The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 9/Letters - Fifth Series/CCVIII Christina
CCVIII
To Sister Christine
THE MATH, P.O. BELUR, HOWRAH,
12th November 1901.
DEAR CHRISTINA,
The morning's mail brought me a photograph from Detroit. I thank the sender
very much for promptness. Well, I liked it much. But the old one is the
profile view; this, the front. Then again, the phenomenal fat seems to be
only imaginary on somebody's part. In a way, I am more used to the old one,
and, as such, I cannot slight an old friend. So let me say both are good.
The one is an evolution of the other — for the better. I expected a line but
it has not arrived yet; [it] may tomorrow. We have a proverb here: "One
river is equal to forty miles". There is only a river between Calcutta and
our Math, and yet such a round — about way for the mail. Sometimes it comes
dribbling for days.
Mrs. [Ole] Bull and Nivedita must have started for the U.S. by this time. Nivedita is sure to see you in Detroit. Mrs. Bull is anxious to induce you to join her Indian party via Japan. If you can take leave for some months, do come. Mother will arrange anyhow; I need not trouble myself.
Mrs. Sevier has started already, it seems — alone.
We had grand Pujas (worships) here in our Math this year. The biggest of our
Pujas is the Mother worship, lasting nearly four days and nights. We brought
a clay image of Mother with ten hands, standing with one foot on a lion, the
other on a demon. Her two daughters — the Goddess of Wealth and the Goddess
of Learning and Music — on either side on lotuses; beneath, her two sons —
the God of War and that of Wisdom.
Thousands of people were entertained, but I could not see the Puja, alas! I was down with high fever all the time. Day before yesterday, however, came the Puja of Kali. We had an image, too, and sacrificed a goat and burned a lot of fireworks. This night every Hindu home is illuminated, and the boys go crazy over fireworks. There are, of course, several cases of severe burns in the hospitals. We had less fireworks but more Puja, recitation of Mantras, offering of flowers, food and songs. It lasted only one night.
I am expected to leave Calcutta and Bengal in a few days, as this country
becomes very malarious this month, after the rains. It is pleasant and cool
now, and the north Himalayan wind is blowing.
We have fenced in a lot of our grounds to protect our vegetables from our
cows and goats and sheep. The other day one of my [a portion excised] . . .
but the mother was either so wicked or [a portion excised] . . . that she
would not look at her young. I tried to keep them alive on cow's milk, but
the poor things died in the night! Two of my ducks are sitting on their
eggs. As this is their first time, and the male does not help them a bit, I
am trying my best to keep up their strength by good feeding. We cannot keep
chickens here — they are forbidden to us.
With all love,
VIVEKANANDA.