Swami Vivekananda in Shillong

In March 1901 Swamiji went on tour in East Bengal and Assam. Swamiji’s health, which was by this time already declining, went from bad to worse. It was decided that a change of air would be beneficial to him and the party proceeded to Shillong, a beautiful hill station and the capital of Assam. Sir Henry Cotton, the chief commissioner, was a well-known sympathetic friend of India. Sir Henry Cotton was anxious to meet Swamiji, who had by now become famous throughout the country. He arranged for Swamiji to give a public speech before the resident English officials and Indian gentlemen. Afterwards the two of them spent some time discussing India and her national problems. Noticing that Swamiji was not well, Sir Henry Cotton made all arrangements for his medical care. This photo as well as the following one, no. 103, were both taken in the same studio, although in the second one Swamiji has donned a cap. The ornate studio background is the same in both photos. One of the swamis of the Ramakrishna Order, who is from Shillong, said that there was a well-known photographic company in Shillong during those days called Ghosal Brothers. This company specialized in photography of Assam and of important government officials and other noteworthy people. It is possible that Sir Henry Cotton, who had been much impressed with Swamiji, arranged for Ghosal Brothers to take these two studio photographs. ❊ ❊ ❊ Sacrificing everything for the good of others—this is true sannyasa. (LSV [Kolkata, 1981] 2:617)