About Swami Vivekananda, few know that the sacred soil of Northeast Bharat, particularly Guwahati and Shillong, also had the fortune of receiving Swamiji’s divine presence.
In Guwahati, Swami Vivekananda visited Kamakhya Dham along with his mother Mata Bhubaneshwari Devi during his 1901 pilgrimage. He stayed for few days at a priest’s home near Kamakhya Mandir, and delivered powerful discourses on Vedanta, the soul, and social upliftment at Guwahati’s famous Cotton College and Sonaram High School. His words resonated deeply among the Assamese intelligentsia and British officials alike. It is said that his presence stirred not only spiritual fervour, but also inspired national consciousness in the region.
From #Guwahati, he proceeded to Shillong, where on 27th April 1901, he delivered “his last public lecture” (like APJ too had his last in Shillong) at Quinton Hall, a powerful message where he declared: “Life is a pilgrimage: Kamakhya to Kanyakumari, or Chicago to Shillong.”
In that unforgettable address, he urged the youth to awaken not just spiritually, but in service, courage, and character. He emphasized the “need for practical skill based education” not merely bookish knowledge, simultaneously, one that builds strength, discipline, and devotion to the nation.
Today, #Shillong proudly houses the Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Cultural Centre, and a statue stands in his memory at the very place where he delivered his historic message. His presence continues to guide the aspirations of youth across Meghalaya and Assam.
As we remember Swamiji on his #Nirvana Day, may we not merely pay homage but also take a sankalp (pledge) to live by his ideals: “They alone live who live for others. The rest are more dead than alive.”
Swami #Vivekananda came to the #Northeast not just as a monk, but as a visionary, a karmayogi, and a son of Bharat Mata who saw divinity in every corner of this land. Let the hills of Shillong and the sacred banks of Kamakhya echo once more with his timeless call: “Arise, Awake, and Stop Not Till the Goal is Reached!”
When the Himalayas Heard the Call: Swami Vivekananda’s Sacred Journey Through Guwahati and Shillong
