On a bright beautiful clear morning, under the warmth and sunny glory of the southern sun, hundreds of ardent devotees congregated to celebrate a historical milestone in the history of the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa.
The first Statue of Swami Vivekananda in South Africa was unveiled at the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa in Durban on Sunday 11th September 2016 by Srimat Swami Suhitanandaji Maharaj, General Secretary of the Worldwide Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission. The majestic regal statue of Swami Vivekananda was welcomed with a resonating applause from the jubilant devotees. This historic event also commemorated the 123rd anniversary of a historic milestone of Swami Vivekananda’s address to the World Parliament of Religions held in Chicago, USA on the 11th September 1893.
Revered Maharaj officially inaugurated the yearlong Joint Celebrations of the 75th Anniversary of the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa and the 150th Birth Anniversary of Sister Nivedita in the Swami Nischalananda Hall at the Durban Centre in presence of several hundred devotees, well-wishers and admirers.
The Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa was founded in 1942 by Swami Nischalananda, a disciple of Swami Virajanandaji Maharaj, the 6th President of the Ramakrishna Order of monks. This 75th Anniversary milestone and the 150th Birth Anniversary of Sister Nivedita will be observed through yearlong celebrations with a variety of programmes in different Centres, Sub-Centres, Satsang Groups, and in like-minded organisations all over the country.
Revered Swami Suhitanandaji Maharaj, accompanied by many monks of the Ramakrishna Order, attended a number of programmes in the different provinces of South Africa – Durban, Phoenix, Chatsworth, Pietermaritzburg, Ladysmith, Estcourt, Newcastle, Johannesburg, Cape Town, etc. He also addressed a congregation of more than 200 people in the Ramakrishna Vedanta Centre, Lusaka (Zambia) organised in connection with the 150th Birth Anniversary Celebration of Sister Nivedita on 18th September 2016.
