National Youth Day in India. 

Swami Vivekananda established the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission to continue the work which he started during his lifetime. 

Early life (1863–88)

Birth and childhood

Vivekananda was born Narendranath Datta (shortened to Narendra or Naren) at his ancestral home at 3 Gourmohan Mukherjee Street in Calcutta, the capital of British India, on 12 January 1863 on a Makara Sankranti day. 

Swami Vivekananda belonged to a traditional Bengali Kayastha family in Kolkata (Calcutta). His father, Vishwanath Datta, was an attorney at the Calcutta High Court. Durgacharan Datta, his grandfather was a Sanskrit and Persian scholar who left his family and became a monk. His mother, Bhuvaneswari Devi, was a devout housewife. The progressive, rational attitude of Vishwanath Datta and the religious temperament of Bhuvaneswari Devi helped shape Swami Vivekananda's thinking and personality. 

Swami Vivekananda's Ancestral House

Bhuvaneshwari had prayed for years to the Great Lord Mahadeva for a son. She had even asked her relative in Varanasi (also called Benaras and Kasi) to offer special prayer to Lord Vireshwar (one of the names of Lord Siva) to bless her with a son. When a son was born to her, Bhuvaneswari named him as Vireshwar. In Bengali, Vireshwar is pronounced as Bireshwar. In short, Bireshwar became 'Biley'. Later, he was called Narendranath Datta. 

Narendranath had a spiritual and contemplative nature from a young age. As a young boy, he used to play sitting in a meditative pose before the images of deities such as Rama, Sita, and Shiva. He was fascinated by wandering ascetics and monks. He would proudly tell his young friends that he too wanted to become a monk like his grandfather. Naren was naughty and restless as a child, and his parents often had difficulty controlling him. His mother said, "I prayed to Shiva for a son and he has sent me one of his demons."

Bhuvaneshwari Devi

Narendra had two sisters, Swarnamayi and Haramani and two younger brothers, Mahendranath, and Bhupendranath. 

Education 

In 1871, at the age of eight, Narendranath enrolled at Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's Metropolitan Institution, where he went to school until his family moved to Raipur in 1877. In 1879, after his family's return to Calcutta, he was the only student to receive first-division marks in the Presidency College entrance examination. 

Naren had a prodigious memory and he was an avid reader in a wide range of subjects, including philosophy, religion, history, social science, art, and literature. He was also interested in Hindu scriptures, including the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Puranas. His favourite subject was history. Narendra was trained in Indian classical music and regularly participated in physical exercise, sports, and organised activities. 

Narendra studied Western logic, Western philosophy and European history at the General Assembly's Institution (now known as the Scottish Church College). In 1881 he passed the Fine Arts examination and completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1884. 

William Hastie (principal of General Assembly's Institution) wrote, "Narendra is really a genius. I have travelled far and wide but I have never come across a lad of his talents and possibilities, even in German universities, among philosophical students."

Narendra studied the works of David Hume, Immanuel Kant, Johann Gottlieb Fichte, Baruch Spinoza, Georg W. F. Hegel, Arthur Schopenhauer, Auguste Comte,John Stuart Mill and Charles Darwin. He became fascinated with the evolutionism of Herbert Spencer and corresponded with him, translating Spencer's book Education (1861) into Bengali. While studying Western philosophers, he also learned Sanskrit scriptures and Bengali literature. 

Upon completing the Bachelor of Arts, Narendra joined the law course. He wanted to go to England to read law and become a lawyer. 

Youth 

Narendra was an active youth. He joined the joined Keshab Chandra Sen's Nava Vidhan. He also became a Free Mason and a member of the Sadharan Brahmo Samaj in his early twenties. 

Not satisfied with his knowledge of philosophy, Narendra yearned for truth. He wanted to test everything before believing it. He asked several prominent Calcutta residents if they had come "face to face with God", but none of their answers satisfied him.

At this time, Narendra met Debendranath Tagore (the leader of Brahmo Samaj and father of Rabindranath Tagore) and asked if he had seen God. Instead of answering his question, Tagore said "My boy, you have the Yogi's eyes."

Narendra's ardent search for God brought him to Sri Ramakrishna, the saint of Dakshineshwar. He first heard about Sri Ramakrishna from Professor William Hastie at the General Assembly's Institution. During a lecture on William Wordsworth's poem, The Excursion, Professor Hastie suggested that his students visit Sri Ramakrishna of Dakshineswar to understand the true meaning of 'trance'.

