Sister Nivedita's name is included in the list of foreigners who are proud in India. She was an English-Irish social activist, writer, teacher, school founder and disciple of Swami Vivekananda.
She met Swami Vivekananda in 1895 and was so impressed by him. His principles and teachings had a deep impact on Sister Nivedita. In 1898 she came to India from London. In March 1898, Swami Vivekananda initiated her into the vow of celibacy and named her Nivedita.
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Early Life
Sister Nivedita's birth name was Margaret Elizabeth Noble.
Margaret Elizabeth Noble was born on 28 October 1867 in Dungannon, County Tyrone, Ireland. Her mother's name was Mary Isabel and father's name was Samuel Richmond Noble. She was named after her grandmother, Margaret Elizabeth Noble.
Mary Isabel and Samuel Richmond Noble had six children, of whom only the eldest daughter Margaret Elizabeth Noble, daughter May and son Richmond survived.
Her family was of Scottish origin, having settled in Ireland for nearly five centuries. Her father was a pastor. Her father taught her since childhood that service to humanity is the true service of God.
Samuel Richmond Noble moved to Manchester, England when Margaret was one year old. There she joined the Wesleyan Church as a religious disciple. Margaret lived in Ireland with her maternal grandfather, Hamilton, at that time.
Her parents brought Margaret to live with them in Great Torrington, Devonshire when she was four years old.
Her father died in the year 1877, when she was only ten years old. Margaret returned with her mother, sister and brother to her maternal grandfather, Hamilton, in Ireland.
Hamilton was a prominent leader of the Irish nationalist movement. On the other hand, Margaret learned religious knowledge from her father and on the other hand, she imbibed the spirit of freedom and love for the country in her life from her maternal grandfather.
Her mother Mary joined a London kindergarten as a teacher. Mary then helped her mother run a guest house near Belfast.
Margaret received her education at Halifax College, run by a member of the Congregationalist Church. It was from the headmistress of this college that she realized the importance of personal sacrifice.
Margaret studied subjects such as physics, art, music and literature.
Coming from a religious background, Margaret learned Christian religious principles from an early age. Since childhood he respected and understood all religious teachings.
As she grew up she began to doubt Christian principles. She found that the teachings were inconsistent with the truth. Due to this, she was disturbed by the turmoil in her mind and became sad. She tried to devote herself to church service. But her search for truth continued. In her search for truth she began the study of natural sciences.
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Before coming to India
In 1884, at the age of 16, Margaret joined a school in Keswick as a teacher. In the year 1886 she went to Rugby to educate the children in the orphanage.
A year later she worked in the coal mining area of Wrexham, North Wales. Where her spirit of service and love towards the poor, which she had inherited from her father, was revived.
In Wrexham, Margaret was to be married to a Welsh man. But the young man died within a few days of the engagement.
In the year 1889 she moved to Chester. By that time her sister May and brother Richmond were living in Liverpool. After a few days, her mother Mary also started living with her. Margaret was happy to see her family and occasionally visited them in Liverpool.
Margaret resumed her studies in education. She became acquainted with the ideas of Swiss educational reformers Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi and Friedrich Froebel.
Both Pestalozzi and Froebel stressed the importance of pre-school education. She was of the opinion that children's education should start with developing general abilities like sports, exercise, care, construction etc.
Many teachers in England were influenced by this new ideology and tried to adopt this direction.
Margaret also contributed towards this. She excelled as a writer and strong speaker in the Sunday Club and Liverpool Science Club.
In the year 1891, Margaret settled in Wimbledon. In London she helped Mrs. de Leeuw to start a new school. A year later, in 1892, she started her own independent school in Kingsleygate.
There was no restrictive set method or formal education in any way in her school. There children were given education through sports. She learned art criticism from Ebenezer Cook, the famous art teacher at her school and art education reformer.
Not only did she gain fame in the field of education, she also emerged as a successful writer and popular speaker in newspapers and magazines. Soon she established her identity among the intellectuals of London. She also became acquainted with Lady Ripon and Lady Isabel Margesson.
When the Home Rule Bill for Ireland was before Parliament in 1892, she spoke out fearlessly about it.
She founded a literary group called Sesame Club. Famous writers such as W.B. Yestes, Bernard Shaw, and Thomas Huxley were regular speakers at the Sesame Club. Where discussions took place on literature, morality, politics and similar topics.
The Times of London of 26 October 1911 wrote of Margaret as a teacher of extraordinary talent, one of the group of academics who founded the Sesame Club in the early nineties.
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Meeting Swami Vivekananda
In November 1892, Margaret met Swami Vivekananda for the first time. During that time Swami Vivekananda went to visit London and stayed there for about three months.
