In commemoration of the 113th anniversary (2 April 1911 – 2 April 2024) of the Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi’s visit to Rajamahendravaram, on 2 April 2024, arati, vedic chanting, and bhajans were performed at the ‘Sri Sarada Devi Mandapam’, near Pushkar ghat on the banks of Godavari.
In the afternoon, a motivational program exclusively for Math employees was organised. At this meeting Swami Sashikantananda addressed the staff on the topic “The motto of Ramakrishna Mission & the significance of Seva” followed by interaction. All participants were given a gift of travel trolley bags and served with snacks.
On the same day evening 200 sarees were distributed to the slum dwellers and prasad was served to all.
A brief history of Holy Mother’s visit to Rajamahendravaram
Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi and her companions left Madras on 1 April 1911 for Puri by train after completing their pilgrimage in South India. On the next day (2 April 1911) they stopped at Rajamahendravaram (Rajahmundry) in Andhra Pradesh. Swami Ramakrishnananda had arranged their stay in the residence of Dewan Bahadur M.O. Parthasarathi Iyengar, the judge of the Godavari district. His home was on the bank of the Godavari River (at present, Municipal water treatment plant exists), so the Mother and her companions got easy access to bathe there. The party left Rajahmundry on 3 April 1911 and reached Puri on the next day via Khurda Road station.
The devotees of Andhra Pradesh erected a monument and installed a statue of Holy Mother on the ghat where she bathed. The Holy Mother mandapam was inaugurated on 13 August 1991 by Most Revered Srimat Swami Ranganathanandaji Maharaj, Vice-president, Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission.
