Personalia
Revered President Maharaj is scheduled to visit Lucknow and Vrindavan from 7 to 15 February, and Baghbazar Math (Kolkata) from 21 to 23 February.
Swami Suhitanandaji is in South Africa. He will return to Belur Math on 23 February after visiting Zambia, UAE and Sri Lanka.
Swami Bhajananandaji is at Belur Math.
Swami Girishanandaji will visit Gourhati from 6 to 9 February, and Patna from 11 to 15 February.
Swami Divyanandaji is scheduled to visit Sainthia, Katwa, Kamarpukur and Jayrambati from 6 to 23 February.
Swami Vimalatmanandaji will visit Jhargram from 6 to 10 February, and Baganchra from 17 to 23 February.
All of them are keeping well.
Headquarters
The birthday (janma-tithi) of Swami Vivekananda was celebrated at Belur Math on Tuesday, 21 January, with special worship, homa, devotional songs and music. A good number of devotees attended the celebration throughout the day. Khichuri prasad was served to 10,500 devotees. Swami Balabhadrananda presided over the meeting held in the afternoon.
News of Branch Centres in India
Revered President Maharaj dedicated the new building of Junior Basic School (Unit-1) at Kamarpukur centre on 14 November, the birthday of Swami Vijnananandaji Maharaj.
Swami Vimalatmanandaji inaugurated the new kitchen-cum-dining hall at Lumdung centre on 13 December.
Malda centre celebrated the concluding part of its centenary celebration (1924–2024) from 23 to 28 December with a grand procession, public meetings and cultural performances. Swami Divyanandaji launched the celebration. About 100 monks and several devotees participated in the programmes.
Halasuru centre, Bengaluru, initiated a year-long celebration to commemorate 125 years of the Ramakrishna Movement in Bengaluru on 1 January with special worship, bhajans and a public meeting.
Sri Jishnu Dev Varma, Governor of Telangana, visited Hyderabad centre on 1 January. The centre’s renovated and extended dispensary building was opened on 5 January, and a mural of Swamiji was unveiled at the centre’s Institute of Human Excellence on 12 January.
Revered President Maharaj inaugurated the renovated natmandira of Sri Ramakrishna temple at Nabadwip centre on 5 January, the birthday of Swami Saradanandaji Maharaj.
Ranchi Morabadi centre conducted two farmers’ fairs on 8 and 24 January in which a total of 2386 farmers participated.
On 9 January, Revered President Maharaj dedicated the renovated room of Swami Akhandanandaji Maharaj at Sargachhi centre, which now features a life-size statue and some pictures of Swami Akhandanandaji. Revered Maharaj also inaugurated an ITI workshop in the centre on that day.
The new guesthouse Maa Sarada Bhakta Niwas at Jhargram centre was inaugurated on 10 January.
On the occasion of Gangasagar Mela, Seva Pratishthan hospital extended round-the-clock medical service on the Mela grounds from 10 to 16 January. In all, 6080 patients were treated, out of which 172 received indoor medical care. Manasadwip centre provided board and lodging to 444 pilgrims at its unit in Gangasagar.
Swami Girishanandaji opened the renovated guesthouse Agamananda Nivas at Kalady centre on 12 January.
West Bengal Postal Circle released a special postal cover on Swamiji’s Ancestral House on 13 January on the occasion of Swamiji’s birthday.
The General Secretary inaugurated a renovated building of Dakshineshwar Math on 18 January. Located close to the main campus, the building will be used for conducting retreats and other activities.
The new staff quarters Shivananda Bhavan at Narottam Nagar centre was inaugurated on 24 January.
RKMVERI (deemed university) recently received national recognition following its selection, along with four other institutions across the country, to start ‘Centres of Natural Farming’ under the ‘National Mission on Natural Farming’, a flagship programme launched by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India.
A student of our Viveknagar school, Agartala, secured a place among the top 100 students in the national-level VeerGatha contest conducted by the Gallantry Awards Portal of India under the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Education, Government of India. More than 1.50 crore students had taken part in the event.
Our Malda school was presented the Award for Excellence in Academics and the Award for Excellence in Maintenance & Eco-friendly Initiatives by The Telegraph newspaper in a programme held in Siliguri on 19 November.
Students of our Chennai Students’ Home bagged a second prize and a third prize in the state‑level cultural competitions conducted by the State School Education Department, Government of Tamil Nadu, in Tiruppur on 4 January.
