The Order on the March

News & Notes from Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission

Belur Math

The birthday of Swami Vivekananda was celebrated at Belur Math on Friday, 17 th January 2020. Thousands of devotees attended the celebration throughout the day. Khichri prasad was served to about 12,000 devotees. Swami Satyeshananda, one of the Asst. General Secretaries of the Order presided over the public meeting held in the afternoon. 65 centres in India celebrated the National Youth Day (12 th January) with great enthusiasm by conducting programmes such as processions, youths’ conventions, speeches and cultural competitions. In the celebrations at Belur Math thousands of youths and devotees thronged the Belur Math premises throughout the day. Khichri prasad was served to about 30,000 people.

Guests of Honour

Sri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, visited Belur Math and stayed at the Math guest- house from the evening of 11 th January to the morning of 12 th January. He addressed the gathering of youth at Belur Math on the occasion of National Youth Day on 12 th January. Sri M Venkaiah Naidu, Vice President of India, visited Port Blair centre on 18 th January. Sri Jagdeep Dhankhar, Governor of West Bengal, and Sri Tathagata Roy, Governor of Meghalaya, visited Cossipore Math on 1 st and 14 th

Primer Minister at Belur Math

Davanagere

January respectively. Sri Jagdeep Dhankhar also presided over the annual prize-giving ceremony of Narendrapur Vidyalaya on 25 th January. Sri Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister of Odisha, inaugurated Bhubaneswar Ashrama’s centenary celebrations on 24 th January.

News from Branch Centres

On the occasion of the Gangasagar Mela, Manasadwip centre held a camp at Sagar Island in South 24-Parganas district. About 1000 pilgrims were given free board and lodging at the camp. In addition, free meals were served to about 5000 non-resident pilgrims. Discourses and devotional singing were also arranged in the camp. Our Seva Pratishthan hospital through round-the-clock medical service treated 8374 patients, out of which 27 received indoor medical care.

In the second phase of its year-long centenary celebrations, Bhubaneswar Ashrama held a series of public meetings and cultural events. In the three-day programme, inaugurated by Sri Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister of Odisha, Srimat Swami Vagishananda Ji, one of the Vice-presidents of the Order, and a number of sannyasis and dignitaries addressed the gathering. In all, about 200 sadhus and 1200 devotees took part in the programme.

As part of its centenary celebrations, Salem Ashrama conducted a spiritual retreat and a workshop for teachers which were attended by 350 devotees and 113 teachers.

Srimat Swami Gautamananda Ji, one of the Vice-presidents of the Order, inaugurated the second floor of the school building at Kadapa centre. Values Education and Youth Programmes

The following centres held youth conventions, workshops, and lectures: Bagda: Talks (218 students & 63 students); Cooch Behar: Convention (200 youth); Delhi: 21 workshops in 11 cities (850 teachers & 215 principals); Gadadhar Ashrama: Talk (60 students); Gourhati: Convention (650 students from 20 schools); Haripad: Workshops (534 students); Kailashahar: Programmes in 4 educational

Kadapa

Jammu

centres (1575 students & 82 teachers); Medinipur: 12 workshops (4654 students & teachers); Mysuru: Quiz competition on Swamiji (36,000 students from 387 educational institutions); Rajkot: Residential Personality Development Camp (88 students) and 13 programmes outside (3149 students); Taki: Talks in 4 institutions (474 students); Vadodara: 3 programmes (460 students). Cyclone Relief

West Bengal: In the wake of the devastation caused by Cyclone Bulbul in November, Narendrapur centre distributed 1081 blankets, saris and mosquito nets among 1081 families in North and South 24 Parganas districts. Flood Relief

India: Purnea centre distributed 330 saris and 32 lungis among 362 families that had been affected by floods in October. Sri Lanka: Batticaloa sub-centre of Colombo Ashrama distributed 2420 kg rice, 242 kg dal and 242 kg sugar among 242 flood-affected families in and around Batticaloa. Winter Relief 40 centres in India distributed among the poor: 19,172 blankets, 14,828 sweaters/jackets. Two centres in Bangladesh distributed 1330 blankets.

Distress Relief 16 centres in India distributed 824 dhotis, 2671 saris, 18,724 shirts, 13,236 trousers, and 305 mosquito-nets

Kalady

Vol.107. No.3 The Vedanta Kesari (English Monthly) March 2020. Regd. with the Registrar of Newspapers for India under No.1084 / 1957. Postal registration number: TN / CH (C) /190 / 2018-2020. Licensed to Post without prepayment TN/PMG(CCR)/WPP-259 / 2018-2020. Date of Publication: 24 th of every month; Posted on 26 February 2020

A few heart-whole, sincere, and energetic men and women can do more in a year than a mob in a century. — Swami Vivekananda

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