The Order on the March When God Calls Pocket Tal e s Poorva: Magic, Mircles and Mystical Twelve

The Order on the March

News & Notes from Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission

PAGE DONOR : SRI SWAROOP ROY, CHENGALPATTU

Sri Ramakrishna Sevashrama, Digboi, founded in 1930 has been taken into the Ramakrishna Order as branch centre of the Ramakrishna Mission. A new branch centre of the Ramakrishna Math has been started with the land and buildings received from Badarikashrama, Madihalli, Tutuvekere Taluk, Tumakuru District, Karnataka which was established in 1984.

In commemoration of Swami Vivekananda’s address at the World’s Parliament of Religions, Chennai Math, Deoghar, Hyderabad, Kochi, Prayagraj, Rajkot, Thanjavur and Viveknagar (Agartala) centres held programmes on 11 September. The Hyderabad centre’s online programme included special addresses by Sri N V Ramana, Chief Justice of India, Srimat Swami Gautamanandaji, one of the Vice-presidents of the Ramakrishna Order, and Swami Suviranandaji, the General Secretary of the Ramakrishna Order. At the Viveknagar centre, Smt Pratima Bhoumik, Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, and Sri Jishnu Dev Varma, Deputy Chief Minister of Tripura, attended the programme.

RKMVERI (deemed university of the Order) held its Annual Convocation on 11 September and awarded degrees and diplomas to 275 candidates from Belur main campus and its off-campus centres at Narendrapur and Ranchi. Owing to Covid restrictions, most students attended the programme in virtual mode. The General Secretary Swami Suviranandaji, who is also the Chancellor of the University, addressed the Convocation through a recorded video.

Four of our degree colleges secured distinguished positions in the India Rankings 2021 announced by the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), Ministry of Education, Government of India:

Sl. College National Rank State Rank

1. Vidyamandira (Saradapitha centre) 2. Vivekananda Centenary College (Rahara centre) 5 15 2 3 (West Bengal)

3. Residential College (Narendrapur centre) 21 4 4. Arts and Science College (Coimbatore Mission centre) 48 15 (Tamil Nadu)

Smt Pratima Bhoumik, Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, visited Belur Math on 13 September. Ms Ritva Koukku-Ronde, Ambassador of Finland to India, visited Belur Math on 18 September. Sri Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Governor of Maharashtra, visited the Mumbai centre on

Covid-19 Relief: Colombo Covid-19 Relief: Fiji

Covid-19 Relief: Dinajpur 5 September. Dr Banshidhar Mishra, Ambassador of Nepal to Bangladesh, visited Mymensingh centre, Bangladesh, on 3 September.

Relief

Covid-19 Relief: 6 centres in 5 states and 7 centres in 5 foreign countries continued Covid relief and distributed 14,630 kg rice, 6164 kg flour, 3391 kg pulses, 2725 kg potatoes, 1556 kg onions, 1714 kg salt, 1419 kg sugar, 1856 litres cooking oil, 90 kg spices, 873 kg milk powder, 60,200 tea bags, 2614 soaps, 172 sanitisers, 6,98,760 N-95 face masks, and served cooked food to 12,720 people and vaccinated 9,186 people. Flood Relief: Incessant torrential rains in August and September 2021 caused flooding and also breached the embankments of rivers in some parts of West Bengal, Assam, Bihar and Gujarat affecting life and property. 11 centres in these four states undertook relief work and distributed 23,776 kg rice, 17,638 chira (flattened rice), 5802 kg pulses, 1750 kg potatoes, 100 kg onions, 1416 soya chunks, 275 kg spices, 1725 kg salt, 6,011 kg sugar, 3326 litres cooking oil, 324 kg milk powder, 9060 biscuit packets, 53,800 halogen tablets, 1800 tubes of toothpaste, 2090 saris, 2086 lungis, 6102 soap bars among 19,635 families and served cooked food to 14,3764 people. Distress Relief: 15 centres in India and 2 centres in Bangladesh provided the following items among the needy people: 4235 kg rice, 1202 kg pulses, 100 kg potatoes, 43 kg spices, 687 kg salt, 210 kg sugar, 225 litres cooking oil, 506 biscuit packets, 1000 hair oil bottles, 440 soap bars, 4897 saris, 1097 lungis.

