Revered President Maharaj is keeping well at Belur Math.

Swami Vagishanandaji is keeping tolerably well at Cossipore Math.

Swami Gautamanandaji is at Kamarpukur.  He will reach Belur Math on 9 March and stay there till the end of the month.  He is keeping well.

Swami Prabhanandaji is keeping well at Belur Math.

Swami Shivamayanandaji is at Kankurgachhi Math and is keeping well.

Swami Suhitanandaji is keeping well at Belur Math

The birthday (janma-tithi) of Swami Vivekananda was celebrated at Belur Math on Thursday, 4 February, with special worship, homa and music.  Swami Balabhadrananda presided over the meeting held in the afternoon.  As Belur Math was closed to devotees on account of the pandemic, devotees watched the programmes online.

Photos | Videos | Live-Streamed Video

Belur Math gates, which had remained closed for more than six months due to the Covid-19 pandemic, were opened to devotees and visitors on 10 February.  Visiting hours, however, have been restricted, and necessary safety measures have been put in place as per the government guidelines.

The correct addresses of the following centres may please be noted.  Changes made in the addresses are indicated by underlining.

Centres in India:

Basavanagudi, Bengaluru: Ramakrishna Math, Bull Temple Road, Basavanagudi, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560 019.

Centres outside India:

Berkeley, USA: Vedanta Society of Berkeley, 2455 Bowditch Street, Berkeley, California 94704.  It has a sub-centre in San Jose at the following address:  San Jose House of Vedanta Society Berkeley, 1376 Mariposa Avenue, San Jose, California 95126.

Chicago, USA: Vivekananda Vedanta Society of Chicago, 14630 Lemont Road, Homer Glen, Illinois 60491.

Addresses of two sub-centres of Chicago Vedanta Society are as follows:

(i) Home of Harmony, 3801 N Keeler Avenue, Irving Park, Chicago, Illinois 60641, and

(ii) Nivedita Nivas, 5555 S Everett Avenue, Jackson Tower, Hyde Park, Chicago, Illinois 60637.

Batticaloa sub-centre of Colombo centre, Sri Lanka: Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama & Children Homes, Ramakrishnapuram, Batticaloa 30100.

Geneva, Switzerland: Centre Védantique Genève, 63 Avenue d’Aire, CH-1203, Geneva.

Japan: Nippon Vedanta Kyokai (Vedanta Society of Japan), 4-18-1 Hisagi, Zushi-shi, Kanagawa-ken, 249-0001 Japan.

Mauritius: Ramakrishna Mission, Quinze Cantons, Vacoas 73238.

Moscow, Russia: Ramakrishna Society-Vedanta Centre, Ul. Bolshaya Nabereznaya, House 11, Block-3, Apt. 16, Moscow 125362.

Centres in India:

Coimbatore Mission Vidyalaya:

Faculty of Disability Management and Special Education (FDMSE) has a telephone connection: 75027 32223.

Faculty of General and Adapted Physical Education and Yoga (GAPEY) has a telephone connection: 73730 33919.

Faculty Centre for Agricultural Education and Research (FAR) has a telephone connection: 75020 32223.

Department of Computer Science (DCS) has a telephone connection: 75027 32223.

Institute of Agriculture and Rural Development (IARD) has a telephone connection: 75020 32223.

Kanchipuram centre has changed its telephone number from 94453 91610 to 94441 28770.

Centres outside India:

Berkeley centre, USA, has discontinued its fax number: 845 4583.  Its sub-centre in San Jose has a telephone connection: 408-493-0665.

Chicago centre, USA, has discontinued its fax number 301 9063.  The centre’s retreat in Ganges has discontinued its telephone number: 543 4545.

Colombo centre, Sri Lanka, has discontinued its fax number: 236 1438.  Its sub-centre in Batticaloa has discontinued phone numbers 265 1269 (Boys’ Home) and 222 7500 (Dispensary).

Mauritius centre has discontinued the phone number 416 5652 of its sub-centre in St. Julien D’Hotman.

Netherlands centre has changed its telephone number from 20-441 0155 to 592-865 283.

Singapore centre has discontinued its telephone number: 6383 5741 and fax connection: 6288 5798.  The centre’s units have the following telephone numbers:

Boys’ Home: 6288 7324

Kindergarten: 6383 5764

Counselling Centre: 6383 5745.

Centres in India:

Coimbatore Mission Vidyalaya:

FDMSE has an email id: <[email protected]>.

GAPEY has an email id: <[email protected]>.

FAR has an email id: <[email protected]>.

DCS has an email id: <[email protected]>.

College of Arts and Science has an email id: <[email protected]>.

College of Education has an email id: <[email protected]>.

College of Physical Education has an email id: <[email protected]>.

IARD has an email id: <[email protected]>.

Polytechnic College has an email id: <[email protected]>.

Industrial Training Institute (ITI) has an email id: <[email protected]>.

Centres outside India:

The Ganges Retreat of Chicago centre, USA, has an email id: <[email protected]>.

Jashore centre, Bangladesh, has now an email id on RKMM domain: <[email protected]>.

Coimbatore Mission Vidyalaya:

FDMSE, GAPEY, FAR and DCS have a common website with address: vucbe.org.

College of Arts and Science has a website with address: www.srmvcas.org.

College of Education has a website with address: www.srkvcoe.org.

College of Physical Education has a website with address:  srkvmcpe.org.

