Swami Vivekananda - Second Visit To The West and Last Years (1899–1902)

Second Visit To The West and Last Years (1899–1902)

Vivekananda once again left for the West in June 1899 despite his declining health. He was accompanied by Sister Nivedita and Swami Turiyananda. He spent a short time in England, and went on to the United States. During this visit, he founded the Vedanta societies at San Francisco and New York. He also founded "Shanti Ashrama" (peace retreat) at California. He attended the Congress of Religions in Paris in 1900. The Paris addresses are memorable for the scholarly penetration evinced by Vivekananda related to the worship of Linga and authenticity of the Gita. From Paris he went to Brittany, Vienna, Istanbul, Athens and Egypt. For the greater part of this period, he was the guest of the philosopher Jules Bois. He left Paris on 24 October 1900 and arrived at the Belur Math on 9 December 1900.

After spending a few days at Advaita Ashrama, Mayavati, he settled at Belur Math, guiding the work of Ramakrishna Mission and Math and the work in England and America. Thousands of visitors came to him during these years including the Maharaja of Gwalior and the leaders the Indian National Congress including Bal Gangadhar Tilak. In December 1901, he was invited to Japan to participate in the Congress of Religions; however his failing health made it impossible. He undertook pilgrimages to Bodhgaya and Varanasi towards his final days. Declining health and ailments such as asthma, diabetes and chronic insomnia restricted his activities. Three days before his death he pointed out the spot for his cremation—the one at which a temple in his memory stands today. He had remarked to several people that he would not live to be forty.