Students of our Kalady school received nine A grades in the state-level cultural competitions hosted by Kerala State School Kalolsavam in Thiruvananthapuram from 4 to 7 January.
Thirumukkudal centre served refreshments to 1500 devotees on 10 January on the occasion of Vaikuntha Ekadasi festival at a nearby temple.
The newly set-up physiotherapy unit at the dispensary of Viveknagar centre, Agartala, was inaugurated on 17 January.
A student of our Viveknagar school secured first and second prizes in the regional level (northeast region) National Martial Arts Games conducted by the Global International Martial Arts Federation in Guwahati from 27 to 29 December.
National Youth Day Celebration
On the occasion of National Youth Day (12 January, the birthday of Swami Vivekananda), the Headquarters and Saradapitha jointly held a programme at Belur Math in which 4100 students from different schools and colleges took part. Khichuri prasad was served to 30,000 people on that day.
Almost all our centres in India celebrated the day with great enthusiasm through programmes such as garlanding Swamiji’s statue, processions, youths’ conventions, speeches, music and cultural competitions. Many centres conducted programmes at nearby schools and colleges as well.
Sri Mohan Charan Majhi, the Chief Minister of Odisha, addressed 450 youths at the programme in Bhubaneswar centre.
In the public meeting held at Delhi centre, Sri Ramen Deka, Governor of Chhattisgarh, and other dignitaries addressed a gathering of 700 youths.
Swami Girishanandaji gave a benedictory address in the programme held at Kalady centre.
Swami Vimalatmanandaji presided over the programme at Kalyani centre.
Mumbai centre held various programmes for college students. Sri C P Radhakrishnan, Governor of Maharashtra, addressed a workshop on 13 January, in which 610 students and teachers participated.
Narainpur centre held a huge procession in which about 10,000 students and others marched through the main streets of the city. In the public meeting held on the occasion, Sri Arun Sao, Deputy Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh; Sri Kedar Kashyap, Minister, Department of Forest and Climate Change, Government of Chhattisgarh, and other dignitaries addressed the gathering.
Ranchi Morabadi Ashrama observed the day on its main campus as well as at Swami Vivekananda Sarovar, Ranchi, and in different villages of Ranchi, Khunti and Ramgarh districts of Jharkhand. Sri Santosh Kumar Gangwar, Governor of Jharkhand, was the Chief Guest at the prize distribution ceremony held at the Ashrama in the afternoon.
Swamiji’s Ancestral House, Kolkata, observed the day with a grand procession, devotional music and lectures. About 25,000 people, including a few MPs and MLAs, paid their respects to Swamiji on that day. Further, the centre held the following programmes: A Geeti Alekhya on 13 January, a devotees’ convention on 14 January, musical performances on 15 and 16 January, a documentary film screening on 17 January, a shruti natak on 18 January, and an art exhibition from 14 to 18 January.
At Viveknagar centre (Agartala), Sri Indra Sena Reddy Nallu, Governor of Tripura; Sri Jishnu Dev Varma, Governor of Telangana; and other dignitaries attended the celebrations.
The following centres held cultural competitions on a large scale in addition to other events:
| Sl. | Centre | No. of students participated |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Indore | 3050 students from 24 schools |
| 2. | Lekhamba (Ahmedabad) | 28,000 students from 109 educational institutions |
| 3. | Rajkot | 10,908 students from 187 schools |
| 4. | Ranchi Morabadi | 3709 students from various districts of Jharkhand |
| 5. | Yadadri Bhuvanagiri | 2121 students from 26 schools |
Communication Addresses
Postal Address: The road where Adipur centre is located has been named Swami Vivekananda Marg.
With this change, the full postal address of the centre is now:
Ramakrishna Math,
Swami Vivekananda Marg,
Ward No 2A, Behind Divine Life Hospital,
Adipur, Kutch, Gujarat 370205
Values Education and Youth Programmes
The following centres held programmes mentioned against their names:
Coimbatore Mission: A values education programme at a local college on 25 January in which 93 students were in attendance.
Dhaleswar, Agartala: Four values education programmes at local educational institutions from 15 to 20 January in which a total of 605 students and teachers participated.
Gurugram: (i) Five teachers’ training programmes in different parts of the country from 19 December to 18 January, attended by 173 teachers in all. (ii) A winter workshop for children from 2 to 4 January in which 11 children took part.
Indore: Cultural competitions from 1 to 15 December in which 346 students from 13 schools took part.