Sri Ramakrishna, the saint of Dakshineshwar 

About November 1881, Narendra's first saw Sri Ramakrishna at the house of his friend and neighbour, Surendra Nath Mitra. Surendra had invited Narendra to sing in a religious festival in his house.The chief guest at the festival was Sri Ramakrishna. Narendra sang few devotional songs and Sri Ramakrishna was impressed by his singing talent. He invited Narendra to come to Dakshineswar and meet him.

Sri Ramakrishna 

Narendra's father, Vishwanath Datta, wanted to get his son to get married and started making arrangements. Narendra was reluctant to marry and was attempting to quench his religious and spiritual thirst. 

Ram Chandra Datta, Narendra's uncle learned about his spiritual thirst and his refusal to marry. Ram Chandra told him — "If you really want to know the truth, why are you roaming about here and there? Go to Ramakrishna Paramahamsa at Dakshineswar."

Narendra's First Visit to Dakshineswar

Narendra and two of his freinds went by coach to meet Sri Ramakrishna. The saint was staying at the Kali Temple in Dakshineshwar. Narendra asked him the question which he had put to several others but had received no satisfactory answer: “Sir, have you seen God?” Without a moment’s hesitation, Sri Ramakrishna replied: “Yes, I have. I see Him as clearly as I see you, only in a much intenser sense.” 

Dakshineshwar Temple

Narendra now became a frequent visitor to Dakshineshwar and, under the guidance of the Master, made rapid strides on the spiritual path. Sri Ramakrishna looked upon Narendra as an incarnation of Rishi Nara, who was born for the good of the world. 

At Dakshineshwar, Narendra also met several young men, Rakhal, Baburam, Latu, Shashi, Sarat, Tarak, Niranjan, Gadadhar, Girish, and others. They were all devoted to Sri Ramakrishna, and they became close friends. 

Difficult Situations

After a few years, two events took place which caused Narendra considerable distress. One was the sudden death of his father in 1884. This left the family penniless, and Narendra had to bear the burden of supporting his mother, brothers, and sisters. His relatives tried to evict them from their ancestral house. 

Narendra tried in vain to search for a job in Kolkata. With the help of some friends, he got a job as a headmaster in a school. However, due to some reasons, he had to resign. He also found a temporary job at a lawyer's office. During this difficult period, Naren and his friend Vaishnav Charan Basak compiled a book on Bengali music called 'Sangeet Kalpataru'. 

The second event was the illness of Sri Ramakrishna which was diagnosed as throat cancer. In September 1885, Sri Ramakrishna was moved to a house at Shyampukur, and a few months later to a rented villa at Cossipore (also spelt as Kashipur). The young disciples nursed the Master with devoted care. In spite of poverty at home and inability to find a job for himself, Narendra joined the group as its leader.

Cossipore / Kashipur Garden House

At Cossipore, Narendra, and several other disciples received ochre robes from Sri Ramakrishna, forming a monastic order. Sri Ramakrishna asked him to care for the other monastic disciples, and in turn asked them to see Narendra as their leader. Narendra spent long hours in meditation. 

About this time, Narendra along with Kali and Tarak secretly ran away to Bodh Gaya to meditate under the Bodhi tree where the Buddha attained Nirvana. However, due to serious diarrhea, they had to return to Cossipore after a few days.  

Ramakrishna attained Mahasamadhi on 16 August 1886 in Cossipore. Soon, the disciples had to vacate the Cossipore garden house. Some returned home and began to study. Some went to pilgrimage. Narendra, however, started to organize them into a monastic brotherhood. 

Baranagore Math

With money provided by Surendranath Mitra, a dilapidated house with a cheap rental was found. The first monastery of the Ramakrishna Math (Math = monastery) came into existence here. With financial support from some householder disciples of Sri Ramakrishna, the young monks led an austere life. They practiced meditation, repetition of mantras, chanting hymns, prayers, scriptural studies and other spiritual practices. 

The young monks at Baranagore Math

In December 1886, the mother of Baburam invited Narendra and his other brother disciples to Antpur village. Narendra and the other aspiring monks accepted the invitation and went to Antpur to spend a few days. In Antpur, one night, they sat before a holy fire and Narendra spoke about the glorious life of Christ. They felt that they must embrace the monastic life to lead such a selfless and pure life. They took the vow of celibacy before the fire. The next day, they were overjoyed to know that it was Christmas Eve. 