One cold afternoon Swami Vivekananda was explaining Vedanta philosophy in the drawing room of an aristocratic family in London. Margaret's friend Lady Isabel Margesson invited Ebenezer Cooke, Margaret's teacher at Ruskin School, to this meeting. Margaret also attended that meeting with her with great curiosity and interest.
Margaret described her experience of that meeting. “A royal man, dressed in saffron robes and a red waistband, was sitting cross-legged on the floor.”
Swami Vivekananda recited Sanskrit verses there in her deep melodious voice.
She attended many other lectures of Swami Vivekananda. Margaret asked her many questions and her answers dispelled the clouds of doubt. Due to which faith and reverence towards Swami Vivekananda was established in her mind.
Margaret took an interest in the teachings of Gautam Buddha and participated in her discussions with Swami Vivekananda.
The Vedantic principles and teachings of Swami Vivekananda had a deep impact on Margaret, causing marked changes in her personality.
In the opinion of Swami Vivekananda, education is the only solution to destroy the evils present in the Indian society. Education is especially important for Indian women.
Margaret was chosen by Swami Vivekananda for the role of educating Indian women.
In a letter to Margaret, Swami Vivekananda wrote, “Let me tell you clearly that I am now convinced, you have a great future in working for India. “Especially for Indian women, it will require a woman and not a man to do the work.”
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Arrival in India
In response to Swami Vivekananda's call to India, Margaret left her family and friends, including her mother, on her journey to India.
She reached Calcutta on 28 January 1898 by a ship named Mombasa. On 22 February she visited the Dakshineswar temple, where Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa (Swami Vivekananda's guru) had meditated.
Swami Vivekananda first told Margaret about India and the Indian people. Developed affection towards people in her heart and expanded her character. She made Margaret aware about Indian history, philosophy, literature and life of common people, social traditions and ancient and modern personalities.
After a few weeks, two disciples of Swami Vivekananda from America, Sarah C. Bull, wife of the famous Norwegian violinist and composer Ole Bull, and Josephine McLeod came to India. Who became Margaret's friend.
On March 11, 1898, Swami Vivekananda introduced Margaret to the people of Calcutta. She organized a public meeting at the Star Theater and addressed the people saying – “England has sent us a gift in the form of Miss Margaret Noble.”
In this meeting, Margaret expressed her desire to serve India and its people.
On 17 March 1898, Margaret met Sri Sarada Devi (wife of Swami Vivekananda's guru Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa) for the first time. Who welcomed Margaret lovingly by calling her Khuki i.e. little girl.
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Margaret's journey as Sister Nivedita
On 25 March 1898, at Nilambar Mukherjee Garden, Swami Vivekananda formally initiated Margaret into the vow of celibacy and from that day onwards her name changed from Margaret to Nivedita. And she came to be known as Sister Nivedita.
Swami Vivekananda told her “Go follow him who took five hundred births before attaining the darshan of Buddha and dedicated his life to others.”
Sister Nivedita also expressed her desire to take the final vow of renunciation before Swami Vivekananda but he refused.
Swami Vivekananda advised Sister Nivedita, as a Hindu Brahmacharini, to go among Hindu women and observe their lifestyle.
Sister Nivedita traveled to many places in India, including Kashmir, with Swami Vivekananda, Sarah C. Bull and Josephine McLeod. This helped her a lot in understanding Indian people, culture and history.
On 11 May 1898 she went on a trip to the Himalayas with Swami Vivekananda, Sarah C. Bull, Josephine MacLeod and Swami Turiyananda. From Nainital she went to Almora. Sister Nivedita learned meditation for the first time in Almora.
She also started learning Bengali language from Swami Swaroopanand. She went to Kashmir Valley from Almora.
Then sister Nivedita traveled to Amarnath with Swami Vivekananda.
On 13 November 1898, Sister Nivedita established a school in India, on which occasion Sri Sarada Devi went and inaugurated it. First of all, Sri Sarada Devi worshiped Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa and gave her blessings, saying, “I pray that the blessings of the Divine Mother remain upon the school and the girls attending the school.”
The first photograph of Sri Sarada Devi was taken at sister Nivedita's house. Sister Nivedita wrote to her friend Nell Hammond, expressing her feelings about Sri Sarada Devi after her first few meetings with her, “She is really one of the strongest and noblest women behind her simplicity and humility.”
Sister Nivedita went door to door and educated the girls. Many of which were in a deplorable condition due to the socioeconomic condition of India in the early 20th century. Many times she had to face rejection from the men in the family.
Widows and adult women were also given education in Sister Nivedita's school. She taught sewing and elementary rules of hygiene etc. along with the regular curriculum.
In the year 1899 Sister Nivedita traveled to the United States with Swami Vivekananda to raise awareness and seek support for her cause.