Jalpaiguri: A three-day residential camp for youths from 28 to 30 December in which 28 youths were in attendance.
Kamarpukur: Two values education classes on 5 and 17 December in which 54 students in all took part.
Kanpur: A talk for youths and a youths’ meet, both on 28 December, in which a total of 290 students from different schools participated.
Nabadwip: A youths’ conference on 26 January in which 110 youths participated.
Raipur: Six personality development camps at various schools in and around Raipur from 17 to 23 January, attended by 1130 students and 80 teachers in all.
Somsar: Two youths’ conventions on 31 December and 5 January, which were attended by a total of 225 students.
Thanjavur: (i) Fifteen values education programmes in and around Thanjavur from 30 December to 25 January in which altogether 3820 students and teachers participated. (ii) A youths’ camp in a college at Coimbatore on 11 January in which 1500 students took part. (iii) A drawing competition at Kumbakonam in which 265 students were in attendance.
Viveknagar, Agartala: A youths’ conclave on 4 January in which 200 youths took part.
Eye Camps and other Healthcare Services
The following centres conducted medical camps. A summary of the services provided by them is given below.
India:
Asansol: An eye camp in collaboration with another organization on 26 November in which 116 patients were screened. Subsequently, 102 were given spectacles on 28 December.
Bankura: Eye camps from 28 November to 29 January in which a total of 839 eye patients were screened, 145 were operated on and 66 were given spectacles.
Chennai Math: An eye camp at Chengam, with the help of Chengam centre, on 4 January, in which 219 patients were screened; subsequently, 28 were admitted to a hospital in Puducherry for surgery.
Chennai Students’ Home: A blood donation camp on 10 January in which 56 people donated blood.
Coimbatore Mission: Seven medical camps (1 dental, 2 cardiology and 4 general camps) in and around Coimbatore from 28 December to 26 January, in which a total of 358 patients were treated.
Digboi: Four medical camps from 29 December to 19 January in which altogether 100 patients were treated.
Jamshedpur: (i) Two eye camps in nearby areas on 21 December and 5 January in which a total of 129 patients were screened; subsequently, 83 of them underwent cataract surgery at a local eye hospital. (ii) A blood donation camp on 12 January in which 121 people donated blood.
Lucknow: 6660 eye patients were checked and 518 were operated on and given spectacles in December.
Madurai: (i) Two diabetes check-up camps on 17 November and 19 January in which a total of 222 patients were checked. (ii) Two eye camps on 15 December and 19 January: a total of 237 patients were screened; subsequently, 51 were operated on for cataract in an eye hospital, and 45 were given spectacles. (iii) A health awareness camp on 29 December where 220 persons participated.
Nattarampalli: An eye camp on 19 January: 147 patients were checked; subsequently, 39 were operated on for cataract in an eye hospital, and 41 were given spectacles.
Puri Math: (i) Six eye camps, both at the centre and local schools, from 2 to 4 December in which a total of 739 patients were screened, and 22 were given spectacles. (ii) Two medical camps on 12 January in which altogether 202 students were checked.
Rahara, Kolkata: A medical camp at Hingalganj Block, North 24 Parganas, on 5 January in which 368 patients were treated.
Ranchi Morabadi: 601 eye patients were checked and 32 underwent cataract surgery in an eye hospital from 21 December to 20 January.
Sakwar: Conducted the following camps on 12 January: (i) A blood donation camp in which 90 people donated blood, (ii) An eye camp in association with a hospital in which 130 patients were screened; later 60 of them underwent cataract surgery at the hospital, and (iii) A cancer detection camp in collaboration with an organization in which 50 patients were screened.
Salem: (i) Two medical camps at nearby villages on 29 December and 5 January in which a total of 348 patients were screened. (ii) An eye camp at a nearby town on 22 December in which 257 patients were checked; subsequently, 58 of them underwent cataract surgery at an eye hospital in Salem and 50 were given spectacles.
Thanjavur: A medical camp on 19 January in which 50 patients were treated.
Thirumukkudal: A medical camp at a nearby temple on 10 January in which 100 patients were treated.
Viveknagar, Agartala: An ayurvedic medical camp in collaboration with another organization on 24 January in which 101 patients were treated.
Outside India:
Batticaloa (a sub-centre of Colombo branch), Sri Lanka: Medical camps at Kiran, Sittandy and Kudumimalai in January in which altogether 627 patients received medical aid.