Ramakrishna Math, Ahmedabad

(a sub-centre of Shri Ramakrishna Ashrama, Rajkot)

Shri Ramakrishna Vivekananda Centre was started by a group of devotees under the guidance of Rev. Swami Mumukshanandaji Maharajji, with an objective of propagating the teachings of Shri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda at Ahmedabad.

The trust was registered with the Charity Commissioner’s office of Ahmedabad on 19th December, 1988. The constitution of this centre was approved by the monks of Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission.

Shri Laxmikant S. Sharma, Shri Narasimhachari Sampath, Shri Kalyan Kumar Bandhopadhya, Smt Sudha B. Desai & Smt Rohini C. Vyas were founder trustee members of the trust and their sincere efforts paved the way for a strong pedestal. Smt Devika Navnitlal Desai, Shri O P N Kalla, Shri Rambhai D. Tadvi, Smt Leela Bhagwatprasad Trivedi, Shri Devdoot D. Israni, Shri Kailash L. Vyas, Smt Jyoti Anil Patel, Shri Ashwin P. Raval, Shri Rajiv Hardeo Nanavati, Shri Tarun N. Patel, Shri Shrikant Bhalchandra Namjoshi became the trustees in due course of time and contributed majorly in creating a strong devotee base and propagating the teachings and the ideals of the Holy Trio in Ahmedabad.

The selfless efforts of a sincere group of devotees who gave their valuable time for the continuation of the activities of the trust are Bharat Oza, Raja Pathak, Pratap Modha, Samarendra Dutta, Tapan Pal, Soumyavrata Chakravorty, Krupesh Lahiya, Ravindraben Shah, Bhanuben Tadvi, Punitaben Vyas, Geetaben Patel, Jyotiben Namjoshi, Ashaben Rawal, Sapnaben Banerjee, Shipraben Dutta, Shyamliben, Swatiben Tadvi, Ushaben Dave and many more devotees.

Sri Ramakrishna Vivekananda Centre, Ahmedabad was recognized as an official Centre with the Sri Ramakrishna Bhava Prachar Parishad Gujarat since 1994.

We have about 250 devotee members and about 1000/1500 devotees of Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Maa & Swami Vivekananda, presently residing in Ahmedabad.

The devotees of Ahmedabad have been blessed by the visit of many senior monks of the Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission. Rev. Swami Ranganathanandaji Maharaj, Rev. Swami Gahananandaji Maharaj, Rev. Swami Atmasthanandaji Maharaj, Rev. Swami Geetanandaji Maharaj, Rev. Swami Smarananandaji Maharaj, Rev. Swami Vagishanandaji Maharaj, Rev. Swami Mumukshanandaji Maharaj, Rev. Swami Prabhanandaji Maharaj, Rev. Swami Ishatmanandaji Maharaj, Rev. Swami Gokulanandaji Maharaj, Rev. Swami Ameyanandaji Maharaj, to name a few.

The property of the trust consists of 2 adjoining apartments with similar dimensions consisting of a Prayer Hall with a white marble altar to accommodate 3 marble lotuses for the photographs of Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Maa Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda. The entire prayer hall, which has the capacity to accommodate about 150 persons, is air-conditioned. Besides this, there are 3 furnished air-conditioned rooms with attached bathrooms and privy to accommodate visiting monks, 1 more room is used as an office cum storing and exhibiting of books for sale. We also have 1 functional kitchen and 1 more similar kitchen space converted to store all amenities for the temple. Both these flats have a huge open terrace which is partly covered to accommodate the partaking of Prasad by the devotees on special occasions.

Apart from the above celebrations, Rev. Swami Adibhavanandaji Maharaj, a senior monk of the Ramakrishna Order has been conducting a spiritual retreat at our centre on 2nd Saturday of every month, since past many years. Also, special lectures of visiting monks have been organized for devotees.

Sri Ramakrishna Vivekananda Centre started a value education class ‘Vivek-Vihar’. It is a sincere effort to provide value education to the less privileged children of Ahmedabad City. On every Saturday, from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., a team of young devotees began to impart value and moral education to about 100/150 children of the neighborhood at a specific location, near our Centre. At the ‘Vivek-Vihar’ classes the children are taught different Shlokas, Prayers, Bhajans, Narrating a story of a Saint/Inspiring person, Creative Activity and narrating an inspiring incident from Swamiji’s Life. A short time frame has been provided to encourage them to recite, sing and perform with a view to bring out the latent talents of the children. The children are being provided with some nutritious snacks at the end of the session.

Shri Ramakrishna Vivekananda Centre also started ‘Narayan Seva’, an initiative to reach our lesser privileged brethren, once every month, with food packets, living on the outskirts of Ahmedabad City. Our volunteers distribute cooked food packets like Khichdi with Potato in thick gravy or Puri/Luchi with vegetable gravy to about 250 persons, consisting of children, mothers and the men. The Narayan Seva has been started since a year and is done on the 2nd or 3rd Saturday of every month at 6.30pm. We have been well supported by our devotees, who have come forward and donated generously for this cause.

