Matters India reporter

Kolkata: The 150th birth anniversary of Sister Nivedita, the first foreign disciple of Sri Ramakrishna was set rolling by the Indian National Forum of Art and Culture (INFAC), an NGO, in association with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, 28 May.

Assistant general secretary, Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, Belur Math, Swami Balabhdranandaji Maharaj attended the ‘Shradhhanjali’ function.

“Sister Nivedita will always hold a very special place in the heart of the people of Kolkata. Her life shines like a beacon of light, guiding us on the path of selfless Karma,” the venerable monk said on the occasion.

INFAC Cultural Secretary Subrata Ganguly said, “INFAC would organise an All-India Painting and Sculpture Exhibition on the life and works of Sister Nivedita at the Gaganendra Shilpa Pradarshala, Kolkata, from June 15 to 19.”
The event would be inaugurated by Secretary, Sri Sarada Math and Ramakrishna-Sarada Mission, Dakshineswar venerable Pravrajika Amalaprana,.

Many dignitaries are expected to be present during the five-day exhibition.

Margaret Elizabeth Noble born on 28 October 1867 was a Scots-Irish Catholic social worker, author and teacher who was engaged to marry a Welsh youth who died soon after their engagement.

Margaret met Swami Vivekananda in 1895 in London and traveled to Calcutta in 1898.
Swami Vivekananda gave her the name Nivedita (meaning “Dedicated to God”) when he initiated her into the vow of Brahmacharya on 25 March 1898.

In November 1898, she opened a girls’ school in Bagbazar area of Calcutta to educate those girls who were deprived of basic education.

During the plague epidemic in Calcutta in 1899 Nivedita nursed and took care of the poor patients.

Nivedita had close associations with the newly established Ramakrishna Mission.

However, because of her active contribution in the field of Indian Nationalism, she had to publicly dissociate herself from the activities of the Ramakrishna Mission under the then president Swami Brahmananda.

She was very intimate with Sarada Devi, the spiritual consort of Sri Ramakrishna and one of the major influences behind Ramakrishna Mission and also with all brother disciples of Swami Vivekananda.

Sister Nivedita was the centre of veneration of both Swami Vivekananda and Rabindranath Tagore and instrumental in inspiring scientists like Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose, Basiswar Sen, artists like Abanindra Nath Tagore, Nandalal Bose, educationists like Brajendra Nath Sil Ramananda Chattopadhyay, Kumud Bandhu Sen.

She inspired also Indian freedom fighters like Rasbihari Ghosh, Arabinda Ghosh, Barin Chandra Ghosh, Bipin Chandra Pal.
Herself an educationist from her very early age, in India she was the pioneer in women’s education. The school she started in North

Calcutta ‘Sister Nivedita Girls’ High School’ still exists and remains a vigorous source of good education for the girls.
She died on 13 October 1911 in her Roy Villa residence in Darjeeling. Her epitaph reads, “Here reposes Sister Nivedita who gave her all to India”.

Chief Minister of West Bengal, Smt Mamata Banerjee handed over the heritage Roy Villa to Ramkrishna Mission on 16th May 2013. END