Personalia
Revered President Maharaj is scheduled to return to Belur Math on 7 April after his visit to Delhi and Mayavati. He is keeping well.
Swami Vagishananda ji is scheduled to visit Bolpur, Domra and Sundiara in West Bengal from 4 to 12 April. He is keeping well.
Swami Gautamananda ji will be visiting Dehradun and Kankhal from 16 to 23 April, and Guwahati and Shillong from 25 to 30 April. He is in good health.
Swami Prabhananda ji will be visiting Narendrapur centre from 17 to 25 April. He is keeping well.
Swami Shivamayananda ji is scheduled to visit Durgapur, Jamtara and Dhanbad from 9 to 26 April. He is in good health.
Swami Suhitananda ji will be visiting Chapra, Muzaffarpur and Patna from 4 to 13 April, and Jalpaiguri, Mekhliganj, Cooch Behar and Darjeeling from 18 April to 5 May. He is keeping well.
Celebration of the 150th Birth Anniversary of Sister Nivedita
The following centres commemorated the 150th birth anniversary of Sister Nivedita by holding the programmes mentioned against their names:
Asansol: (i) Cultural competitions in which 1412 students from 11 schools took part. The winners were awarded prizes in a programme held on 22 February, which was attended by about 600 students. (ii) A discourse by the General Secretary on 24 March attended by nearly 600 devotees.
Bagda: A students’ convention on 24 March in which about 250 students and teachers, mainly from tribal communities, took part. Photos and Report.
Gadadhar Ashrama: Two students’ conventions on 27 and 28 February at two schools in Hooghly district, which were attended by about 600 students. Photos and Report.
Kailashahar: A devotees’ convention on 19 March in which about 600 people participated. Photos and Report.
Karimganj: A devotees’ convention on 18 February and a youths’ convention on 24 February. In all, 517 people participated in the programmes. Photos and Report.
Pala: A students’ convention on 12 March in which 102 students from different colleges took part.
Purulia: A youths’ conference at Purulia town on 23 March, which was presided over by the General Secretary and attended by about 700 youths. The conference was held in association with the Higher Education Department, Government of West Bengal. Photos.
Rajkot: A spiritual retreat on 11 March, a youths’ convention on 20 March and a lecture on 26 March. In all, about 2000 people attended the programmes.
Ramharipur: A volleyball tournament on 3 and 4 March in which 16 teams participated, and a teachers’ convention on 4 March which was attended by 243 teachers from 65 schools.
Saradapitha: An international seminar at Vidyamandira on Sister Nivedita on 10 and 11 March which was attended by about 400 people. The General Secretary delivered the keynote address in the seminar.
Swamiji’s Ancestral House: Five lectures at the centre and elsewhere in Kolkata between 27 February and 16 March. In all, 2680 people attended the lectures.
Tamluk: Cultural competitions at 26 schools in Purba Medinipur and Paschim Medinipur districts in which about 6500 students took part. The final round of the competitions and the prize-giving ceremony, attended by about 500 people, were held at the Ashrama on 22 March. Photos and Report.
Communication Addresses
Agartala centre has a new mobile telephone connection: 70054 36510.
Since the name of Cherrapunjee town has been changed to Sohra and the PIN code of our centre there has also been changed, the postal address of our centre there is now: ‘Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Sohra, East Khasi Hills, Meghalaya 793 108’. The email id of the centre has been changed to <[email protected]>, and the website address to <rkmasohra.org>.
Dibrugarh centre has a new landline telephone connection: (0373) 2328034.
The Washington DC sub-centre of the Hollywood Vedanta Society, USA, has a new email id: <[email protected]>.
News of Branch Centres (in India)
The General Secretary inaugurated the renovated Vivekananda Park at Asansol Ashrama on 24 March in the presence of the Law Minister of the state. Photos and Report.
Aurangabad centre held a medical camp and an exhibition on Swamiji from 7 to 9 March at Paithan (District Aurangabad), the birthplace of the Sant Eknath, on the occasion of Nath Shashthi Mela. In all, 3947 patients were treated in the medical camp.
