To commemorate the 114th anniversary (2 April 1911 – 2 April 2025) of the Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi’s sacred visit to Rajamahendravaram, a special programme was held at the Sri Sarada Devi Mandapam, near Pushkar Ghat on the banks of the Godavari, on the evening of Wednesday, 2 April 2025.
The programme included Sri Lalitha Sahasranama Parayanam, Sri Saradanama Sankirtanam, Vedic chanting, bhajans, and a brief talk on the significance of the Holy Mother’s life and teachings. Around 200 devotees participated in the event, and prasad was distributed to all.
As part of the commemoration:
- Narayana Seva was conducted on 31 March 2025, during which 200 sarees were distributed across 10 tribal hamlets.
- On 2 April 2025, poor feeding was organized at two old age homes — Sri Gowthami Jiva Karunya Sangham and Swarna Andhra Seva Samstha — benefiting 200 underprivileged individuals.
Additionally, on the morning of 2 April 2025, a Values Education Programme was conducted exclusively for college girl students on the theme “The Relevance of Sri Sarada Devi’s Teachings in the Modern Context.” A total of 130 students participated in this inspiring session.
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.
