This article is based on the book Holy Mother, Swamiji and Direct Disciples at Madras, published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai.
The receptions to Swami Vivekananda on his first visit to Madras early in 1893 and four years later in February 1897 could not have been more different. On his first visit, he met Manmatha Nath Bhattacharya, then assistant to the Accountant General of Madras, while travelling on foot near Rameswaram. At Manmatha’s invitation, Vivekananda journeyed to Madras and stayed at his house in St. Thome. Vivekananda was seen as a ‘travel-worn sannyasi’, ‘wandering sannysai’, even as a ‘beggarly sannyasi’. He was known by the name Sachchidananda. Before reaching Madras in January 1893, he had meditated on the ‘last bit of Indian Rock’ in Kanyakumari towards the end of December 1892 and resolved to dedicate his life to the country.
In 1897, on his return from the West after making history at the Parliament of Religions in Chicago, people gathered in large numbers at the Egmore station. He was received in a horse carriage. At one point, the horses were unharnessed and the carriage pulled by students. Seventeen arches were erected in his honour and he was hailed as the ‘Harbinger of peace’, ‘Prince of men’ and ‘The Venerable Vivekananda’. He was put up in Castle Kernan (now Vivekanandar Illam), the palatial residence of Biligiri Iyengar, a prominent advocate.
The hearty welcome and massive celebrations went to show that the people of Madras were seeing Swami Vivekananda as one of their own. He had established his mettle as a ‘remarkable English-speaking sannyasi’ and ‘great Sadhu’ among the educated men here during his earlier visit in 1893. It was here that the decision to send him to the Parliament of Religions had gathered momentum and funds collected for his passage to America. One of the first to meet Vivekananda at Manmatha’s house in 1893 was G.G. Narasimhachari. He was to become a devoted disciple, working along with Alasinga Perumal and other band of devotees to raise funds to send Vivekananda abroad and also later help bring out Brahmavadin, the magazine started in Madras in 1895 by Alasinga Perumal. Vivekananda visited the house of Sir S. Subramania Iyer, Judge of the Madras High Court and later first Indian Chief Justice of the Madras High Court. He was popularly called the ‘Grand Old Man of South India’. Apart from the meetings with many admirers in Manmatha’s house from 4 to 10 p.m., he delivered several talks at the Triplicane Literary Society. As he became more popular, word spread to Hyderabad and he was invited there. He visited that city and returned to Madras by the end of February 1893.
Prior to his departure to Hyderabad, he had, accompanied by Manmatha Nath and Alasinga Perumal, visited a place near Kumbakonam to meet Govinda Chetti, an ‘exorcist’, to relieve himself of mental disturbances due to bad dreams about his mother. Back in Madras, he received news that his mother was well. He also received the blessings of Sri Sarada Devi, wife of Sri Ramakrishna, for his plan to visit America. But for an invitation from the Maharaja of Khetri to go there, he would have left the country from Madras. Eventually, he left for America from Bombay on 31st May 1893.
In 1897, on his return from America, Swami Vivekananda stayed here for nine days from February 6-14. Several addresses of welcome were presented to him. At the one on February 7 evening at Victoria Public Hall, the cheering crowd outside forced Vivekananda to climb into the coachman’s seat of the carriage and talk to them. He gave six public lectures.
A group photo taken in 1897, in Ice House, by Mr. Mudaliar. Sitting on Chair (left to right): Tarapada (a monk from another Order), Swami Shivananda, Swami Vivekananda, Swami Niranjanananda and Swami Sadananda. Standing (left to right): Unidentified, Mrs. Seethamma (wife of Ramaswamy Iyengar), Thangammal (eldest daughter of Ramaswamy Iyengar), Alasinga Perumal, J.J. Godwin, M.N. Banerjee and three unidentified devotees and Ramaswamy Iyengar (younger brother of Biligiri Iyengar). Front row (left to right) (second): Biligiri Iyengar, (fourth): M.C. Nanjunda Rao.
The Chennai Math has been celebrating the Vivekananda Navaratri (February 6-14) at Vivekanandar Illam on the beach, commemorating Swami Vivekananda’s stay there.
Vivekananda’s third and final visit to Madras aboard the SS Golconda on his way to America in June 1899 was not to be. Indian passengers aboard the steamer were not allowed to disembark in Madras as it was from Calcutta, a city that had been infected by plague. Swami Ramakrishnananda, who came to Madras in March 1897 and established the Math here, and others came in boats alongside the Golconda and spoke to Vivekananda. Fruits, flowers and other offerings were passed on to Vivekananda and he gave Swami Ramakrishnananda some Ganga water. Known for his piety and devotion towards Vivekananda, Ramakrishnananda asked his boatman to do a pradakshina of the steamer.
No less important than Vivekananda’s visits to Madras was the visit of Sri Sarada Devi also called Holy Mother. On the eve of her arrival on February 10, 1911, The Hindu carried her lengthy profile. She and her party of 12 arrived by train from Berhampore in Orissa. To have her visit the Madras Math at Mylapore, which had been established in 1907, was a dream come true for Swami Ramakrishnananda. In his eyes, Sri Ramakrishna and Sri Sarada Devi were one and the same. After the Master’s passing, she was the Sangha Janani, Mother of the Order.
Sri Sarada Devi.
Three motor cars were arranged to take Sarada Devi and her party from the Egmore Station to Mylapore. Swami Ramakrishnananda was seen wiping the heated up seat of the car with his wet scarf. It was the first time that the Holy Mother was travelling in a car. She was put up in a house called ‘Sundara Vilas’ opposite the Math. Swami Ramakrishnananda sent for vegetables from Bangalore and appalam from Trivandrum for Sri Sarada Devi.
During her stay, many eager devotees met her and exchanged greetings. Her saintliness overcame the language barrier and she even gave mantra diksha to some.
From Madras, the Holy Mother visited Rameswaram and Madurai and later Bangalore. She left Madras for Rajahmundry on April 1, 1911 en route to Calcutta.
Other than Vivekananda and Ramakrishnananda, nine direct monastic disciples of Sri Ramakrishna visited Madras on different occasions. Swami Shivananda, the second president of the Ramakrishna Order, first visited Madras in late 1893 and met with Swami Vivekananda’s followers in the city. During his fifth visit in 1926, he established Sri Ramakrishna Math in Ooty.
Swami Brahmananda, the first president of the Order, known as the spiritual son of Sri Ramakrishna, visited thrice. He laid the foundation stone for the new Math building in Madras (present day old temple) on August 4, 1916.