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Perhaps very few of us know that Swami Vivekananda was not merely a monk rather he was also very good singer. Bhagalpur once witnessed Vivekananda’s magic  when he hypnotized a sizable audiences  under open sky beside river bank of Ganga here during long night hours with his songs!

Some 128 year ago Bhagalpur had witnessed his great passion for music when a sizable audience passionately listen his songs till late night here.

Bhagalpur had the opportunity to have Vivekananda in July 1890 when he for the first time left Calcutta, said Amita Moitra, president of Bhagalpur chapter of Bihar Begnalee Association. Moitra while giving references from a book on the great Indian monk by Satyendra Nath Majumdar, said that on the age of 27 Swami Ji reached Bhagalpur with another disciple of Sri Ramkrishna Pramhansh, Akhandanand Ji and stayed at the house of noted advocated of Bhagalpur, Mathura Nath Singh.

Tribute to the great Indian monk.

Swami Ji who stayed over a week here, also stayed at the house of one Nityanand Singh at Adampur locality in the heart of the city. He then went to the house of Manmothonath Choudhary at Barari. During his stay at the house of Choudhary over a week, he used to walk on the bank of river Ganga and used to talk with people there.

“The place where Swami Ji used to walk, sit on meditation and talk with people is inside the campus of Barari waterworks- the pumping station for water supply to the city by Bhagalpur Municiapl Corporation. In seventies, Swami Madhabanand Puri, the secretary of Ramkrishna Ashram, Bhagalpur managed to put the statue of Vivekananda at the place. It’s a very sacred place for Bhagalpur,” said Nirupam Kanti Pal, secretary of the association.

Members of Bihar Bengalee association at the function.

Raman Sinha, a senior professor in the faculty of history at Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University said that apart from mediation and addressing people on the river bank, Swami Ji used to sing songs which enchanted local people. “On seeing Swami Ji’s great interests on music, Choudhary with the permission from him organized a Sangeet Sabha at the place where Swami Ji’ played songs. His voiced created a magic on his audiences who till late night listen him,” Sinha claimed.

“My grandfather used to tell the stories related to Swami Ji’s stay at Bhagalpur and his love for music,” narrated Amit Kumar, a resident of Tilkamanjhi locality here.

Bhagalpur becomes nostalgic with Swami Ji and celebrates 155 birth of the great Indian monk with great enthusiasm today. A grand Prabhat Ferry (morning procession) consists of school students from different schools and people from different walks of lives was taken out from Durga Charan High

Morning Procession by Sri Ramakrishna Pathachakra here today.

School premises under the banner of Sri Ramakrishna Pathachakra. Prof Moitra said that every year the rally organize mainly to make the youngsters aware of the life of Swami ji. Pritish Roy, a member in the Pathachakra urged for including the life of Swami in texts from junior level school to higher education. “It’s time for concern on making of character of young generations and Swami Ji is classic example to narrate about how to build character and the nation building,” he said .

However, Seema Sha, mayor , Bhagalpur municipal corporation (BMC) said today that under smart city project, the park once where noted Indian monk, Swami Vivekananda spent his times would be developed in his memory.

Mayor, Bhagalpurt, Seema Sha (black coat) at Barai water works to pay tribute to Swami ji.

Sha was addressing a gathering at the campus of Barai water works to commemorate 155 birth anniversary of Swami Vivekanand.  Local chapter of Bihar Bengalee Association (BBA-Barari branch) which remained instrumental for upgrading the place in Swami Ji’s memory, organized a colourful event at the place today.

BBA-Barari branch which has been celebrating Swami Ji’s birth anniversary past several years, earlier approached BMC for tagging the place as a heritage place in this smart city plan. “We are thankful to all official concerned of BMC who not only taken concern on our request but also felicitated the statue site of Swami Vivekanand within very short time,” said Tarun Ghosh, president of the BBA-Barari branch.