Later, after returning to Baranagore, they took a formal monastic vow following the tradition of the Dasanami order of monks. Narendra chose the monastic names for all his brother monks. 

At first, Narendra wanted to assume the name "Swami Ramakrishnananda". However, as the name best suited Shashi, Narendra took the name: Swami Vividishananda". However, he seldom used this name. Sometimes, he also identified himself as "Swami Satchidananda". Some years later, before leaving to Chicago, Narendra took the name "Swami Vivekananda". 

Travels in India (1888–93)

In 1888, Narendra left the monastery as a Parivrâjaka— the Hindu religious life of a wandering monk, "without fixed abode, without ties, independent and strangers wherever they go". Here onwards, he will be called as "Swamiji". 

During his travel, Swamiji carried a kamandalu (water pot),  a staff and his two favourite books: the Bhagavad Gita and The Imitation of Christ. Living primarily on bhiksha (alms), he travelled on foot and by railway (with tickets bought by admirers).

Swamiji travelled extensively in India for five years, visiting centres of learning and acquainting himself with diverse religious traditions and social patterns. He developed sympathy for the suffering and poverty of the people and resolved to uplift the nation.  During his travels, he met and stayed with Indians from all religions and walks of life: scholars, government officials, kings, peasants, labourers, Hindus, Muslims, and Christians. 

In 1888, Swamiji went to his first destination, Varanasi. He visited the places associated with Gautama Buddha and Sri Sankaracharya. He also paid respect to Trailanga Swami and Swami Bhaskarananda, two holy men in Varanasi and became acquainted with Pramadadas Mitra, a Sanskrit scholar. Swamiji often corresponded with Pramadadas Mitra to seek clarification on Hindu scriptures. 

At Sarnath, near Varanasi, Swamiji experienced an incident with a pack of monkeys which he often quoted in later days. One day, Swamiji was returning from a visit to the Durga temple. Suddenly, a troop of monkeys kept on chasing him. He ran as fast as he could, but the monkeys kept on chasing him. Swamiji did not know what to do. Just then an old monk called out to him, "Stop! Face the brutes." Swamiji stopped, turned around and stood facing the monkeys. When he did this, the monkeys got frightened and ran away. 

From Varanasi, Swamiji travelled to Ayodhya, Lucknow, Agra, Vrindavan, Hathras, and Rishikesh. 

In September 1888, Swamiji halted at the Hathras station. Here, a station master, Sharat Chandra Gupta became his disciple. Swamiji accepted him as his first monastic disciple and named him as 'Swami Sadananda'. 

Swamiji continued his journey to Hrishikesh in the Himalayas with Swami Sadananda. Soon, they returned to Baranagore. 

In January 1890, Swamiji went to Ghazipur via Allahabad. He met the famous Hatha Yogi, Pavhari Baba. Swamiji wanted to learn Hatha Yoga from Baba. However, Swamiji gave up his intention of learning the Hatha Yoga and left Ghazipur after some time. 

Swami Akhandananda

Early 1890, Swamiji returned to Baranagore Math upon receiving the news of Balaram Bose's death. Bose had been the main patron of the monastery. Within few month, another patron, Surendranath Mitra also passed away. The monastery was threatened with financial crisis with these two deaths. Seeing their condition, Girish Chandra Ghose and Mahendranath Gupta came to aid. Though they were not rich, they tried to help the monks in every possible way. 

After settling the affairs at the Baranagore monastery, Swamiji continued with his travel. This time, he was accompanied by Swami Akhandananda. 

They went to Nainital, Almora, Srinagar, Dehradun, Rishikesh and Haridwar. While they were at Meerut, they met their other brother disciples, Swamis Brahmananda, Saradananda, Turiyananda dan Advaitananda. As if they were back in Baranagore, they spent some days together happily. 

From Meerut, Swamiji went to Delhi in January 1891. Swamiji visited the famous Taj Mahal and admired its beauty. From Delhi, he continued his journey alone towards the south. 

Rajputana

From Delhi, Swamiji went to Alwar in February 1891. Here, he met the king of Alwar, Raja Mangal Singh. Mangal Singh was a western educated king who did not believe in the Hindu religion. Once Mangal Singh questioned Swamiji about image worship and Swamiji gave him his epic answer that just as photo remind us of the person in the photo, images and idols remind us of God. 

