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Lectures from Colombo to Almora
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<h2 id="background">Background</h2> <p>In 1893 Swami Vivekananda went to the United States to join the <a href="/facts/Parliament_of_the_World%2527s_Religions/swqPTAVG">Parliament of the World's Religions</a> where he had an overwhelming success and public attention. For next four years, from 1893 to 1897, he travelled through various cities of the United States and England, and gave a series of lectures on religion and <a href="/facts/Vedanta/CIeFg7fC">Vedanta</a>. He returned to India in 1897 via Colombo.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a> Vivekananda reached Colombo on 15 January 1897 where he was given a warm welcome.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a> Vivekananda mentioned this welcome in a letter written to Mary Hale on 30 January 1897:<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a> </p> <blockquote><p>Things are turning out most curiously for me. From Colombo in Ceylon, where I landed, to Ramnad, the nearly southernmost point of the Indian continent where I am just now as the guest of the Raja of Ramnad, my journey has been a huge procession — crowds of people, illuminations, addresses, etc., etc. A monument forty feet high is being built on the spot where I landed. The Raja of Ramnad has presented his address to "His most Holiness" in a huge casket of solid gold beautifully worked. Madras and Calcutta are on the tiptoe of expectation as if the whole nation is rising to honour me. So you see, Mary, I am on the very height of my destiny, yet the mind turns to quietness and peace, to the days we had in Chicago, of rest, of peace, and love; and that is why I write just now, and may this find you all in health and peace!</p></blockquote> <p>On 16 January 1897 he gave a lecture titled "India, The Sacred Land."<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> After staying at Colombo for four days he reached Calcutta<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> on 20 January via Madras.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> Between 1897 and 1899 Vivekananda travelled extensively and visited the Indian states of <a href="/facts/Uttar_Pradesh/vXDwM9Df">Uttar Pradesh</a>, <a href="/facts/Punjab/gyyuKVSp">Punjab</a> and <a href="/facts/Kashmir/Rok34JM5">Kashmir</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> On 6 May 1897 Vivekananda started his journey to Almora<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a> and on 19 June he reached there. The lectures he delivered in different places during this period were compiled into the book <i>Lectures from Colombo to Almora</i>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="lecture-locations">Lecture locations</h2> <p>Lectures at the following locations are included in the book: </p> <ol><li><a href="/facts/Colombo/dcLPUe6t">Colombo</a> 16 Jan 1897</li> <li><a href="/facts/Jaffna/A3hT7KsD">Jaffna</a> 24 Jan 1897</li> <li><a href="/facts/Pamban/WynnKT3C">Pamben</a> 26 Jan 1897</li> <li><a href="/facts/Rameswaram/fyXsuhBF">Ramesvarem</a> 27 Jan 1897</li> <li><a href="/facts/Ramanathapuram/Py5benlX">Ramnad</a> 29 Jan 1897</li> <li><a href="/facts/Paramakudi/BW1xYIpt">Paramakudi</a> 1 Feb 1897</li> <li><a href="/facts/Manamadurai/9cccwgXU">Manamadura</a> 1 Feb 1897</li> <li><a href="/facts/Madurai/TaUDwHAq">Madura</a> 2 Feb 1987</li> <li><a href="/facts/Kumbakonam/PQDe2Qkw">Kumbhakonam</a> 3 Feb 1897</li> <li><a href="/facts/Chennai/8ngv75bW">Madras</a> 7,9,11,12,13,14 Feb 1897</li> <li><a href="/facts/Kolkata/k0HVgEYm">Calcutta</a> 28 Feb and 4 Mar 1897</li> <li><a href="/facts/Almora/5UBLqmoT">Almora</a> 11 May and 27 July 1897</li></ol> <h2 id="publication">Publication</h2> <p>The book was first published by <i>The Vyjayanti Press</i>, Egmore, Madras in 1897 under the title <i>From Colombo to Almora</i>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13"><sup>13</sup></a> The introductory note of the book was written by Henrietta Muller, a friend and disciple of Vivekananda.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14"><sup>14</sup></a> Subsequent editions included lectures by Swami Vivekananda at <a href="/facts/Sialkot/MtG7t1gG">Sialkot</a>, <a href="/facts/Lahore/cjHrUPaD">Lahore</a>, Khetri and <a href="/facts/Dhaka/8IYAkBh9">Dhaka</a>. </p> <h2 id="inspiration">Inspiration</h2> <p>These lectures have been the subject of scholarly studies and source of inspiration for many people. The Sri Lankan sage <a href="/facts/Yogaswami/YzL7cWRk">Yogaswami</a> was deeply influenced by the lectures given by Vivekananda at Colombo. Vivekananda's opening words "The time is short, and the subject is vast" had deep impact on the young Yogaswami.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:15" href="#fn:15"><sup>15</sup></a> </p> <h3>Explanatory notes</h3> <h3>Citations</h3> <h3>Works cited</h3> <ul><li>Chattopadhyaya, Rajagopal (1999). <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=EtcoeaQIQdAC&pg=PA239"><i>Swami Vivekananda in India: A Corrective Biography</i></a>. Motilal Banarsidass. <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 978-81-208-1586-5.</li> <li>Mukhopadhyay, Manishankar (2011). <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=TfP5kBxkZaAC&pg=PA188"><i>The Monk as Man: The Unknown Life of Swami Vivekananda</i></a>. Penguin Books India. <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 978-0-14-310119-2.</li> <li>Bharathi, K. S. (1998). <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=ADEddk9V9w0C&pg=PA24"><i>Encyclopaedia of Eminent Thinkers: The political thought of Vivekananda</i></a>. Concept Publishing Company. <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 978-81-7022-709-0.</li> <li>Vivekananda, Swami (1897). <a href="https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Complete_Works_of_Swami_Vivekananda/Volume_6/Epistles_-_Second_Series/CXXI_Mary">"Letter to Mary Hale 30 January 1897"</a>.