Sri Ramakrishna Temple at Belur and Hellen Francis Rubel llSome facts ll Kindly read ll

Sri Ramakrishna Temple at Belur and Hellen Francis Rubel ll
Some facts ll Kindly read ll

Swami Akhilananda,

Miss Hellen Francis Rubel ( Sister Bhakti) came in contact with Swami Akhilananda at the Providence center of the Vedanta Society in America at the age of 21/22 and was deeply attracted by Vedanta philosophy.

She studied it and came to India along with her Guru Swami Akhilananda, Mrs. Anna Worcester, and her daughter.

In the late spring of 1932, Helen Rubel dropped a suitcase full of investments in the center of the society.
The suitcase which she had brought to Swami Akhilananda contained a fortune for him to do exactly what he wanted with it. He, devoted to his Guru Swami Brahmananda, knew that Raja Maharaj wanted a temple to be built at Belur Math for Sri Ramakrishna.
*SB*
Swami Akhilananda contacted the then President of the Order Swami Shivananda about the gift. Could it be used for the construction of the temple in the memory of Sri Ramakrishna? Swami Shivananda cabled immediately to Swami Akhilananda that that was why Sri Sri Thakur had sent him to America.

Many of us do not know that Sister Bhakti (Miss Rubel) contributed the major part of the expenses for the construction of Sri Ramakrishna Temple at Belur Math. She planned to settle down to India but could not do that due to her failing health. She came to India again in 1937 during the consecration of the temple.

She went to Switzerland to recover her health and died at Zurich on 5.4.1954 at the age of 56.

She was a great devotee of Sri Ramakrishna. Our regards to her.

P.S. Her photo along with a photo of her Guru, Swami Akhilananda are posted below.