Margot: Sister Nivedita of Swami Vivekananda

Among all the disciples of Swami Vivekananda, Sister Nivedita occupies pride of place. Margaret Noble arrived at India’s shores in the late nineteenth century, took the vows of a brahmacharini, and devoted the rest of her life to the cause of India. Apart from educating women, Nivedita wrote valuable treatises on Hindu thought and Indian culture, inspiring nationalist sentiment and unity. She won over leading national figures of the day with her fierce intellect, and even influenced the ending of Rabindranath Tagore’s novel, Gora. Known to be ‘drunk with India’, she provided immense professional support to the brilliant scientist Jagadish Chandra Bose; dialogued with great leaders like G.K. Gokhale and Aurobindo Ghosh; and inspired Abanindranath Tagore to create a painting that eventually became the iconic Bharat Mata. In this compelling biography, the author traces the development of Margaret from a loyal Irishwoman into Sister Nivedita, and finally into ‘Lok Mata’ or ‘People’s Mother’—a title bestowed on her by Tagore. She draws on Nivedita’s vast corpus of writings and personal letters to provide an intimate view of her life and thought. Through an insightful and moving narrative, Margot reveals the feisty, irrepressible spirit behind one of India’s greatest friends.