The Ramakrishna Mission embodies the philosophy of Sri Ramakrishna of seeking God in man by rendering service to the needy, the destitute and the dying and to give spiritual succour to the restless in search of comfort. In 1897, Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902) founded a non- proselytising religious organisation that had two wings - the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission. Both of these organisations embody Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa's philosophy of seeking God in man by rendering service to the needy, the destitute and the dying and to give spiritual succour to the restless in search of comfort. The only acknowledged teacher is Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa. All others, including Swami Vivekananda, have served or serve in the Master's name. The headquarters of the Math and Mission are at Belur in Howrah, West Bengal. In a nutshell, guru Ramakrishna's teachings can be summed up as such: "Man's upliftment is the main goal in life." There is infinite moral and spiritual potential in man, which each and every man has to discover and develop for himself. All religions are true, so God can be reached through different religions. Shastra (religious texts) and 'anushthana' (rites and rituals) are not entirely necessary if one has a close, intimate relationship with God.

Courses When to go Children's wing Clothing required Fee How to reach the ashram Where to Stay Daily schedule at the ashram Events Dress code at the ashram Important centres Contact Information

Courses

The Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture at Gol Park, Calcutta, has a School of Languages. The Vivekananda Study Circle (VSC) fosters the growth of young minds by holding meetings for people between 16 to 30 years old. It provides opportunities for them to study how the ideals of the Mission are put into practice. It also organises youth conventions not only in Calcutta, but in rural areas as well.

Children's wing

The Mission also has a Children's Wing. The Institute's Centre for Indological Studies and Research helps maintain, foster and promote studies of Sanskrit and the Indian scriptures as well as philosophies. Indian and foreign scholars are provided personal instruction and guidance in their pre-doctoral and post-doctoral research. There is a 10-month course on Indology studies. The fees for all the above-mentioned courses are nominal. With the money received from endowments created by private donors, a large number of scholarships and stipends are awarded to needy, but meritorious students. In addition, there are four annual scholarships for post-graduate studies abroad and two for medical studies in India. The membership of the institute is open to anyone who is interested in its activities.

Fee

Admission fee - Rs 5 Annual membership fee - Rs 60 (USD 15) Life membership fee - Rs 1,000. A life member receives a copy of the 'Bulletin' - a monthly publication of the Institute of Culture, has access to the library and is also entitled to a 20 per cent discount on all the publications of the Mission. One may become a Benefactor enjoying all the privileges of Life Membership by donating Rs 5,000 or more.

Where to Stay

Academics from distant places are offered boarding and lodging facilities at the institute. However, this is done on the discretion of the authorities of the Mission. Simple, but nutritious, meals are provided. If devotees from foreign countries wish to stay at the Belur Math, they must get in touch with the authorities in advance. Requests are processed on a case-by-case basis. Genuine and long-standing interest in and active support of the Ramakrishna Movement is usually essential for the authorities to grant outstation visitors permission to stay at the ashram guesthouse. Events At the math, all activities are religious and spiritual in nature. The birthdays of Sri Ramakrishna, Ma Sharada (Spiritual consort of Sri Ramakrishna), Swami Vivekananda and 15 other direct disciples of the Master, are celebrated with special prayers, puja and homa or shorshopachar. These are Utsav (festive) days. Festivals like Durga Puja, Kali Puja and Saraswati Puja are performed with great devotion at the Belur Math. Lakshmi Puja, which falls on the fourth day after Dussehra is celebrated in a unique way by worshipping ears of corn. Apart from these, Shivaratri, Buddha Purnima, Sri Chaitanya's birthday, Ras Purnima, and Christmas Eve are observed with due solemnity. There are year-round lectures, symposia, seminars, classical music programmes, elocution and art competitions as well as other religious and cultural programmes at the Institute of Culture at Calcutta.

Important Centres

There are more than 105 centres of the Ramakrishna Movement all over India. Abroad, there are centres in Argentina, Bangladesh, Canada, Fiji, France, Japan, Mauritius, the Netherlands, Russia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. For more information about these centres, one can access the official website of the Ramakrishna Mission.

When to Go

Since the ashram and temple at Belur are closed to devotees between 12 noon and 4 pm and then again after the evening prayers, it is better to reach the math as early in the morning as possible. The best times to visit the Belur Math are from September to October during the Durga Puja, Kali Puja and Ras Poornima celebrations. However, if one goes there between December and March, one gets to enjoy the Christmas celebrations and the birthdays of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda. (Read more about Swami Vivekananda in our Guru Section. ) Clothing required Since it is quite chilly during winter, light woollens are a must.

How to reach the ashram

The city of Calcutta is well connected by road, train and air with all major cities in India and abroad. Belur is easily accessible by road or train from Howrah station. Private and government tours are regularly organised to Belur, Kamarpukur and Jayarambati, important places connected with guru Ramakrishna's life. (Read more about Sri Ramakrishna in our Guru Section.)

Daily schedule at the ashram

Between April and September, a normal day at the ashram begins at the crack of dawn. At 4 am, a mangalarati is held which is followed by japa and meditation at the Sri Ramakrishna temple. This ceremony is held only for the monks and not open to the public. The aarati takes place at 4.30 am from October to March. At 7 am, fruit is offered as bhog while the first substantial meal of the day or annabhog is ready at 11 am. Again at 3 pm, fruit is offered. Meals or 'bhog' at the ashram can be had by purchasing coupons that have no fixed value. Believe it or not, one can pay as little as Rs 5 for a meal that's enough to feed five people! The evening aarti takes place 22 minutes after sunset. This is followed by prayers that all can attend. At 8 pm, bhog (annabhog on Utsav days) is offered.

Dress code at the ashram

One has to make sure one dresses in sober clothes, appropriate for a monastery. They are not permitted to carry out any seva or service at the ashram.

Contact Information

Belur Math Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission, P.O. Belur Math, District: Howrah, West Bengal-711202, India Ph: (033) 6541144, 6541180, 6545391, 6549581, 6549681 Fax: (033) 654 4346 One could write to The Secretary Institute Of Culture The Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Gol Park, Calcutta-700029. Ph: (033) 464 1303, 466 1235 Fax: (033) 464 1307 Email: rmicsl @gias101.vsnl.net.in Websites: www.sriramakrishna.org, www.sriramakrishnamath.org, www.vedanta.org, www.ramakrishna.org

- Sudeshna Chakraborti

Read about Guru Swami Vivekananda Read about Guru Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa Back to Ashrams