Personalia
Revered President Maharaj will return to Belur Math from Jayrambati on 2 October. Subsequently, he will visit Chennai, Villupuram, Puducherry and Chengalpattu from 6 to 12 October.
Swami Suhitanandaji is scheduled to visit Guwahati, Itanagar, Ziro (in Arunachal Pradesh) and Lumdung from 2 to 11 October, and Cossipore and Baghbazar from 25 to 27 October.
Swami Bhajananandaji is in Vrindavan.
Swami Girishanandaji, now in Asansol, will return to Belur Math on 12 October.
Swami Divyanandaji is in Kharupetia and will return to Cossipore on 2 October. He is scheduled to visit the Institute of Culture, Gol Park, from 6 to 8 October, and Kamarpukur and Jayrambati from 14 to 21 October.
Swami Vimalatmanandaji will be visiting Kathamrita Bhavan from 3 to 6 October, and Raipur on 11 and 12 October.
All of them are keeping well.
News of Branch Centres in India
The newly constructed Gadadhar Abhyudaya Prakalpa (GAP) building at Sikra Kulingram centre was inaugurated on 30 August.
Sri Suvendu Adhikari, Chief Minister of West Bengal, visited Gol Park centre, Kolkata, on 3 September.
Two new facilities—the School of Languages and the Centre for Human Excellence—were dedicated at the Gangail Road sub-centre of Viveknagar centre, Agartala, on 4 September.
Lieutenant General (Retd.) Syed Ata Hasnain, Governor of Bihar, inaugurated the Universal Brotherhood Day celebrations at Muzaffarpur centre on 11 September.
Sri Aparesh Kumar Singh, Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court, visited Hyderabad centre on 11 September.
The convocation ceremony of the off-campus centre of RKMVERI (deemed university) at Coimbatore Mission Vidyalaya was held on 12 September. A pre-recorded video message of the General Secretary, who is also the Chancellor of the university, was played during the programme. Certificates and degrees were awarded to 195 successful candidates.
At Jammu centre, Swami Suhitanandaji dedicated the Vivekananda Bal Sabha, a cultural unit for children, on 13 September. He also inaugurated the first floor of the garage building, named ‘Vinayak Bhavan’, on 14 September.
The newly started dispensary building at Rourkela centre, named ‘Vivekananda Swasthya Kendra’, was opened on 18 September.
Sri RN Ravi, Governor of West Bengal, visited Swamiji’s Ancestral House, Kolkata, on 19 September.
The following centres held various programmes in July-August, such as awareness lectures, conventions, meditation sessions, rallies and cultural competitions under Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, a national initiative focused on achieving a drug-free India: Chennai Students’ Home, Cuttack, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Imphal, Indore, Jaipur, Lucknow, Madurai, Mumbai, Rajkot, Saradapitha and Thanjavur.
As part of the nationwide National Sports Day celebrations held from 28 to 30 August, the following centres conducted various events, including awareness programmes, football matches and cycle rallies, centred around the inspiring theme Khelega Bharat, Jeetega Bharat: Aalo, Adipur, Ahmedabad, Almora, Antpur, Asansol, Baghbazar, Bajepratappur, Balaram Mandir, Balurghat, Chandigarh, Chandipur, Chengalpattu, Chennai Mission Ashrama, Chennai Students’ Home, Coimbatore Mission, Contai, Dakshineshwar, Darjeeling, Dibrugarh, Digboi, Garbeta, Gourhati, Gurap, Gurugram, Guwahati, Halasuru, Hatamuniguda, Hyderabad, Ichapur, Indore, Jaipur, Jalpaiguri, Kailashahar, Kalady, Kalyani, Kamarpukur, Kanchipuram, Khetri, Kozhikode, Lalgarh, Lucknow, Manasadwip, Nabadwip, Nagpur, Narainpur, Porbandar, Rajkot, Ramanathapuram, Ranchi Morabadi, Saradapitha, Sarati, Sikra Kulingram, Silchar, Siliguri, Sribhumi, Swamiji’s Ancestral House, Thanjavur, Ujjain, Vadodara, Varanasi Advaita Ashrama, Vijayawada and Viveknagar.
Universal Brotherhood Day is observed every year on 11 September to commemorate Swami Vivekananda’s First Address at the World’s Parliament of Religions in Chicago, USA, in 1893. The following centres enthusiastically celebrated this day by conducting public meetings, cultural programmes, rallies, symposiums, youths’ conventions, guided meditation, special talks by eminent personalities, group discussions and other such events: Aalo, Asansol, Baranagar Mission, Basavanagudi, Chandigarh, Chennai Mission Ashrama, Chennai Students’ Home, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Coimbatore Mission, Contai, Davanagere, Dhaleswar, Gurap, Gwalior, Hatamuniguda, Hyderabad, Indore, Jhargram, Kadapa, Konampatti, Limbdi, Madurai, Mangaluru, Medinipur, Muzaffarpur, Mysuru, Nabadwip, Naora, Narottam Nagar, Pune, Purulia, Raipur, Rajamahendravaram, Rajkot, Ramanathapuram, Ranchi Morabadi, Sri Vijaya Puram (Port Blair), Swamiji’s Ancestral House, Taki, Thanjavur, Ujjain, Vadodara and Viveknagar.