Swamiji's next destination was Jaipur. With guidance from a Sanskrit scholar, Swamiji learnt Panini's Ashtadhyayi (Sanskrit grammar). Then, he travelled to Ajmer and visited the palace of Akbar and Dargah Sharif. 

At Mount Abu, near Khetri Swamiji met Raja Ajit Singh, the king of Khetri. Ajit Singh became his close disciple and friend. Swamiji stayed at the palace of Khetri and studied the Mahabhasya of Panini. Two months later, in October 1891, Swamiji went to Maharashtra. 

Swamiji then visited Ahmedabad, Wadhwan and Limbdi. At Limbdi, Swamiji completed the study on Islamic and Jain civilizations. At Limbdi, he met Thakur Saheb Jaswant Singh who suggested to Swamiji to go to England and America to teach Vedanta. 

Next, Swamiji visited Junagadh, Girnar, Kutch, Porbander, Dwaraka, Palitana, Nadiad, and Baroda. He spent about nine months in Porbander studying Sanskrit and philosophy. Mahabaleshwar, Pune, Khandwa and Indore were his next destinations. 

In Belgaum

While travelling in Kathiawar, Swamiji heard about the Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago. His followers urged him to go to Chicago as a delegate of Hinduism. After a short stay at Bombay in July 1892, Swamiji met Bal Gangadhar Tilak (a politician and nationalist). Swamiji stayed with Tilak for a few days in Pune.

From there, Swamiji visited Belgaum, Panaji, and Margao in Goa. At Goa, Swamiji studied the ancient Christian manuscripts in Latin at the Rachol Seminary. 

South India (1892–1893)

Swamiji proceeded to Bangalore and became acquainted with K.Seshadri Iyer (the officer of the Mysore palace). Iyer introduced Swamiji to the Mysore king, Chamaraja Wodeyar. Swamiji stayed in Mysore palace as a royal guest for some days. 

Vivekananda Rock Memorial, Kanyakumari

Next, Swamiji proceeded to Trissur, Kodungalloor, Ernakulam, Trivandrum, and Nagerkoil. Finally, in December 1892, a few days before Christmas, he reached Kanyakumari. Here, at India's southern tip, Swamiji swam to a rock on the sea and sat in meditation for three days. Today, in the same spot stands the Vivekananda Rock Memorial. 

After his grand discovery about the future of his mission, Swamiji proceeded to Madurai and met the Raja of Ramnad, Bhaskara Sethupathi. The Raja became his disciple and urged him to attend the Parliament of World's Religions. 

Swamiji left Madurai and went to Rameswaram, Pondicherry and Madras (now Chennai). In Madras, Swamiji met some young enthusiastic youths who became his ardent disciples. Among them was Alasinga Perumal and Kidi who played key roles in collecting the funds for Swami Vivekananda's American tour. 

With funds collected from the people of Madras and the kings of Mysore, Ramnad, and Khetri, Swamiji set out to America via Port of Bombay on 31 May 1893. Before starting on his journey, on the suggestion of Raja Ajit Singh of Khetri, Swamiji adopted the name "Swami Vivekananda". 

First Visit to the West (1893-97)

S.S.Peninsular

Vivekananda started his journey to the West on 31 May 1893 from the Bombay Port by S.S.Peninsular. During the journey, he visited Penang, Singapore, Nagasaki, Kobe, Yokohama, Osaka, Kyoto, Hong Kong, and China. Finally, the ship landed in Vancouver, Canada on 25 July 1893. Thereon, he travelled by train to the United States, reaching Chicago on 30 July 1893. 

At Chicago, after getting his lodging, Swamiji visited the World's Columbian Exposition (also called the Chicago Fair). Then, Swamiji went to office of the Parliament to find out about the Parliament of Religions. Upon inquiry, Swamiji came to know that the Parliament of the World's Religions was postponed to September and that he need to produce valid credentials as a delegate of Hinduism. The registration of delegates also was closed. Disheartened with his prospect, Swamiji decided to stay on until September to attend the Parliament. The high cost of living in Chicago drove him away to Boston. 

During his train trip from Canada, Swamiji was acquainted with Miss Kate Sanborn, a famous writer. Miss Sanborn had invited Swamiji to Breezy Meadows Farm, near Boston. Swamiji moved to Boston to seek her help. 

