Ramakrishna mission ashram in B’gavi marks 25 years of service and spiritual outreach

Belagavi: The Ramakrishna Mission Ashram at Belagavi, a site sanctified by the historic stay of Swami Vivekananda, has completed 25 years of dedicated spiritual, educational and social service. To commemorate the occasion, a ceremony will be held from May 8 to 10 at Ramakrishna Mission Ashram, premises within the Belagavi Fort. Swami Suhitanandaji Maharaj, vice president of Ramakrishna Math and mission, Belur mutt, will grace the three-day celebrations.The celebrations will feature Bhagavannama Sankirtan, Sri Ramakrishna Homa, spiritual discourses, cultural programmes and classical musical performances by eminent artists each evening, and lectures by senior monks. Swami Vivekananda visited Belagavi on Oct 16, 1892, and stayed in the city for 12 days. For the first three days, he stayed at the residence of Sadashiva Balakrishna Bhate, which has since been preserved as Swami Vivekananda Memorial. The memorial houses personal belongings used by him, including his cot, walking stick and mirror. For the remaining nine days, he stayed at the residence of the then forest officer, Haripada Mitra, inside the Belagavi Fort. Recognising the site's historical and spiritual significance, the Govt of Karnataka handed over the building to Ramakrishna Mission Ashram in June 2000. Subsequently, under the guidance of Swami Purushottamanandaji Maharaj, the Vishvabhavaikya Mandir, dedicated to Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, was inaugurated at the site on Jan 23, 2004.Further expanding its infrastructure, a three-storey building with an auditorium was inaugurated in 2011 under the guidance of Swami Raghaveshanandaji Maharaj, providing facilities for conferences, cultural programmes and value-based education.The Ramakrishna Mission Ashram has been actively involved in social service for the past 25 years. Its initiatives include a free eye clinic, a computer training centre for students, personality development programmes for youth, scholarships for economically weaker students.