REHABILITATION ACTIVITIES
Our Centre could not actively engage itself on relief operations as on previous occasions due to the fact that, we were ourselves victims of the cyclone. Immediately after the disaster, several religious, cultural , social, welfare associations and numerous devotees and sympathisers of the Mission came with their assistance which took the form of foodstuff, clothes (old & new) and household articles. These articles were distributed in more than 10 far-off villages.
The Mission was confronted with the problem of giving a roof to the inmates of the three Homes under its management. So, steps were taken to restructure the buildings without loss of time. Repairs to the buildings at the Anaipanthy Girls’ Home, Batticaloa, and the Girls’ Home at Karaitivu were taken up. Finding building materials and skilled labour was posing a problem. The restructuring of the Boys’ Home, the Vipulananda Memorial Hall, the buildings at the Farm Project, Rugam, the Ashrama (Shivapuri) were done at a later stage. The repairs to the Boys’ Home and the Ashrama were done and the Shrine was brought back to its former premises on 30.07.1979. The statue of Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna Deva which was brought from the Ramakrishna Mission Madam at Kataragama, was installed in the Shrine on thesame day. To mark this occasion a special invocation pooja was conducted by Swami Chidghanananda of the Ramakrishna Mission , Colombo.
Swami Sarvatitananda the stalwart of the Kataragama Madam and a close and regular compatriot of the Swamis of the Batticaloa Centre passed away on 28th October 1979. He was instrumental in harnessing substantial support for the running of the Batticaloa Centre.
GOLDEN JUBILEE OF THE RAMAKRISHNA MISSION, COLOMBO
The Golden Jubilee of the Ramakrishna Mission, Colombo was celebrated for eight days from the 21st September 1980. The Batticaloa Centre actively participated in these celebrations. This Centre was allotted the 3rd day i.e., 23.09.1980 for participation. The children of the Boys’ Home and the Girls’ Home staged a folk dance based on the Ramayana; a ballet on the life of Swami Vivekananda and a karaham dance. All these performances were highly appreciated by the audience.
His Holiness Srimat Swami Bhuteshanandaji Maharaj, one of the Vice-Presidents of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission , Belur Math, who came especially to participate in the Golden Jubilee celebrations in Colombo, visited Batticaloa on 30.09.1980. He was received at the railway station by the devotees, old boys of Shivananda Vidyalaya and was taken in procession to the Ashrama at Kallady – Uppodai. He stayed for three days. He was accorded a Civic Reception by the Batticaloa Municipality and on the same evening he presided over the function connected with the release of the Golden Jubilee Souvenir of Shivananda Vidyalaya at
the Vipulananda Memorial Hall. On 01.10.1980, he visited our Girls’ Home at Karaitivu where he was given a rousing reception.
PRIME MINISTER’S VISIT
The Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Honourable R. Premadasa visited the Ashrama and Home on the 23rd May 1981 and signed the Visitors’ Book maintained at the Centre.
NEW BUILDING FOR THE GIRLS’ HOME
The foundation for the new building to house the Anaipanthy Sarada Girls’ Home at Ramakrishnapuram was laid on 2nd June 1982 by Swami Prematmanandaji, Vice-President of the Ramakrishna Mission (Ceylon Branch) on a six-acre plot of land belonging to the Mission at Ramakrishnapuram.
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
On 16.03.1983, the past inmates of the Boys’ Home had formed an Association called the “The Ramakrishna Mission Students’ Home Past Pupils’ Association” with a view to be in close touch with their mother-house and to participate in the activities of the Mission. They actively took upon themselves, organising receptions etc., to Swamis when they happened to visit Batticaloa. Sometimes, they, on their own initiative, organised the birthday celebrations of Sri Guru Maharaj, the Holy Mother and Swamiji.
RESTRUCTURING OF THE MANTHIVU SRI CHITRA VELAYUTHASWAMI TEMPLE
Sri Chitra Velayuthaswami Temple which is the hub of all Hindu religious activity at the Leprosy Asylum, Manthivu was badly damaged by the cyclone of 1978. At the request of the Hindu Tholunoyalar Sangam of Manthivu and at the instance of the Ministry of Regional Development and Hindu Religious Affairs, the Mission undertook the works connected with the restructuring of the Temple. This was completed at a cost of more than 1 1/4 lakh of rupees. The Mahakumbhabhishekam was performed on 06.05.1983. All ceremonies were gone through in the orthodox way.
OPENING OF SRI SARADA GIRLS’ HOME AT RAMAKRISHNAPURAM
The most memorable event for the year is the successful completion and dedication of the Holy Mother’s (Sri Sarada Devi) Temple and the opening of the newly constructed Sri Sarada Gilrs’ Home (Orphanage) at Ramakrishnapuram (Kallady - Uppodai ). Swami Raghaveshanandaji of the Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore who had come specially for the occasion, performed the dedication ceremony. Swami Prematmanandaji Vice- President, Ramakrishna Mission (Ceylon Branch) ,ceremonially opened this humanitarian centre on 03.06.1985. The Temple of the Holy Mother continues to be the focal point for the entire six-acre building complex built at a cost of two and half million rupees. The successful completion of this project is a singular tribute to the personal interest and efforts of Swami Prematmanandaji who had kindly persuaded the donors to the Kataragama Madam to divert their kind contribution towards the Sri Sarada Girls’ Home Project.
In 1985, 10 houses, each costing Rs.17,000/= were built In Karaitivu for the washerman community, whose houses were completely destroyed due to communal violence.