Lectures from Colombo to Almora

In 1893 Swami Vivekananda went to the United States to join the Parliament of the World's Religions where he had an overwhelming success and public attention. For next four years, from 1893 to 1897, he travelled through various cities of the United States and England, and gave a series of lectures on religion and Vedanta. He returned to India in 1897 via Colombo.{{Harvnb|Bharathi|1998|pp=123–125}}

Vivekananda reached Colombo on 15 January 1897 where he was given a warm welcome.{{Harvnb|Mukhopadhyay|2011|p=188}} Vivekananda mentioned this welcome in a letter written to Mary Hale on 30 January 1897:{{Harvnb|Vivekananda|1897}}

Things are turning out most curiously for me. From Colombo in Ceylon, where I landed, to Ramnad, the nearly southernmost point of the Indian continent where I am just now as the guest of the Raja of Ramnad, my journey has been a huge procession — crowds of people, illuminations, addresses, etc., etc. A monument forty feet high is being built on the spot where I landed. The Raja of Ramnad has presented his address to "His most Holiness" in a huge casket of solid gold beautifully worked. Madras and Calcutta are on the tiptoe of expectation as if the whole nation is rising to honour me. So you see, Mary, I am on the very height of my destiny, yet the mind turns to quietness and peace, to the days we had in Chicago, of rest, of peace, and love; and that is why I write just now, and may this find you all in health and peace!

On 16 January 1897 he gave a lecture titled "India, The Sacred Land." After staying at Colombo for four days he reached Calcutta{{efn|Now known as Kolkata}} on 20 January via Madras.{{efn|Now known as Chennai}} Between 1897 and 1899 Vivekananda travelled extensively and visited the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Kashmir.

On 6 May 1897 Vivekananda started his journey to Almora{{Harvnb|RKMIC|2009|p=53}} and on 19 June he reached there. The lectures he delivered in different places during this period were compiled into the book Lectures from Colombo to Almora.{{Harvnb|Chattopadhyaya|1999|pp=239–242}}{{harvnb|Vivekananda|1897a|location=preface, content}}