Chennai Math held a cancer detection camp for women on 8 March in which about 100 women were examined. Photos and Report.
Medinipur Ashrama conducted a medical camp in Madhupur, a predominantly backward tribal jungle area in Medinipur District, on 8 and 17 March 2018. Photos and Report.
Kailashahar Ashrama conducted a medical camp on the premises of a school in Kailashahar on 25 March in which 151 people were treated. Photos.
Koyilandy centre conducted a health awareness programme on 25 March which was attended by 130 people. Photos and Report.
Purulia Vidyapith held awareness programmes on child health and nutrition at different blocks in Purulia district from December to February. About 4300 women attended the programmes.
Raipur centre celebrated its golden jubilee with a day-long programme comprising a public meeting and cultural events on 25 March.
Ranchi (Morabadi) centre, through it’s Divyayan Krishi Vijnan Kendra unit, organized a one-day training and awareness programme for farmers on Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Right Act on 30 March. Photos and Report.
Swami Shivamayananda ji inaugurated the newly constructed multitherapy dispensary building at Nagpur Math on 25 March. Sri Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways and Shipping, and some other dignitaries spoke in the public meeting held on this occasion. About 1000 people attended the programme.
An assistant professor of Chemistry in Vidyamandira (Arts and Science college under Saradapitha) was awarded Young Scientist Award 2017 by the Indian Chemical Society, Kolkata.
Vivek Institute of Excellence, an institute to conduct life-enhancing courses and programmes, at Visakhapatnam centre was inaugurated on 1 March. Photos and Report.
Telemedicine service and two mobile medical vans were launched at Vrindaban hospital on 5 March. Photos and Report.
Values Education and Youth Programmes
Delhi centre held 16 values education workshops between 2 February and 27 March, which were attended by 1339 teachers and principals. The workshops were held in Delhi, Ernakulam, Gwalior, Hyderabad, Mysuru and Ranchi.
Gurap centre held a youths’ convention on 28 February in which about 500 students took part.
Swachchha Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Campaign)
Hatamuniguda centre held a cleanliness drive near its campus on 25 March. Photos and Report.
Coimbatore Mission Vidyalaya conducted four cleaning drives on 9, 10, 12 and 17 March in which the Vidyalaya students cleaned two public roads and the premises of a school and a government office.
Kamarpukur centre conducted a cleanliness drive at Kamarpukur village on 18 March.
Malda centre held a cleanliness drive on 18 March in which 43 people cleaned a public road. Photos and Report.
Mangaluru Ashrama conducted the following activities in March: (i) four cleanliness drives in Mangaluru, (ii) a campaign in which 1200 volunteers reached out to nearly 2400 households in Mangaluru and spread awareness about cleanliness, and (iii) cleanliness drives at 72 villages in Dakshina Kannada district.
News of Branch Centres (Outside India)
Dhaka centre, Bangladesh, held the concluding phase of its year-long centenary celebration from 26 February to 3 March with special worship, public meetings, conventions for youths, women and devotees and cultural programmes. Home Minister of Bangladesh Mr Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal inaugurated the programmes and the General Secretary presided over the inaugural function. Vice-President Swami Gautamananda ji, Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Mr Biren Sikder, and many monks and hundreds of devotees participated in the celebration.
Obituary
We are sorry to announce the passing away of Swami Sankhyanandaji (Bidhu Maharaj) at Belur Math on 5 March, the holy birthday of Swami Yoganandaji Maharaj, at 2.50 pm owing to a massive heart attack. He was 88 and had been suffering from diabetes, hypertension and cardiac problems for some years. Initiated by Swami Shankaranandaji Maharaj, he joined the Order in 1951 at Kamarpukur centre and received sannyasa diksha from his guru in 1961. He served at Belur Math and at Kamarpukur, Saradapitha, Baghbazar, Malda, Contai, Jayrambati, Kankurgachhi and Antpur centres. He also participated in the flood relief operations in Hooghly and Medinipur districts in 1978. He had been living a retired life at Belur Math for the last five years. The swami was adept at various types of puja.