‘Margot’ is on the life of Sister Nivedita, the Irish disciple of Swami Vivekananda. Written by Reba Som, an accomplished academician with commendable publications to her credit, published by Penguin India, the book is a passionate chronicle of the journey of Margaret ‘Margot’ Noble, known to the world as Sister Nivedita. In the words of Namita Gokhale, ‘this book is a remarkable record of an era and the extraordinary figures that inhabit it.’ 

The book contains the interactions of Nivedita with several legendary figures. Besides her devotion for Vivekananda, the book narrates her encounter and associations with personalities like Rabindranath Tagore (she was fond of his poetry; Vivekananda found the poems to be effeminate in character), Jagdish Chandra Bose who became her friend and she helped considerably in popularizing his research. She also undertook the first translation of the short stories of Rabindranath Tagore, translating three of ‘em – ‘Kabuliwallah’, ‘Dena Paona’ & ‘Chutti.’ Her discussions also had led Tagore to end his novel ‘Gora’ in a different vein. 

Nivedita was also influenced by philosophers like Patrick Geddes & the Japanese revolutionary Okakura. She was wedded to the cause of ‘Indian Nationalism’ and the spread of women education in India. In her book ‘The Web of Indian Life’ published in 1903 she writes ‘The real theme of my book is the essential unity of the Hindu and the Mohammedan and their great and united future, which was Swami Vivekananda’s considered opinion’ (Page 123). 

Nivedita influenced painters like Jamini Roy and Abadindranath Tagore and encouraged them to visit ancient sites like Ajanta caves and others for drawing inspiration for their paintings. She was adamant that paintings need to bear a strong influence of one’s heritage. This was at variance with the belief of Rabindranath Tagore who had simultaneously developed an interest in painting and felt that painters should draw from influences that are spontaneous in nature. She played an active role in the nationalistic movement of the day and played the role of the mediator between the two warring factions of the Indian National Congress – on one side were the moderates led by her dear friend Gopal Krishna Gokhale & Pherozshah, and on the opposite side were the extremist camp led by Tilak, Lajpat Rai, Bipin Chandra Pal, & Aurobindo. Though, on Principle, she belonged to the latter group, she berated the mutual recrimination and mutual attack & advocated unity to fight the common foe – the British. 

The book gives a comprehensive account of Sister Nivedita’s life and her contributions. What I found lacking were sufficient background details behind the way she came under the influence of Vivekananda; what’s it that drew her to the Swami, Hinduism and the Indian cause, and her obsessive love for all things ‘Indian.’ 

Bhupendranath Dutta, brother of Vivekananda, who along with Barindra Ghosh, brother of Aurobindo, was editing the ‘Jugantar’, was arrested for writing a seditious article. Nivedita’s offer of a bail to secure his release provoked comments in the ‘Englishman’ that she was a traitor to her race. During March 1910 Nivedita spent a considerable amount of time with Jagdish Chandra Bose. She was helping with the writings of his research books. Describing her routine, Nivedita wrote: “We work now 3 and sometimes 4 days a week from 8am till 5/30 pm with an hour or two omitted for meals. And in the holidays, we do almost more than this, every day. You can imagine how exhausted we both are – for this has been going on continuously since the beginning of October, 1904. But then on the other hand, one’s love and pride are more than satisfied for 20 years hence, when they have had time to understand it all, they will say that the science of Botany was revolutionized by a Hindu!”

In India, Nivedita found a rich diversity – of people, topography, sound and color and she made quick entries into her diary. Her writings concentrated almost exclusively on the many aspects of Indian society, culture and history to which she was introduced by the many lectures of Swami Vivekananda. These were enriched over time by her countless travels on which she embarked and her deep study of Indian literature, philosophy, mythology, & history. Her world view and historical sense helped situate her thoughts on India within a wider framework. ‘How can we know of India,’ she wrote ‘if we know nothing of the world outside India?’ How shall we recover the truth about ancient Patiliputra, if we know nothing of Persopolis, of Petra, of Babylon, of China and the international relation of all these? Or how are we to understand the growth and significance of Benaras, if we have never studied Cologne, Chartres, Durham or Milan? What will the history of Hinduism mean to us, if we have never considered that of Christianity or of Islam?’

Nivedita passed away in 1911 in Darjeeling. Her funeral rites were performed according to Hindu tradition. In her memory, a cenotaph was raised on the cremation spot in Darjeeling that read ‘Here reposes Sister Nivedita who gave her all to India.’ 

The grief-stricken Jagdish Chandra Bose made haste to plan his research institute in Calcutta, which was Nivedita’s dream for scientific research and education encouraging the growth of a national character. During the opening of the institute in 1917, without naming Nivedita, in his opening speech Dr. Bose mentioned how in his struggling years he had never been alone since he was privileged to have the support of one, ‘now in the city of silence’ who shared his hardships and while the world doubted him, never wavered in her trust in him. The Bose Institute, which was the embodiment of Nivedita’s prayers, was designed aesthetically to include a large stone lotus basin with water lilies, by the side of which would lie a receptacle with Nivedita’s ashes.

This is a well-researched biography. It is in books, articles, essays, reviews, interviews, edited manuscripts, and travel writings that Nivedita left behind her most enduring legacy.