We, the trustees and the devotees of Sri Ramakrishna Vivekananda Centre Ahmedabad are ever so grateful to all the trustees of Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission for accepting and choosing to take over our Centre. We are extremely happy and are indeed specially blessed as we have been chosen as the instruments by the Holy Trio – Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Maa and Swami Vivekananda to pave the way for the advent of the Ramakrishna Math in Ahmedabad.

Swami Nikhileswaranandaji Maharaj organized ‘The taking over ceremony’ in the form of a public meeting at Sindhu Bhavan Hall on 30th of May’ 2018 at 6.00pm. This programme was attended and blessed by Revered Swami Suviranandaji Maharaj, the General Secretary of Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission, Belur, who came all the way from Kolkata to formally take over the above trust and also share our joy and happiness.

The programme was also attended by Honourable Chief Minister of Gujarat Shri Vijaybhai Rupani, Honourable Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat Shri Nitinbhai Patel, Honourable Mayor of Ahmedabad Shri Gautambhai Shah, Revered Swami Adibhavanandaji Maharaj, Revered Swami Atmadipanandaji Maharaj, Revered Swami Gunashrayanandaji Maharaj, Revered Swami Ishtamayanandaji Maharaj, besides many other monks of the Ramakrishna Order. The programme was well attended by the devotees of Ahmedabad and Rajkot.

Now, all the trustees and devotees are keen and committed to serve and assist the deputed monks of the Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission with all the activities initiated by them and also work under their guidance to acquire a more suitable and permanent place for Ramakrishna Math in Ahmedabad.

The Math has started its activities from the old premises and Revered Swami Nikhileswaranandaji Maharaj is steering the resident monk – initially Swami Vedanishthanandaji Maharaj and now Swami Mantreshanandaji Maharaj with various activities both spiritual, service oriented and promoting the literature of the Holy Trio in and around Ahmedabad.

The present resident monk Swami Mantreshanandaji Maharaj is conducting regular prayers, Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita path, bhajans in the evening from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Shri Rama Nama Sankirtan is well attended by devotees on every Ekadashi. Birth Anniversary celebration of the Direct Disciples of Sri Ramakrishna is held with special talk to elucidate the glorious and illustrious lives. Guru Purnima and Maha Ashtami were celebrated with special puja, path and bhajans. Prasad was then distributed to the devotees.

All efforts are being made for scouting for a suitable and sizeable piece of land for the near future of Ramakrishna Math, Ahmedabad under the guidance of both Swami Nikhileswaranandaji Maharaj and Swami Adibhavanandaji Maharaj.

Our present activities

1. Meeting every evening at the Centre premises for prayers, meditation, bhajans and reading from the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna and other related religious books.
2. We have been celebrating the Birth Anniversaries of Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda. We have also celebrated Kalpataru Utsav, Guru Purnima, Janmashtami, Shivaratri, Christmas Eve, Ramanavami, Birth Anniversary celebration of all the Direct Disciples and Ramnam Sankirtan on every Ekadashi. On Ekadashi day the Ram Nam Sankirtan is recited.
3. Conducting spiritual retreats, discourses and lectures by the monks of the Ramakrishna Mission.
4. Book selling activity is specially promoted and a special effort is being made to reach out to schools, colleges and small towns in and around Ahmedabad.
5. Vivek-Vihar: Classes where the underprivileged children are taught different Shlokas, Prayers, Bhajans, Narrating a story of a Saint/Inspiring person, Creative Activity and Swami Mantreshanandaji Maharaj narrates an inspiring incident from Swamiji’s Life, which is heard by children with rapt attention.
6. “Narayan Seva” is done once every month to reach out to our less privileged brethren, living on the outskirts of Ahmedabad City. Swami Mantreshanandaji conducts satsang with the residents after which Prasad is distributed in the form of food packets.
7. “Ma Sarada Sanskar Varg” classes are held every Sunday from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Math premises by Brahmachari Janardanachaitanya for children below 14 years.
8. Ramakrishna Math has been organizing lectures of visiting monks of the order. Swami Sarvalokanandaji Maharaj gave a brilliant lecture on Sri Thakur and Sri Maa. Swami Guneshanandaji Maharaj spoke scholarly on Srimad Bhagavatam and the devotees were listening to him with rapt attention. Recently, Swami Kripakaranandaji Maharaj, from Kolkata, gave a very insightful talk on the relevance & importance of Music in Sri Ramakrishna & Swami Vivekananda lineage. He also sang bhajans in his inimitable style and sonorous voice.

Contact details :
Ramakrishna Math
A-202/203, Kalyan Towers, Nr. Alpha One Mall, Vastrapur, Ahmedabad-380054
Phone : (079) 26303409 | ahmedabad@rkmm.org | www.ramakrishnaah.org