While staying with Miss Sanborn, Swamiji met Professor John Henry Wright from the University of Harvard. The professor was impressed with Swamiji's learning and asked him to represent Hinduism at the Parliament of Religions. Swamiji told him that he had no official letter from any organization. Professor Wright replied, "To ask you, Swami, for credentials is like asking the sun to state its right to shine."

Nevertheless, Professor Wright gave a letter to the Chairman of the Committee of the Parliament of Religions introducing Swamiji. In this letter he wrote, "Here is a man who is more learned than all our learned professors put together." He also presented Swamiji with a train ticket to Chicago. 

With renewed hope, Swamiji returned to Chicago by train. At Chicago, Swamiji found that he had lost the address of the Committee. He did not know where to go. He could not get any help as he had landed in a German-speaking area. Tired and hungry, Swamiji spent the night in a large empty box. In the morning, he began to walk along a street where rich people lived called Lake Shore Drive. As he used to do in India, he started to beg for food from door to door. But, this was not India! Here, he was treated rudely and even the servants insulted him for begging. After walking for a while, Swamiji sat down by the side of the street. Just then the door of an opposite house opened and a lady came out. She went to Swamiji and asked him, "Sir, are you a delegate to the Parliament of Religions?" Swamiji introduced himself.  

The lady was Mrs.Hale. She took Swamiji to her home and after giving him breakfast took him to the office of the Parliament. 

To the end of his life, Swamiji remained friendly with the Hale family and often visited their house in Dearbon Avenue, Chicago. He called Mrs. Hale as Mother Church and her husband, as Father Pope. The Hales had two daughters and a son. 

The Parliament of the World's Religions

The Parliament of the World's Religions opened on 11 September 1893 at the Art Institute of Chicago as part of the World's Columbian Exposition. 

Vivekananda at the Parliament of Religions

The World's Columbian Exposition  (also known as The Chicago World's Fair and Chicago Columbian Exposition) was a world's fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. As part of the grand celebration, the Parliament of the World's Religions was held from September 11 to September 27. It was the first time in history all the major religions came together on the same platform. 

On the first day, Swami Vivekananda gave a brief speech representing India and Hinduism. He was initially nervous, bowed to Saraswati (the Hindu goddess of learning) and began his speech with "Sisters and brothers of America!". At these words, Vivekananda received a two-minute standing ovation from the crowd of seven thousand. Vivekananda quoted two illustrative passages from the Shiva Mahima Stotram: "As the different streams having their sources in different places all mingle their water in the sea, so, O Lord, the different paths which men take, through different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to Thee!" and "Whosoever comes to Me, through whatsoever form, I reach him; all men are struggling through paths that in the end lead to Me." 

At Chicago, 1893

Through this first speech, Vivekananda attracted widespread attention in the press, which called him the "cyclonic monk from India". 

The New York Critique wrote, "He is an orator by divine right, and his strong, intelligent face in its picturesque setting of yellow and orange was hardly less interesting than those earnest words, and the rich, rhythmical utterance he gave them". 

The New York Herald noted, "Vivekananda is undoubtedly the greatest figure in the Parliament of Religions. After hearing him we feel how foolish it is to send missionaries to this learned nation".

American newspapers reported Vivekananda as "the greatest figure in the parliament of religions" and "the most popular and influential man in the parliament". 

The Boston Evening Transcript reported that Vivekananda was "a great favourite at the parliament... if he merely crosses the platform, he is applauded".

American and European Lecture Tours

After the success at Chicago, Swami Vivekananda travelled throughout the American continent for two years. He delivered hundreds of lectures, formal and informal talks, and inspired thousands of Americans. He taught them mainly Vedanta, Hindu and Indian culture, and civilization. He also studied the culture and norms of the Americans. 

In 1894, Swamiji established the Vedanta Society of New York. In 1895 summer, he started private classes on Vedanta and Yoga from a rented house in New York. 

Sister Christine 

During the summer vacation in June 1895, Swamiji went to the Thousand Island Park with twelve of his followers. Here, they stayed at the Dutcher's Cottage for nine weeks. The talks and occasional utterance of Swamiji were noted by Miss S.Ellen Waldo. Later, the notes were published as "Inspired Talks". During this time, Swamiji also composed one of his inspiring poems, "The Song of the Sannyasin". 

