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On 7th of August 2017.
Swami Vivekananda’s Second Visit
The Ramakrishna
Movement can be said to have really come to Sri Lanka when its founder-leader
Swami Vivekananda, landed in Colombo in January, 1897 on his way back to India
from the West. He was no more an unknown monk. This time, he landed on the soil
of Sri Lanka as a world celebrity and as a prophet of a new order of things.
The Hindu Community of Sri Lanka had all along noted with keen interest and
pride the signal success achieved by the Swami in spreading the message of the Hindu faith in
the West at the World’s Parliament of Religions held in the City of Chicago in September, 1893. Some of the more popular local dailies had
carried the news of the ‘arrival of the Hindu sage’ in
Colombo by the ‘Prinz Regent Luitpold’ on the 15th of January, 1897. This was enough to rouse the
enthusiasm of the local Hindu Community to instant activity. A large number
of Hindus assembled at the Tambyah Chatram to consider the steps to be taken
for the purpose. To meet the expenses a subscription list was started and a sum
of about Rs. 800/- was collected on the spot.2
Arrival of Swami
Shivananda
In the early part
of July, 1897, a middle-aged ochre-clad sannyasin from far-off Calcutta, India,
landed at the Colombo Port. Many prominent Hindus of Colombo were ready at hand
with flowers and garlands, expecting eagerly the arrival of the Swami. The
Swami was received, on landing, with oriental greetings and respects due to a
sage, and was conducted to Thambyah Chatram where he was to stay for the next
seven or eight months, spreading the message of Sri Ramakrishna. Swami
Shivananda, for that was the name of the apostle, was one of the direct
disciples of Sri Ramakrishna and brother-disciple of Swami Vivekananda at whose
behest he had come to the Island to continue the work of propagating the
Master’s Message. He carried with him a letter of introduction from Swami
Vivekananda to Mr. T. ARRIVAL OF SWAMI SHIVANANDA 133 Sokanathan of Colombo who
had the unique privilege of hosting the great Swami when he had earlier visited
the Island on his triumphal return to his Motherland from the West. The letter
read as follows: ... ALMORA, 30th June, 1897. To, T. SOKANATHAN, Esqr, My dear
friend, The bearer of this note, Swami Shivananda, is sent to Ceylon as
promised by me during my sojourn. He is quite fit for the work entrusted to his
care, of course with your kind help. I hope you will introduce him to other
Ceylon Friends. Yours ever in the Lord Vivekananda
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