IARD has a website with address: srmviard.site.

Polytechnic College has a website with address:  srkvtech.org.

ITI has a website with address:  srkviti.org.

Salem centre has changed its website address from www.rksalem.org to www.rkmsalem.org.

Sikra Kulingram centre has changed its website address from <www.rkmsikrakulingram.org.in> to rkmsikrakulingram.org.

Malliankaranai centre has launched a website with the address: www.rkmmalliankaranai.org.

Nagar Nigam of Haridwar presented a certificate of recognition to Kankhal hospital on 7 December for its contribution towards making Haridwar clean and green.  Our hospital stood first among the healthcare facilities in Haridwar.

Advaita Ashrama, Mayavati, marked the 125th anniversary of the publication of Prabuddha Bharata by bringing out a special issue of the magazine in January.  It also held an online programme over YouTube on 31 January which consisted of pre-recorded talks by Revered President Maharaj, Swami Gautamanandaji, the General Secretary, the Prime Minister of India Sri Narendra Modi, and others. Live-Streamed Video

The off-campus centre of RKMVERI (deemed university) in Coimbatore Mission Vidyalaya held the 15th convocation on 3 February.  In all, 210 successful candidates were awarded certificates and degrees.  The Governor of Tamil Nadu Sri Banwarilal Purohit and the General Secretary addressed the students through recorded video messages. Report & Photos

Sri Bhupesh Baghel, Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, presented the Best Associate NCC Officer (ANO) Award to Ms. Sita Kewat, NCC teacher of Narainpur school, at a function held in Raipur on 10 February.  The award consisted of a medal, a certificate and 50,000 rupees.

Delhi centre conducted a webinar and 12 online workshops on values education from 26 January to 25 February.  In all, 657 teachers, principals, students and students’ parents from different parts of India attended these programmes.

Madurai Math conducted a values education programme for college students on 2 February in which 90 students took part.

Mumbai centre conducted an online quiz competition in January in which 603 students from 40 schools took part.  The winners received prizes in a virtual programme held on 18 February.  The centre also held an essay-writing competition in which 553 students of 73 colleges participated.

We record with sorrow the passing away of four of our brother-monks.

Swami Nityasatyananda (Biswarup), head of Darjeeling centre, passed away suddenly on 7 February at 9 am at District Hospital, Darjeeling, due to COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease).  He was 60 and had been suffering from hypertension for some years.  Initiated by Swami Gambhiranandaji Maharaj, he joined the order at Puri Mission Ashrama in 1987 and received sannyasa diksha from Swami Bhuteshanandaji Maharaj in 1997.  He served the order at Puri Mission Ashrama and Belgharia Students’ Home as an assistant and Baranagar Mission Ashrama and Darjeeling centre as the head.  He made a significant contribution to the development of Darjeeling centre as its first head.  He also actively participated in various relief and rehabilitation projects.  The swami was hardworking, kind-hearted and sociable by nature.  In him the order has lost a dedicated and energetic member.

Swami Yogeshanandaji (Philip Maharaj) breathed his last at Trabuco Monastery (sub-centre of Hollywood branch), USA, on 13 February, the birthday of Swami Brahmanandaji Maharaj, at 10.25 am local time (11.55 pm Indian Standard Time).  He was 98 and had been suffering from old-age ailments for some years.  The swami joined the order in 1949 at Hollywood centre and received sannyasa diksha from Swami Vireshwaranandaji Maharaj in 1971.  He served the order at its centres in Hollywood, Sacramento, New York Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center, Narendrapur, London (which was later moved to Bourne End), and Chicago, and stayed at the unaffiliated centre in Atlanta, USA, for many years.  He had been living a retired life at the Trabuco Monastery since 2010.  The swami has some books to his credit, of which the most notable one is Six Lighted Windows: Memories of Swamis in the West.  Austere, affectionate and cheerful by nature, the swami endeared himself to all who came in contact with him.

Swami Chidanandaji (Lakshman Maharaj) passed away at Chicago centre, USA, on 15 February, the birthday of Swami Trigunatitanandaji Maharaj, at about 8 am local time (7.30 pm Indian Standard Time).  He was 88 and had been suffering from old-age ailments for some years.  Initiated by Swami Yatishwaranandaji Maharaj, he joined the order in 1956 at Basavanagudi Math, Bengaluru, and received sannyasa diksha from Swami Vireshwaranandaji Maharaj in 1966.  He served the order at Basavanagudi centre (first as an assistant and later as the head), Institute of Culture, Gol Park, (as an Assistant Secretary), and Chicago centre (first as an Assistant Minister and later as the Minister-in-Charge).  He had been living a retired life at Chicago centre for the last eight years.  The swami was well versed in Vedic chanting, having received training from traditional pandits.  He also had good knowledge of different kinds of rituals.

Swami Gambhiratmananda (Paresh) expired at Seva Pratishthan, Kolkata, on 17 February at 7.25 am.  He was 73 and had been suffering from diabetes and hypertension for some years.  An initiated disciple of Swami Vireshwaranandaji Maharaj, he joined the order in 1981 at Belur Math and received sannyasa diksha from Swami Bhuteshanandaji Maharaj in 1990.  He served at Belur Math and Cossipore, Patna, Garbeta, Barasat, Kankhal, Narendrapur and Balaram Mandir centres.  He had been living a retired life at Belur Math for the past year.  The swami was amiable by nature.