At the Thousand Island Park, Swamiji found Christine Greenstidel, who became his ardent disciple. She took Brahmacharya vow from Swamiji and since then, was known as Sister Christine. Later, Sister Christine came to India and helped Sister Nivedita to start a school for girls. She also helped Swamiji to disseminate Vedanta in America.   

In Europe 

Swami Vivekananda then visited England in 1895 and 1896. In England, Swamiji was the guest of E.T.Sturdy for six months. Swamiji helped Sturdy to translate Narada Bhakti Sutras into English. 

In November 1895, Swamiji met Margaret Noble, an Irish lady who later became Sister Nivedita. Swamiji also met Max Muller, an Indologist from the University of Oxford. Later, Muller wrote the biography of Sri Ramakrishna. 

In 1896, Swamiji called one of his brother monks, Swami Saradananda to England to teach Vedanta. The Swamis were very happy to see each other after several years. Swamiji told Saradananda about his plans for their monastery in India. By this time, the Baranagore Math was shifted to a new building at Alambazar. 

In German, Swamiji visited Paul Deussen, another Indologist, and Sanskrit scholar. They had long conversations and visited many places together. 

While travelling in Europe, Swami Vivekananda received two teaching offers from the Universities of Harvard and Columbia. However, as it was against his monastic vow, Swamiji declined the offers.   

Apart from work, Swamiji also enjoyed visiting many scenic and historical places in Europe. At Switzerland, Swamiji enjoyed beauty, peace, and silence of the snow-capped Alps.  

Western Disciples 

Many Americans and Europeans became the followers and disciples of Swami Vivekananda. Among them, Josephine MacLeod, Christina Greenstidel (later became Sister Christine), Sara Bull, J.J.Goodwin, William James, Josiah Royce, Robert G. Ingersoll, Nikola Tesla, Lord Kelvin, Harriet Monroe, Ella Wheeler Wilcox, Sarah Bernhardt, Emma Calvé and Hermann Ludwig Ferdinand von Helmholtz. They helped Swami Vivekananda to promote Vedanta philosophy in America and Europe. 

J.J.Goodwin

To record Swami Vivekananda's talks and lectures, Josephine MacLeod engaged J.J.Goodwin, a court stenographer. Goodwin was capable of writing 200 words per minute and charged an exorbitant fee. However, a week after taking down Swamiji's words, Goodwin refused to take any payment and said, "If Vivekananda gives his life, the least I can do is to give my service." From then on, Goodwin followed Swamiji like a shadow and recorded his talks and lectures. 

Swamiji's lectures were later published as books. In February 1896, Karma Yoga was published in the United States of America. Raja Yoga was published in London on 13 July 1896. Bhakti Yoga was published in Madras in September 1896. 

Even though Swamiji was far away from India, he continued to correspondent with his disciples and brother monks at Alambazar Math. His letters gave them detailed instruction about carrying out Sri Ramakrishna message. 

In 1895, the Brahmavadin magazine was started to disseminate the message of Vedanta. 

Return to India (1897-1899)

Swamiji decided to return to India. He sent Swami Saradananda to America to continue with the Vedanta classes and lectures. He also sent for Swami Abhedananda to come to England from India. Swami Abhedananda came and began to give public lectures.

In December 1896, Swamiji set out to India with his English disciples, Captain and Mrs. Sevier, and JJ Goodwin. During this return journey, Swamiji visited France and Italy. 

Swamiji and his disciples landed in Colombo Port (in Sri Lanka) on 15 January 1897. Swamiji received a hero's welcome in his motherland. One of his brother monks, Swami Niranjanananda was at Colombo to see him. 

In Colombo, he gave his first public speech in the East, India, the Holy Land. From there on, his journey to Calcutta was triumphant. Everywhere, he found a huge crowd of people waiting to see him. Those who were near rushed to touch his feet. People came from faraway places just to get a glimpse of him.  

Vivekanandar Illam, Chennai

Swami Vivekananda travelled from Colombo to Pamban, Rameswaram, Ramnad, Madurai, Kumbakonam, and Madras delivering lectures and talks. Common people and rajas gave him an enthusiastic reception. During his train travels, people often sat on the rails to force the train to stop so they could hear him. At Madras, Swamiji stayed at Ice House (now known as 'Vivekanandar Illam') and received his visitors. Upon earnest request from his Madras disciples and friends, Swamiji directed his brother monk, Swami Ramakrishnananda to establish a branch of the Ramakrishna Math in Madras. 

