RAMAKRISHNA MATH Belur Math, Howrah 711 202 TWENTY-SIXTH MONKS' CONFERENCE 1, 2 & 3 November 2018 ADDRESS OF WELCOME AND REPORT BY THE GENERAL SECRETARY
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RAMAKRISHNA MATH, Belur Math, Howrah 711 202 TWENTY-SIXTH MONKS' CONFERENCE
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Belur Math, Howrah 711 202 TWENTY-SIXTH MONKS' CONFERENCE
1, 2 & 3 November 2018 ADDRESS OF WELCOME AND REPORT BY THE GENERAL SECRETARY
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Swan's Achyuteshananda, Inanavratananda and Satyananda were appointed trustees of Ramakrishna Math and members of the Governing Body of Ramakrishna Mission, in the meetings of the Board of Trustees and the Governing Body held on 13 October 2018
In India, new Math centres were started in Kayamkulam and Ramanathapuram. Outside India, new Math centres came up in Dublin (Ireland) and Houston (USA). Our Kutirs at Rishikesh Uttarkashi and Yelagiri were made full-fledged branch centres of Ramakrishna Math. Shyampukur Bati was also made a full-fledged centre, and Kathamrita Bhavan, the house of Sri Mahendranath Gupta (or 'M') in Kolkata, was made its sub-centre. A sub-centre of Rajkot Ashrama was started in Ahmedabad
New Mission centres were started at Bajepratappur (in Bardhaman). Cuttack, Davanagere, Dibrugarh, Goa, Gurap. Gwalior, Jhargram, Lumdung, New Town (in Kolkata) and Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district, near Hyderabad. A combined Math and Mission centre was started at Chandpur in Bangladesh, and the Ramakrishna Vedanta Centre in Lusaka, Zambia, was re-affiliated to Ramakrishna Mission A sub-centre of Ramakrishna Mission, directly under the supervision of the Headquarters, was started at Shyamsayer in Bardhaman. The sub-centre in Ayodhya, under the care of Lucknow Sevashrama, is expected to start its activities soon.
As on date, we have 207 centres, of which 157 are in India and 50 in other countries.
Efforts are underway to start centres/sub-centres in Baganchra, Bilaspur and Pumea and also in the Philippines. Further, you will be glad to note that a plot of land measuring a little more than half an acre adjacent to Dakshineshwar temple complex has been purchased which, during Sri Thakur's time, belonged to a match factory, Sri Thakur used to refer to that factory as barud karkhand. We propose to start a retreat centre and a book showroom on that newly purchased land. We may also mention here that two buildings adjacent to Kathamrita Bhavan and another building adjacent to Shyampukur Bati have also been purchased, as both the Ashramas badly needed more space for their activities
Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission were listed in the World Book of Records, London, as a spiritual movement working for the harmony of religions. Our schools in Kamarpukur, Narendrapur, Purulia and Ramharipur received Best School Awards from the Government of West Bengal Antpur Math was conferred Sri Ramakrishna Award for Universal Values by the Integrating Spirituality and Organizational Leadership Foundation. Divyayan Krishi Vigyan Kendra of Ranchi Morabadi Ashrama was awarded Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Rashtriya Krishi Vigyan Protsahan Puraskar at both zonal and national levels by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). Rajamahendravaram centre received Spoorthi Award from Bommidala Srikrishna Murthy Foundation, Guntur, in recognition of its service to society. Blind Boys' Academy of Narendrapur centre won the National Award for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities. Indian Adult Education Association, New Delhi, awarded Nehru Literacy Award to Lokasiksha Parishad of Narendrapur centre,
The following centres celebrated one hundred years of their foundation: Almora, Belgharia, Chandipur, Dehradun, Dhaka, Garbeta, Karimganj, Mymensingh and Shyamla Tal. Platinum Jubilee was celebrated by Chennai Sarada Vidyalaya, Durban, Narendrapur, Rahara and Saradapitha centres. Purulia Vidyapith and Chandigarh centre celebrated their diamond jubilee, and Aalo centre celebrated its golden jubilee.
The newly built temples in Jessore (Bangladesh) and Chandigarh centres were consecrated.
The landscape of Belur Math saw many changes. The newly built kitchen-cum-dining-hall complex was inaugurated. Under the Pilgrimage Rejuvenation & Spiritual Augmentation Drive (PRASAD) scheme, the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, carried out a number of projects to upgrade the infrastructure at Belur Math. As you may have noticed, construction of Swami Abhedananda Convention Centre, with a seating capacity of 1500, is in progress. Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority took up construction of a new retaining wall along the River Ganga on Belur Math campus. We have also proposals to set up an exhibition on the early days of Belur Math on the first floor of the Cultural Hall and construct an underground car-parking Structure beside the Old Math.
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