Ramakrishna Movement in Sri Lanka

1. Ramakrishna Mission (Ceylon Branch)

(Incorporated under Ordinance No. 8 of 1929)

I Colombo Branch

II Batticaloa Branch (3 Orphanages)

2. Private Centres

a. Sri Ramakrishna Sarada Samiti, 59, Vivekananda Road, Colomb 6.

b. Sri Ramakrishna Sarada Sevashrama, Point Pedro.

c. Ramakrishnalayam, Adiyapadam Road, Tirunelveli, Jaffna.

d. Vipulananda Orphanage, Akkaraipattu.

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RAMAKRISHNA MATH

RAMAKRISHNA MISSION

INTRODUCTION

Inspired by Sri Ramakrishna (1836 - 1886), the great prophet of religious harmony and universalism and teacher of man’s innate divine nature, his direct disciples headed by Swami Vivekananda (1863 - 1902), organized the Ramakrishna Order with a two-fold objective:

1. Creation of a band of monks dedicated to Self-Realization and the spreading of the universal principles of Vedanta among all people.

2. Carrying on, in co-operation with lay disciples and workers, service-programmes in various fields of human-need, medical, educational, cultural, moral and spiritual - reverently looking upon all men, women and children as veritable manifestation of the Divine.

For implementing these objectives, Swami Vivekananda started in 1897 the Ramakrishna Mission Association, which was subsequently registered as the present Ramakrishna Mission in 1909. He also started the Ramakrishna Math in 1897.

The Headquarters of these twin institutions is located at Belur, near Calcutta, on the banks of the holy Ganga (P.O. Belur Math, District Howrah, West Bengal).

Though the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, with their respective branches, are distinct institutions, they are closely related. The Governing Body of the Mission is made up of the Trustees of the Math, the principal workers of the Mission are members of the Ramakrishna Math, and both have their headquarters at Belur Math.

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