From Madras, Swamiji continued his journey to Calcutta and Almora. While in the West, Vivekananda spoke about India's great spiritual heritage; in India, he repeatedly addressed social issues: uplifting the people, eliminating the caste system, promoting science and industrialisation, addressing widespread poverty and ending colonial rule. These lectures, published as Lectures from Colombo to Almora, demonstrate his nationalistic fervour and spiritual ideology. 

Swamiji was happy to return to his brother monks at the Alambazar Math. While Swamiji was in America, they had shifted their monastery from Baranagore to Alambazar, and therefore, the monastery was called Alambazar Math. Swamiji told them about his plans for rebuilding India. Swamiji also wanted to build a temple for Sri Ramakrishna and a proper monastery for the monks and brahmacharis. 

Swamiji's American disciples gave him money to purchase a large plot of land at the Belur village to build the temple and monastery. Soon, the monastery was moved from Alambazar to Belur. Here, a permanent temple for Sri Ramakrishna and a monastery for the monks were built. It is called as the Belur Math. 

On 1 May 1897 in Calcutta, Swami Vivekananda founded the Ramakrishna Mission for social service. Both Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission have their headquarters at Belur Math. Swamiji also designed the logo of the Ramakrishna Mission and formulated its motto as: "Atmano Mokshartham Jagad Hitaya Ca" (For one's own salvation and the good of the world). 

Logo of Ramakrishna Math &
Ramakrishna Mission

Vivekananda founded two other monasteries: one in Mayavati in the Himalayas (near Almora), the Advaita Ashrama and another in Madras. 

Belur Math

During Swamiji's time, two journals were founded: Prabuddha Bharata in English and Udbhodan in Bengali. That year, famine relief work was begun by Swami Akhandananda in the Murshidabad district.  

Swamiji earlier inspired Jamshedji Tata to set up a research and educational institution when they travelled together from Yokohama  to Chicago on his first visit to the West in 1893. Tata now asked him to head his Research Institute of Science. Swamiji declined the offer. After brief visits to Punjab, Lahore, Delhi and Khetri, Swamiji returned to Calcutta in January 1898.

Due to overwork, Swamiji's health became worse. In March 1898, he went to Darjeeling for rest. He stayed there for a month. Then, news came about the outbreak of plague in Calcutta. At once, Swamiji returned to Calcutta and started relief work. Someone asked him, "From where will we get the money to do relief work?"  

Swamiji replied, "Why? We will sell the land for the new Math if necessary. We are sannyasins. We should be ready to live under trees and beg for our food." 

However, without selling the land, they were able to carry out relief work. Hearing Swamiji's words, many people were inspired to donate for the work. Volunteers also came to help in serving the poor and sick people. Swamiji taught everyone to serve selflessly as if they were serving God in all human beings.

TO THE HIMALAYAS

After the plague relief work was over, Swamiji wanted to rest again. With Swami Adbhutananda, Sister Nivedita, Josephine Macleod, Mrs Sara Bull and others, Swamiji went to the Himalayas. The journey was very exciting as Swamiji told many interesting things about the places they passed through, such as Patna, Varanasi, Lucknow, Almora, Nainital, and Kashmir. Swamiji told them about the history, life, religion, and culture of the Indian people. Sister Nivedita recorded some of these in her books. 

Sister Nivedita

At Kashmir, Swamiji made a pilgrimage to the cave of Amarnath. Thousands of people visit the Amarnath cave to worship the ice Shivalinga. Sister Nivedita accompanied Swamiji to the cave. Swamiji became very much absorbed thinking of Lord Shiva. For days afterwards, Swamiji talking only about Shiva. 

After his Amarnath pilgrimage, Swamiji returned to Srinagar. Here, Swamiji thought more about God as Divine Mother. He went to worship at Kheer Bavani temple in Srinagar. Swamiji felt that it was the Divine Mother who did everything and that he was just a toy in Her hands. Absorbed in thinking about the Divine Mother, Swamiji composed a poem in English, "Kali the Mother", one of his best poems. 

In October 1898, Swamiji returned to Math at Calcutta. He consolidated the work of the Math and trained disciples for several months. Swamiji also composed "Khandana Bhava–Bandhana", a prayer song dedicated to Sri Ramakrishna, in 1898. 