{{Location map+ | India

| caption = Lectures delivered at these locations are included in the book

| places =

{{Location map~ | India

| label = 1

| position = right

| marksize = 5

| link = Almora

| lat_deg = 29.62

| lon_deg = 79.67

}}

{{Location map~ | India

| label = 2

| position = right

| marksize = 5

| link = Anuradhapura

| lat_deg = 8.35

| lon_deg = 80.3833

}}

{{Location map~ | India

| label = 3

| position = right

| marksize = 5

| link = Kolkata

| lat_deg = 22.567

| lon_deg = 88.367

}}

{{Location map~ | India

| label = 4

| position = bottom

| marksize = 5

| link = Colombo

| lat_deg = 6.934444

| lon_deg = 79.842778

}}

{{Location map~ | India

| label = 5

| position = right

| marksize = 5

| link = Jaffna

| lat_deg = 9.666

| lon_deg = 80

}}

{{Location map~ | India

| label = 6

| position = bottom

| marksize = 5

| link = Kandy

| lat_deg = 7.296389

| lon_deg = 80.635

}}

{{Location map~ | India

| label = 7

| position = left

| marksize = 5

| link = Kumbakonam

| lat_deg = 10.97

| lon_deg = 79.42

}}

{{Location map~ | India

| label = 8

| position = right

| marksize = 5

| link = Chennai

| lat_deg = 13.08389

| lon_deg = 80.27

}}

{{Location map~ | India

| label = 9

| position = right

| marksize = 5

| link = Madurai

| lat_deg = 9.919662

| lon_deg = 78.119393

}}

{{Location map~ | India

| label = 10

| position = right

| marksize = 5

| link = Manamadurai

| lat_deg = 9.7

| lon_deg = 78.48

}}

{{Location map~ | India

| label = 11

| position = right

| marksize = 5

| link = Mayiladuthurai

| lat_deg = 11.04

| lon_deg = 79.64

}}

{{Location map~ | India

| label = 12

| position = right

| marksize = 5

| link = Pamban

| lat_deg = 9.2833

| lon_deg = 79.2

}}

{{Location map~ | India

| label = 13

| position = right

| marksize = 5

| link = Paramakudi

| lat_deg = 9.544

| lon_deg = 78.591

}}

{{Location map~ | India

| label = 14

| position = right

| marksize = 5

| link = Rameswaram

| lat_deg = 9.28

| lon_deg = 79.3

}}

{{Location map~ | India

| label = 15

| position = right

| marksize = 5

| link = Ramanathapuram

| lat_deg = 9.38

| lon_deg = 78.83

}}

{{Location map~ | India

| label = 16

| position = right

| marksize = 5

| link = Thanjavur

| lat_deg = 10.782497

| lon_deg = 79.131253

}}

{{Location map~ | India

| label = 17

| position = right

| marksize = 5

| link = Tiruchirappalli

| lat_deg = 10.805

| lon_deg = 78.685556

}}

{{Location map~ | India

| label = 18

| position = right

| marksize = 5

| link = Vavuniya

| lat_deg = 8.75

| lon_deg = 80.483

}}

}}

Lectures at the following locations are included in the book:

{{Div col|rules=yes|colwidth=30em}}

1. Colombo 16 Jan 1897
2. Jaffna 24 Jan 1897
3. Pamben 26 Jan 1897
4. Ramesvarem 27 Jan 1897
5. Ramnad 29 Jan 1897
6. Paramakudi 1 Feb 1897
7. Manamadura 1 Feb 1897
8. Madura 2 Feb 1987
9. Kumbhakonam 3 Feb 1897
10. Madras 7,9,11,12,13,14 Feb 1897
11. Calcutta 28 Feb and 4 Mar 1897
12. Almora 11 May and 27 July 1897

{{div col end}}

The book was first published by The Vyjayanti Press, Egmore, Madras in 1897 under the title From Colombo to Almora. The introductory note of the book was written by Henrietta Muller, a friend and disciple of Vivekananda. Subsequent editions included lectures by Swami Vivekananda at Sialkot, Lahore, Khetri and Dhaka.{{fact|date=January 2022}}

These lectures have been the subject of scholarly studies and source of inspiration for many people. The Sri Lankan sage Yogaswami was deeply influenced by the lectures given by Vivekananda at Colombo. Vivekananda's opening words "The time is short, and the subject is vast" had deep impact on the young Yogaswami.{{Harvnb|Hinduism Today|1999|pp=116–118}}

{{Notelist}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book|last=Chattopadhyaya|first=Rajagopal|title=Swami Vivekananda in India: A Corrective Biography|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EtcoeaQIQdAC&pg=PA239|year=1999|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|isbn=978-81-208-1586-5}}
• {{cite book|last=Mukhopadhyay|first=Manishankar|title=The Monk as Man: The Unknown Life of Swami Vivekananda|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TfP5kBxkZaAC&pg=PA188|year=2011|publisher=Penguin Books India|isbn=978-0-14-310119-2}}
• {{cite book|last=Bharathi|first=K. S.|title=Encyclopaedia of Eminent Thinkers: The political thought of Vivekananda|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ADEddk9V9w0C&pg=PA24|year=1998|publisher=Concept Publishing Company|isbn=978-81-7022-709-0}}
• {{Cite web|last=Vivekananda|first=Swami|title=Letter to Mary Hale 30 January 1897|url=http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Complete_Works_of_Swami_Vivekananda/Volume_6/Epistles_-_Second_Series/CXXI_Mary|year=1897}}
• {{Cite book|last=Vivekananda|first=Swami|title=Lectures from Colombo to Almora| url=http://www.vivekananda.net/PDFBooks/ColomboToAlmora1897.pdf|year=1897a}}
• {{cite book|last=Hinduism Today|title=What Is Hinduism?|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9XC9bwMMPcwC&pg=PA116|publisher=Himalayan Academy Publications|year=1999|isbn=978-1-934145-27-2}}
• {{cite book|last=RKMIC|title=Swaiji o Tar Bani|year=2009|publisher=Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture|isbn=978-81-87332-29-9}}
• {{cite book|last=Mittra|first=Sitansu Sekhar|title=Bengal's Renaissance|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WPFeBY9YEAQC&pg=PA70|year=2001|publisher=Academic Publishers|isbn=978-81-87504-18-4}}

• {{Commonscatinline|Lectures from Colombo to Almora}}

{{Swami Vivekananda}}

Category:1897 non-fiction books

Category:Indian non-fiction books

Category:Works by Swami Vivekananda

Category:19th-century Indian books

Category:Books about modern yoga

Category:Books of lectures