Flood Relief: Rajkot Flood Relief: Patna Flood Relief: Dibrugarh Flood Relief: Contai

Distress Relief: Asansol Distress Relief: Raiganj Distress Relief: Tamluk

Ramakrishna Math

Mekhliganj, Dt.Cooch Behar, West Bengal- 735304 (A branch centre of Ramakrishna Math, Belur Math, Howrah, West Bengal) Phone: 8017876512 / 8617380756, E-mail: mekhliganj@rkmm.org

Dear all, Ramakrishna Math Mekhliganj, situated close to India-Bangladesh border, runs a Primary School attended by around 250 students, a Medical Dispensary offering free treatment, and conducts regular distress relief service in interior tribal and rural villages. Added to this the Math has decided to impart Computer & Agriculture training, and other essential life-skills to the local youth. The Math is trying to purchase land to house this Vocational Training Institute. For all these service activities, the Math largely depends upon help from outside because, due to economic backwardness, the local people are unable to financially support the Math. Now, as the Covid-19 pandemic condition has almost dried up donations, it is becoming increasingly difficult to even manage the daily expenses of the Math. We therefore earnestly request your kind aid to support the below mentioned activities of the Math:

Sl. Activity Amount

1 Daily Worship in the Temple 1,00,000/-

2 Salary to School & Math staff

10,00,000/3 Renovation of Math buildings & pathways 10,00,000/4 Completion of Sadhu Nivas & Devotees’ Dining Hall construction 12,00,000/5 Purchase of land to construct Vocational Training Institute 30,00,000/6 A four wheeler vehicle to support relief activities 8,00,000/Total estimated costing 71 Lakhs I humbly appeal to you all to donate generously and help us to serve and uplift the people of this region. Donations details: Cheque in favour of Ramakrishna Math, Mekhliganj

Account Holders name : Ramakrishna Math Account Holders name : Ramakrishna Math Bank : State Bank of India Bank : Central Bank of India Branch : Mekhliganj Branch : Mekhliganj A/c No. : 35367015024 A/c No. : 2162973276 IFSC : SBIN0018013 IFSC : CBIN0280131

After donation, kindly send your PAN Number, full Postal Address, and an E-mail with Transaction details. Only donations with PAN number are eligible for tax exemption under section 80G of I.T. Act 1961.

In anticipation of your help and prayer to the Almighty for His blessings on all. Swami Omkaratmananda Adhyaksha

RAMAKRISHNA MATH, UTTARKASHI

Ganganagar, P.O. Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, 249193 Mobile: 9447051231; Email: uttarkashi@rkmm.org

Shri Ramakrishna Sharanam Offering to Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna: An Appeal

Dear Devotees & Friends, Please accept our loving namaskaras and best wishes. In the innermost sanctuary of the Himalayas there is a tiny centre of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission at the holy town of Uttarkashi in Uttarakhand. The Ashrama was started in 1963, during the birth centenary of Swami Vivekananda with the aim of providing opportunity to the sadhus of the Order, who desire to spend time in solitude in intense Tapasya in the Tapobhumi Himalayas. Over the years hundreds of sadhus performed austerities here for spiritual upliftment. The same tradition continues till date. sadhus and brahmacharins of the Ramakrishna Order regularly visit this Ashrama in great numbers for Tapasya and pilgrimage to Gangotri and Yamunotri as well. In view of expanding the popular Retreat Centre, we have recently purchased a parcel of land measuring 1.5 acres at village Sukhi near Harshil valley. It is located at the edge of Rishikesh-Gangotri National Highway, 60 kms and 40 kms. away from Uttarkashi and Gangotri respectively. The land deal has been duly ratified by the Board of Trustees, Belurmath. We plan to construct few individual 1BHK cottages on this property for both the monks and devotees, where they could spend some time in spiritual practices, in the silence of the majestic Himalayas. We earnestly request you to come forward with your liberal offerings to materialize the project at the earliest. You are invited to sponsor a single cottage with an estimated cost of Rs.10 Lakhs (approx.) each. A suitable plaque inscribing the name of the loved one’s/ Guru of the donor could be fixed on such dedicated Tapsya Kutir, if the contributor desires so. Donations can be made by NEFT/RTGS to the Ramakrishna Math, Union Bank of India, Uttarkashi Branch; IFSC: UBIN0560189, A/c No. 601802010006696. Kindly mention the purpose- “Donation for Construction and Development Fund ”, the PAN and full address of the donor by email to uttarkashi@rkmm.org or SMS to

9447051231.

Donations towards our Math is exempted from IT under 80G Act. May Sri Ramakrishna, Ma Sarada, Swami Vivekananda bless you all. Yours in the Lord, Swami Amaleshananda Adhyaksha

52 Vol.108. No.11 The Vedanta Kesari (English Monthly) November 2021. Regd. with the Registrar of Newspapers for India under No.1084 / 1957. Postal registration number: TN / CH (C) /190 / 2021-2023. Licensed to Post without prepayment TN/PMG(CCR)/WPP-259 / 2021-2023. Date of Publication: 24th of every month. Posted on 26.10.2021 at Egmore RMS/1 (Patrika Channel), Chennai - 8.

All souls are playing, some consciously, some unconsciously. Religion is learning to play consciously.

— Swami Vivekananda

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