Collecting money for the school was not at all easy. Sister Nivedita used to raise money through her writings and lectures.
She also participated in philanthropic activities. When the plague epidemic broke out in Calcutta in 1899, Sister Nivedita devoted her entire time to taking care of the patients. She cleaned the garbage in the surrounding area and also motivated the youth to provide voluntary services.
Sister Nivedita appealed for help in English newspapers and requested financial assistance for plague relief activities. She personally went around and gave written instructions to the people on preventive measures.
She was friends with many Bengali intellectuals and artists. Which included Rabindranath Tagore, Jagadish Chandra Bose, Abala Bose and Abanindranath Tagore.
Sister Nivedita was always ready to promote Indian history, culture and science. She actively encouraged Indian scientist and philosopher Dr. Jagadish Chandra Bose to conduct fundamental scientific research. Along with this, financial assistance also helped them in getting their rightful recognition in the face of the indifferent attitude of the colonial rule.
Sister Nivedita also raised the issue of Indian independence. She also met Mahatma Gandhi in Calcutta in February 1902.
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After the death of Swami Vivekananda
Sister Nivedita last saw Swami Vivekananda on 2 July 1902 at Belur Math. Swami Vivekananda had observed fast on Ekadashi on that day. However, when his disciples ate, he himself happily served them food.
Swami Vivekananda left his body on 4 July 1902 at 9:10 pm.
Sister Nivedita often called Swami Vivekananda The King and considered herself his spiritual daughter.
Well aware of the inconveniences to the newly formed Ramakrishna Mission due to her political activities after the death of Swami Vivekananda, Sister Nivedita publicly distanced herself. However, till his last days she maintained good relations with Swami Vivekananda's brother disciples like Swami Brahmananda, Baburao Maharaj and Swami Saradananda.
Sister Nivedita initially worked with Okakura of Japan and Sarala Ghosal, associated with the Tagore family. Through her lectures she inspired many youth to raise the issue of Indian independence.
She also attacked Lord Curzon with her words after her speech at Calcutta University in 1905. Where she mentioned that truth has been given a higher place in the moral codes of the West than that of the East.
In 1905, Lord Curzon and the colonial government initiated the partition of Bengal, which proved to be a major turning point in the Indian independence movement.
Sister Nivedita played an important role in organizing the movement. She leveraged her contacts to alert the freedom fighters by securing financial assistance and information from government agencies.
Sister Nivedita met Indian artists such as Abanindranath Tagore, Anand Kumaraswamy and EB Havell and inspired them to establish the Indian School of Art.
She met the famous Tamil poet Subramaniam Bharati in 1906, who was deeply influenced by Sister Nivedita's thoughts. Sister Nivedita inspired Subramaniam Bharati to work for the freedom of Indian women.
Sister Nivedita also designed the national flag of India with the thunderbolt as its emblem on a red background.
She tried to awaken the feeling of nationalism in the minds of her students through her daily activities. She started singing Vande Mataram song as a prayer in her school.
Aurobindo Ghosh, who was one of the major contributors to the early nationalist movement, sister Nivedita edited Aurobindo Ghosh's nationalist newspaper Karma Yogin.
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Books
Sister Nivedita has shown the glimpse of Indian culture and religious stories through many of her writings.
In the book The Web of Indian Life she attempted to correct many myths in the West about Indian culture and customs.
In the book Notes of Some Wanderings with the Swami Vivekananda, she has mentioned about her trip to Nainital, Almora and India with Swami Vivekananda.
She has written a book titled The Master SI Shah Him on the personality of Swami Vivekananda.
The book Cradle Tales of Hinduism, written by Sister Nivedita, depicts stories from the scriptures based on the Puranas, Ramayana and Mahabharata.
Her articles like Kali the Mother, Studies from an Eastern Home, An Indian Study of Love and Death, Myths of the Hindu and Buddhist, Footfalls of Indian History, Religion and Religion have been published.
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Death
Sister Nivedita breathed her last at the age of 43 on 13 October 1911 at Roy Villa, Darjeeling.
Today, there is a memorial to Sister Nivedita below the railway station on the way to Victoria Falls, Darjeeling. Her epitaph reads, “This is Sister Nivedita, who sacrificed everything for India.”
In the year 1968, the Government of India issued a postage stamp in her memory.
In 2010, the office of the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education in Salt Lake City, Kolkata was named after Sister Nivedita.
Nivedita Bridge near Dakshineswar, Kolkata was named in her honour.
In 2015, a new government degree college at Hastings House Alipore, Kolkata was named after Sister Nivedita.
In the year 2018, the higher secondary section school building of Baranagore Ramakrishna Ashram High School in Kolkata was named Nivedita Bhawan after Sister Nivedita.
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