20-11-45 Afternoon

One Rishikesananda Swami of the Ramakrishna Mission
is here. It seems he has been advised by Swami Siddheswarananda to visit Bhagavan. Bhagavan spoke about Siddheswarananda and showed two books, one containing his lectures (causeries) and another which was received only three weeks back though despatched from France in 1941. Rishikesananda said that Siddheswarananda had learnt French very well and spoke fluently in that language. He also said that one Vijayananda Swami was working in South America and was very popular there in spite of hostile propaganda by Christian missionaries. Two ladies of affluence supported the Swami and asked him to remain there. One of the ladies was Mrs. Guirellis, (known to the Asramam as Mamita, who had adopted the Canarese boy Raman and who is staying at Bangalore now near the Ramakrishna Mission). Siddheswarananda intends to come to India for a few months and hopes to visit Ramanasramam also then. The talk drifted to the clothes these Swamis wear in foreign countries. Rishikesananda told Bhagavan that generally they wear European clothes and that, while delivering lectures, they wear long and flowing ochre-coloured robes and a turban such as Vivekananda is seen wearing in some pictures.

Page 39