Swami Vivekananda in Gujarat

During their Bharat Darshan, Swami Vivekananda and most of his brother disciples visited the Western part of India. swami Vivekananda spent a lot of time in Saurashtra . Between 1890 and 1892 he wandered over the State of Gujarat covering Ahmedabad Wadhwan Limbdi, Bhavnagar, Sihor, Girnar, junagadh , Bhuj. Veraval, Porbandar, Dwarka, Mandvi, Naravan Sarovar. Palitana and Baroda. Raj Diwan junagadh Shri Haridas Viharidas Desai, Dewan of Porbandar Shri Shankar Pandurang, Lal Shankar Umia Shankar of Ahmedabad and Dewan Manibhai of Baroda hosted him. He spent a two months in Porbandar studing and teaching the Vedas, Panini, Patanjali Bhasya and learnt French at the suggestion of his learned host Shri Shankar Pandurang who was then the Administrator of the State. This learned Dewanjli suggested that Swamiji should go to the West for the appreciation of his learning and wisdom. Obviously. during his long stay and frequent travels Swamiji must have visited the other important places of Saurashtra. The then Maharajas of Limbdi and Kutch became his disciplines.

 

The Beginning

In 1926, Swami Madhavanandaji Maharaj, one of the Chief Administrators of the Mission Headquarters who later became the 9th president of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission visited Rajkot.The tending citizen of Rajkot approached him for a centre.In 1927, thanks to the generosity of Maharaja Shri Lakhadhirji of Morvi, his Rest House in Rajkot housed the present Shri Ramakrishna Ashrama. Subsequently, Rajkot Thakore Saheb Shri Dharmendrasinhji gave a plot of land at a token price for the permanent establishment of the Ashrama where it stands today. The Ashrama shifted to its own building in jga4. The Ashrama is specially indebted to Maharaj Shri Lakhajiraj and his Dewan Shri Chunilal Shroff, Shri Harishankar pandya, Maharaja Shri Lakhdhirji of Morvi, Maharaja Shri Bhojrajji of Gondal, DhroI Thakore Saheb Shri Chandrasihji, the illustrious Bombay industrialist Sheth Shri Mafatlal Gagalbhai, Sir Mathurdas Visanji, Shri Mangaldas A. Patel of Jamnagar, Shri Shambhulal A. Shah of Bombay Smt. Mithibal L. Chandarana Bhagat Shri Girdharram Hariram of Virpur, Shri Narandas Gandhi, Rajkot etc. for their spontaneous help in organizing and building the present Ashrama. This is the first affiliated centre of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission in the whole of Gujarat. The second centre of the Ramakrishna Mission has been started in Feb, 1994.at Limbdi in Surendranagar District.

Footfalls of the following brother disciples of Swami Vivekananda have also sanctified this part of our country Swami Brahmanandaji, Swami Turiyanandaji Swami Saradanandaji, Swami Abhedanandaji, Swami Advaitanandaji Swami Trigiunatitanandaji Swami Subodanandaji, Swami Akhandanandaji, and Swami vijnananandaji. Swami Akhandanandaji had staled in Jamnagar for about a year besides travelling extensively in Gujarat and Saurashtra.

It should be known that the Trustees of the Headquarters at Ramakrishna Math, P.O. Belur Math,Dist. Howrah  West Bengal are the Trustees of the Branch Centre at Rajkot and the management of the Rajkot centre is carried, managed and controlled according to the instructions of the Head Quarters. The Board of Trustees at Belur Math appoints a President who conducts all the activities of the Centre. There is a local Advisory Committee which is also appointed by the Trustees at the Head Quarters. The annual audited statement of theaccounts of the Rajkot centre are sent every year to Head Quarters and in the consolidated accounts of the Head Quarters, Raikot Ashrama's accounts are incorporated.

The Present

The service offered by the Ashrama may be broadly summarized as follows.

Temple Service

The Ashrama has a big imposing Universal Shri Ramakrishna Temple built in 1979 where regular Puja, Path, Arti, Prayer, occasional special Pujas and Havans etc. are conducted. The Temple provides an opportunity to people of all denominations to take part in meditation, bhajan, religious discourses, prayers and celebrations of the great men of different faiths.

Preaching

Regular religious discourses are held usually every Sunday, Wednesday and Saturday. Spiritual Retreats for students, teachers and general public are held almost every month since 1991. The Monks also go to preach the lofty cultural, religious and spiritual ideas of the nation to the people. The places which are covered by such lecture-tours are Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Anand,  Vadodara, Jhagadia, Jamnagar, Junagadh, Bhavnagar, Porbandar, Bhuj, Mithapur, Dabhou, Dahod, Limbdi etc. Throughout the years under review large number of Swamis, devotees and friends participated in the functions of the Ashrama.

During the years under review, Rev. Shrimat Swami Bhuteshanandaji Maharaj (President, Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission visited the Ashrama in Dec.1991. Similarly Rev. Swami Ranganathanandaji Maharaj (Vice-President) visited the Ashrama in April 1991. Rev. Swami Gahananandali Maharaj, (Vice-President), visited our Ashrama in Nov. 1992 Rev. Swami Atmasthanandali (General Secretary) visited the Ashrama in 1991, 1992 and 1994. Besides, many other senior Swamis also visited us.

During their stay devotees and religious seekers got a rare opportunity to listen to their talks, discourses and also receive their blessings and guidance in spiritual life.

The Publication Department

Of the Ashrama has so far brought out the books of Ramakrishna- Vivekananda literature for the Gujarati reading public. Eighty four books were reprinted and sixteen new titles were printed during the period.

 

Medical Services

Medical Services froms an important part of the activities of the Ashrama. Free outdoor Homeopathic and Ayurvedic Dispensaries serve the people of the city, especially its poorer section. Both the dispensaries are located within the Ashrama compound situated in the heart of the city. Vaidyaraj Shri Bhikhubhai Trivedi and Dr T. Khira are working in the   Ayurvedic Section and Dr. B.N.Thakar in Homeopathic section.

The Vidyarthi Mandir

accommodating school boys is run on the Gurukul system. They are admitted without any distinction of colour and creed. They live as brothers using neat uniforms. of the boys are taken from the villages. Care is taken for their a round development-physical, intellectual, moral and spiritual. Training in self-help and discipline form the essential features of the home Many meritorious but poor students are also maintained free or part-free. Stipends are awarded on the merit of the case without any reference to community. Various constructive programmes keep the bubbling energy of the young boys channelised in the right direction of 'Character Building', 'Man-Making and' Assimilation of ideas' towards bringing them up as worthy citizens.

 

Free Library And Reading Room

The Ashrama has a well furnished library and reading room for the benefit of the local public. Both are growing all round from year to year.  

 

Annual Competitions for Students and Youths

Swami Vivekananda Centenary Memorial Essay, Elocution, Recitation Competition and Swami Vivekananda Vichar Prachar  Exam for Schools, Colleges and University Students are held every year as a Special feature drawing the attention of the students and youths of the moral and religious values of life. Since 1993-94 various new competitions like story-telling, fancy dress (depicting saints, prophets, gods-god esses of various religion), quiz, drawing etc. were introduced. Attractive prizes were given to the winners.

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