Awards and Recognitions
The Telegraph Education Foundation, Kolkata, presented the Award for Excellence in Academics to Purulia Vidyapith, in a programme held in Kolkata on 29 August.
The Government of West Bengal conferred the Vidyasagar Sera Vidyalaya Samman (best school award) upon our schools in Baranagar Mission, Jhargram, Kamarpukur and Medinipur. At a ceremony held in Kolkata on 5 September, the Chief Minister presented each school with a citation, a trophy and a cash prize of one lakh rupees.
The under-17 football team of Narainpur school received the fair play award, comprising a sum of fifty thousand rupees and a trophy, at the international-level Subroto Cup Football Tournament. (A fair play award is given to the team that displays the best sportsmanship, discipline and fair play throughout the tournament, regardless of how far they advanced in the tournament.)
A student of our Thrissur school was named the Kerala Football Association’s best player and subsequently selected to represent the national team in the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) U‑17 Asian Cup.
A student of the Viveknagar school, Agartala, was awarded for the outstanding oral presentation of research in the Research Science Initiative India, administered by the US-based Center for Excellence in Education (CEE) in partnership with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru.
Communication Address
Website: Kolhapur centre has launched a website with the address kolhapur.rkmm.org.
Values Education and Youth Programmes
The following centres held programmes mentioned against their names:
Basavanagudi, Bengaluru: Four values education programmes from 29 August to 19 September, in which a total of 1045 youths took part.
Coimbatore Mission: Two values education programmes on 3 and 8 September at nearby schools, in which a total of 242 students participated.
Gurugram: (i) Thirty-three values education programmes in different parts of the country from 21 August to 19 September, in which altogether 1520 principals and teachers took part. (ii) Five online values education programmes from 24 August to 12 September, in which 142 teachers, in all, were in attendance.
Haripad: A values education programme on 1 September, which was attended by 155 students.
Hyderabad: (i) A youths’ convention on 10 September, in which 1400 youths participated. (ii) A values education programme on 12 September, in which 950 teachers were in attendance. (iii) A values education programme at a nearby school on 19 September, in which 450 students took part.
Jalpaiguri: Three values education programmes in three schools of Jalpaiguri district from 3 to 26 September, in which a total of 760 students and teachers took part.
Kolhapur: Ten values education programmes in July-September, in which a total of 1175 students and 110 teachers from nearby schools and colleges participated.
Konampatti: (i) Three values education programmes on 28 and 29 August, in which a total of 500 students were in attendance. (ii) A values education programme on 2 September, in which 50 parents participated.
Krishnanagar: A youths’ convention on 30 August at a nearby place, which was attended by 111 students.
Rajarhat Bishnupur: A youths’ conference on 30 August, in which 200 students from nearby schools and colleges participated.
Rajkot: (i) A youths’ convention for National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets on 14 September, in which 400 cadets were in attendance. (ii) Eight values education classes from 21 August to 23 September, in which a total of 518 students participated.
Salem: Inter-school cultural competitions on Ramakrishna-Vivekananda literature from 10 to 18 August, in which a total of 1350 students from 23 schools in and around Salem participated.
Sribhumi: A youths’ convention on 29 August, which was attended by 250 students and 45 teachers.
Thanjavur: Three values education programmes on 28 and 29 August, in which a total of 317 students and teachers participated.
Yadadri Bhuvanagiri: A motivational programme from 4 to 6 September, in which 60 teachers 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:
Antpur: An eye camp, in association with an eye hospital, on 30 August, in which 48 patients underwent cataract surgery.
Basavanagudi, Bengaluru: An orthopaedic camp on 10 September, in which 90 patients took part.
Coimbatore Mission: Nine medical camps (1 ENT, 2 dental, 3 eye and 3 general) in rural and tribal areas of Coimbatore district from 29 August to 26 September, in which a total of 234 patients were treated.
Contai: A medical camp at the Bhagwanpur block of Purba Medinipur district, on 6 September, in which 624 patients were treated.
Dhaleswar, Agartala: A blood donation camp on 12 September, in which 50 units of blood were collected. Dr Manik Saha, Chief Minister of Tripura, took part in the camp.
Gourhati: Five eye camps from 26 May to 22 September, in association with another organization: a total of 260 patients were examined; 28 of them underwent surgery at an eye hospital in Howrah and received spectacles.
Gurap: An eye camp on 9 September, in which 28 patients were checked, and 7 were operated on.
