Mamata pays tribute to Sister Nivedita on her death anniversary

Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday paid tribute to Sister Nivedita, social activist and educationist, on her death anniversary.

Nivedita died in Darjeeling on October 13, 1911 at the age of 44 years.

On the occasion, the Chief Minister tweeted: "Tribute to Sister Nivedita, social activist & educationist, on her death anniversary. In 2017, the house of Sister Nibedita in Bagbazar, Kolkata, was renovated by the #Bangla Govt and handed over to Ramakrishna Mission."

"Roy Villa in Darjeeling, where Sister Nivedita breathed her last, was also handed over to Ramakrishna Mission in 2014. In 2017, I had also unveiled a heritage Blue Plaque at Sister Nivedita's home in London during my visit to the UK."

Nivedita had gone to Darjeeling along with Jagadish Chandra Bose and his wife Abala to improve her health condition. She fell ill and died in Darjeeling.

It was Mamata Banerjee who took the initiative to acquire Nivedita's house on Bosepara Lane where she started her school in November 1898.

Later it was handed over to Ramakrishna Sarada Math. She also acquired Roy Villa where Nivedita had breathed her last and handed it over to Ramakrishna Mission. She has also played a pivotal role in providing funds to install the first outdoor statue of Sister Nivedita at the Great Torrington family cemetery on July 27 this year.

Swami Vivekananda had invited Margaret Elizabeth Noble to come to Kolkata to set up a school for the girls coming from middle-class Bengali families. Nivedita was an important figure in Kolkata and she came in contact with Rabindranath Tagore, Aurobindo Ghosh, Bipin Chandra Pal, Jagadish Chandra Bose, Dinesh Chandra Sen among others.