</li> <li>Vivekananda, Swami (1897a). <a href="http://www.vivekananda.net/PDFBooks/ColomboToAlmora1897.pdf"><i>Lectures from Colombo to Almora</i></a> (PDF).</li> <li>Hinduism Today (1999). <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=9XC9bwMMPcwC&pg=PA116"><i>What Is Hinduism?</i></a>. Himalayan Academy Publications. <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 978-1-934145-27-2.</li> <li>RKMIC (2009). <i>Swaiji o Tar Bani</i>. Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture. <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 978-81-87332-29-9.</li> <li>Mittra, Sitansu Sekhar (2001). <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=WPFeBY9YEAQC&pg=PA70"><i>Bengal's Renaissance</i></a>. Academic Publishers. <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 978-81-87504-18-4.</li></ul> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li> Media related to Lectures from Colombo to Almora at Wikimedia Commons</li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Mittra 2001, p. 70 - Mittra, Sitansu Sekhar (2001). Bengal's Renaissance. Academic Publishers. ISBN 978-81-87504-18-4. <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=WPFeBY9YEAQC&pg=PA70" target="_blank">https://books.google.com/books?id=WPFeBY9YEAQC&pg=PA70</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Bharathi 1998, pp. 123–125 - Bharathi, K. S. (1998). Encyclopaedia of Eminent Thinkers: The political thought of Vivekananda. Concept Publishing Company. ISBN 978-81-7022-709-0. <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=ADEddk9V9w0C&pg=PA24" target="_blank">https://books.google.com/books?id=ADEddk9V9w0C&pg=PA24</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Mukhopadhyay 2011, p. 188 - Mukhopadhyay, Manishankar (2011). The Monk as Man: The Unknown Life of Swami Vivekananda. Penguin Books India. ISBN 978-0-14-310119-2. <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=TfP5kBxkZaAC&pg=PA188" target="_blank">https://books.google.com/books?id=TfP5kBxkZaAC&pg=PA188</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>Mukhopadhyay 2011, p. 188 - Mukhopadhyay, Manishankar (2011). The Monk as Man: The Unknown Life of Swami Vivekananda. Penguin Books India. ISBN 978-0-14-310119-2. <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=TfP5kBxkZaAC&pg=PA188" target="_blank">https://books.google.com/books?id=TfP5kBxkZaAC&pg=PA188</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Vivekananda 1897 - Vivekananda, Swami (1897). "Letter to Mary Hale 30 January 1897". <a href="https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Complete_Works_of_Swami_Vivekananda/Volume_6/Epistles_-_Second_Series/CXXI_Mary" target="_blank">https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Complete_Works_of_Swami_Vivekananda/Volume_6/Epistles_-_Second_Series/CXXI_Mary</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>Mittra 2001, p. 70 - Mittra, Sitansu Sekhar (2001). Bengal's Renaissance. Academic Publishers. ISBN 978-81-87504-18-4. <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=WPFeBY9YEAQC&pg=PA70" target="_blank">https://books.google.com/books?id=WPFeBY9YEAQC&pg=PA70</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>Now known as Kolkata <a href="/wiki/Kolkata" target="_blank">/wiki/Kolkata</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>Now known as Chennai <a href="/wiki/Chennai" target="_blank">/wiki/Chennai</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>Bharathi 1998, pp. 123–125 - Bharathi, K. S. (1998). Encyclopaedia of Eminent Thinkers: The political thought of Vivekananda. Concept Publishing Company. ISBN 978-81-7022-709-0. <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=ADEddk9V9w0C&pg=PA24" target="_blank">https://books.google.com/books?id=ADEddk9V9w0C&pg=PA24</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>RKMIC 2009, p. 53 - RKMIC (2009). Swaiji o Tar Bani. Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture. ISBN 978-81-87332-29-9. <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>Chattopadhyaya 1999, pp. 239–242 - Chattopadhyaya, Rajagopal (1999). Swami Vivekananda in India: A Corrective Biography. Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 978-81-208-1586-5. <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=EtcoeaQIQdAC&pg=PA239" target="_blank">https://books.google.com/books?id=EtcoeaQIQdAC&pg=PA239</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>Vivekananda 1897a - Vivekananda, Swami (1897a). Lectures from Colombo to Almora (PDF). <a href="http://www.vivekananda.net/PDFBooks/ColomboToAlmora1897.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.vivekananda.net/PDFBooks/ColomboToAlmora1897.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:13"><p>Chattopadhyaya 1999, pp. 239–242 - Chattopadhyaya, Rajagopal (1999). Swami Vivekananda in India: A Corrective Biography. Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 978-81-208-1586-5. <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=EtcoeaQIQdAC&pg=PA239" target="_blank">https://books.google.com/books?id=EtcoeaQIQdAC&pg=PA239</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:14"><p>Vivekananda 1897a - Vivekananda, Swami (1897a). Lectures from Colombo to Almora (PDF). <a href="http://www.vivekananda.net/PDFBooks/ColomboToAlmora1897.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.vivekananda.net/PDFBooks/ColomboToAlmora1897.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:15"><p>Hinduism Today 1999, pp. 116–118 - Hinduism Today (1999). What Is Hinduism?. Himalayan Academy Publications. ISBN 978-1-934145-27-2. <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=9XC9bwMMPcwC&pg=PA116" target="_blank">https://books.google.com/books?id=9XC9bwMMPcwC&pg=PA116</a> <a href="#fnref:15" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>