Guwahati: A medical camp in Morigaon district on 29 August, in which 139 patients were treated.
Hyderabad: A medical camp at a village in Narayanpet district on 6 September, in which 275 patients were treated.
Itanagar: (i) Four blood donation camps from 4 to 19 September, in which altogether 99 units of blood were collected. (ii) An eye camp on 16 September, in which 153 patients were screened; subsequently, 43 underwent cataract surgery at the centre’s hospital.
Jammu: A medical camp on 9 September, through which 126 patients benefitted.
Kanpur: A medical camp at a nearby place on 16 September, in which 75 patients were treated.
Konampatti: Three medical camps from 6 to 20 September, in which a total of 95 patients were treated.
Lucknow: Eye camps in August: 4510 patients were examined, of whom 152 underwent surgery and received spectacles.
Madurai: An eye camp on 20 September, in which 148 patients were screened. Of them, 54 were operated on for cataract at an eye hospital, and 23 were given spectacles.
Nattarampalli: An eye camp on 20 September: 206 patients were checked; of them, 88 were operated on for cataract in an eye hospital, and 38 were given spectacles.
Porbandar: An eye camp on 11 September, where 28 patients were checked; later on, 11 were operated on for cataract in an eye hospital.
Rahara, Kolkata: A medical camp at Hingalganj block, North 24 Parganas district, on 30 August, in which 461 patients were treated.
Rajamahendravaram: (i) A medical camp at Rampachodavaram in Polavaram district on 20 September, in which 550 patients were treated. (ii) Eye camps from July to September: 508 patients were examined, of whom 85 underwent cataract surgery, and 135 received spectacles.
Ranchi Morabadi: Eye camps from 15 July to 15 September: 285 patients were checked, and 17 underwent cataract surgery.
Salem: An eye camp at a nearby place on 13 September: 117 patients were checked; 42 of them were operated on for cataract in an eye hospital, and 13 were given spectacles.
Thanjavur: (i) A medical camp on 30 August, in which 75 patients were treated. (ii) A dental camp on 2 September, through which 153 patients benefitted.
Thirumukkudal: An eye camp at a nearby village, in association with an eye hospital, on 30 August, in which 104 patients were screened; subsequently, 14 of them underwent surgery in the eye hospital, and 52 were given spectacles.
Varanasi Home of Service: Medical camps in four districts of Uttar Pradesh and one district of Uttarakhand in May-July, benefiting a total of 2203 patients.
Viveknagar, Agartala: (i) Two blood donation camps on 30 August and 11 September, in which a total of 98 people donated blood. (ii) Three medical camps from 30 August to 20 September at Narsingarh and Gomati districts, in which a total of 140 patients were treated.
Yadadri Bhuvanagiri: A residential health workshop from 31 August to 2 September, through which 50 candidates benefitted.
Outside India:
Durban, South Africa: A medical camp at Ladysmith on 20 September, in which 800 patients were treated.
Obituaries
We record with sorrow the passing away of three of our brother monks.
Swami Golokanandaji (Gopal Maharaj), aged 92, passed away at our Thiruvananthapuram hospital on 2 September at 5.23 pm. An initiated disciple of Swami Shankaranandaji Maharaj, he joined the order in 1953 at Chennai Math and received sannyasa diksha from Swami Madhavanandaji Maharaj in 1963. He served at Chennai Math and Seva Pratishthan centres as an assistant; Thiruvananthapuram and Thiruvalla centres, first as an assistant and later as the head; and Koyilandy, Kozhikode and Haripad centres as the head. Since 2015, he had been living a retired life, staying mainly at the Nettayam sub‑centre of Thiruvananthapuram Ashrama. He was active and alert until almost the last day. Austere, kind-hearted and jovial by nature, he was popular, especially among the poor and needy in Kerala, for his sweet behaviour and his welfare work among them.
Swami Vrajeshananda (Achintya Maharaj) breathed his last at Seva Pratishthan, Kolkata, on 16 September at 11.55 am. He was 74. Initiated by Swami Vireshwaranandaji Maharaj, he joined the order in 1972 at Sohra centre and received sannyasa diksha from his guru in 1981. He served at Sohra, Narendrapur, Ranchi Sanatorium, Contai, Rahara, Shyamla Tal and Manasadwip centres. In 1989, he participated in the flood relief operations at Medinipur. He had been living at Belur Math for the last eight years. The swami was sociable by nature.
Swami Padmananda (Utpal) passed away at our Vrindavan hospital on 19 September, the sacred Radha Ashtami day, at 7.10 pm. He was 59. An initiated disciple of Swami Ranganathanandaji Maharaj, he joined the order in 1991 at Jayrambati centre and received sannyasa diksha from his guru in 2001. He served at Jayrambati, Jamtara, Barasat, Narendrapur, Sri Vijaya Puram (Port Blair) and Contai centres. Austere and jovial by nature, he was helpful to all.