Second visit to the West (1899-1900)

Despite declining health, Vivekananda left for the West for a second time in June 1899 by S.S.Golconda from Calcutta port. In this journey, he was accompanied by Sister Nivedita and Swami Turiyananda. Swamiji recorded his sea voyage and the travels for the Bengali magazine, Udbodhan. Later, it was published as "Memoirs of European Travel". 

Swami Turiyananda

Following a brief stay in England with Sister Nivedita's family, Swamiji went to the United States. This time, he stayed with Mr. Francis Leggett at Ridgley Manor, near the Catskill Mountains. It was a beautiful and quiet place. Swamiji stayed there until November. He was also glad to meet Swami Abhedananda who had been working in America. 

During this second visit, Vivekananda established Vedanta Societies in San Francisco and New York. He sent Swami Turiyananda with twelve disciples to start the Santi Ashrama in California. 

He then went to Paris for the Congress of History of Religions in 1900. His lectures in Paris concerned the worship of the lingam and the authenticity of the Bhagavad Gita. In Paris, Swamiji met Dr. J.C.Bose, the great Indian scientist. Swamiji was very proud of the scientific discovery of Dr.Bose. 

Vivekananda then visited Brittany, Vienna, Istanbul, Athens and Egypt. The French philosopher Jules Bois was his host for most of this period. 

Captain Sevier

Getting a premonition about the death of Captain Sevier, Swamiji cancelled his European tour abruptly and returned to Calcutta on 9 December 1900. Reaching Belur Math, he learnt about the death of Captain Sevier. 

Captain Sevier and his wife had given up everything for Swamiji and had come to India to help Swamiji in his work. They had started an Ashrama at Mayavati, in the Himalayas. Now Captain Sevier was dead. Swamiji wanted to go to Mayavati to console Mrs. Sevier. 

It was the middle of winter. There was deep snow in the Himalayas  and it was very cold. The trip was very difficult and unpleasant. But Swamiji was determined and he had resourceful disciples who helped him to reach Mayavati. 

Swamiji reached the Advaita Ashrama in Mayavati on 3 January 1901. Mrs.Sevier and the monks who lived there were very glad to see Swamiji. Swamiji too was happy to witness the contemplative life at the Ashrama. 

After a brief stay, Vivekananda returned to Belur Math.

Last Days

During his last days, Swamiji made pilgrimages to Bodhgaya, Varanasi and took his mother and sister to Dharmaputra. Declining health (including asthma, diabetes, and chronic insomnia) restricted his activity.

Despite his declining health, Swamiji continued to receive visitors daily, talked to them and gave them spiritual help. He also held classes for the monks and brahmacharins. He would often sing. He made rules for life in the monastery which is still followed in Belur Math. 

Swamiji liked animals and he kept many pets. There was a dog called 'Bagha', a she-goat called 'Hansi', cows, sheep, ducks, geese, an antelope, a stork, and a kid called 'Matru'. Swamiji loved to play with Matru, and the kid followed him everywhere and sometimes even slept in his room. When Matru died, Swamiji cried like a child unable to bear the sorrow. 

During his last days at Belur Math, Swamiji started reading the new edition of Encyclopaedia Britannica. There were twenty-five huge volumes. Swamiji had great powers of concentration and could read very quickly. A disciple saw Swamiji reading a volume and said that it would be impossible for anyone to finish reading those huge volumes in a lifetime. 

Swamiji replied, "How is that? I have already read ten volumes. You can ask me any question you like from them." 

The disciple then started asking difficult questions from those ten volumes. Swamiji answered all the questions correctly. In some cases he even remembered the exact words used in the encyclopaedia. 

The disciple said, "This is beyond the power of man." But Swamiji explained that it was due to concentration. If anyone lived a pure life he could get such concentration. 

Vivekananda Temple, Belur Math

On 4 July 1902, Vivekananda meditated for three hours in Belur Math. After his morning prayers, Swamiji was heard singing songs about the Divine Mother. Then, he taught the Shukla Yajur Veda, Sanskrit grammar and Yoga philosophy to the novices. He went for a short walk with Swami Premananda and briefed about his idea of starting a Vedic college in Belur Math. 

About seven in the evening, he returned to his room and meditated. Then, he called Brahmachari Brajesh to fan him while he lay on the bed. Around 9.10pm, Swami Vivekananda attained Mahasamadhi. 

The next morning, his body was cremated at a spot near the Ganges that he had indicated earlier to Swami Premananda. A few years later, a temple was erected at that spot to enshrine Swami Vivekananda's holy ashes.