Swami Vivekananda at California

According to the Vedanta Society of Southern California, this photo of Swamiji standing with an umbrella was taken on Monterey Road, South Pasadena. The tree and the house in back of Swamiji are no longer standing. Mrs. Hansbrough mentioned in her reminiscences in response to Swami Ashokananda’s question: “What would Swamiji wear to the [public] meetings? Would he wear his robe?” She replied, “No, he wore the black garment we see in several of the pictures of him, something like a clerical frock, but looser. Sometimes if it were not too warm he would wear his overcoat over this. He would take his gerua robe and turban in a suitcase, and put them on when he arrived at the meeting place.” Mrs. Hansbrough also recalled: When Mrs. Bowler had invited him to speak in Pasadena, she had specifically asked that he wear his turban. “Do you have to wear the turban?” I asked him, for by that time he had given it up. “Don’t you understand?” he said, “She wants the whole show!” 15 ❊ ❊ ❊ We are all sacrifices—each in his own way. The great worship is going on—no one can see its meaning except that it is a great sacrifice. Those that are willing, escape a lot of pain. Those who resist are broken into submission and suffer more. I am now determined to be a willing one. (Letters, 408-9)