On 11 February, the Computer Centre of Shilpamandira (a unit of Saradapitha, Belur) held a seminar on ICT in Rising Bengal.  Swami Prabhanandaji, General Secretary, Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission, inaugurated the seminar in which Sri N R Narayana Murthy, Chairman Emeritus, Infosys Limited, was the chief speaker.

News of Branch Centres (outside India)

Three ministers of the Government of Bangladesh, namely Minister of Social Welfare Mr Enamul Hoque Mostafa Shahid, Minister of Railways Mr Suranjit Sen Gupta, State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Dr Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury, and several other distinguished persons spoke in the meetings organized by Dhaka centre as a part of its five‑day-long Sri Ramakrishna’s birthday celebration from 20 to 24 February.

The following centres conducted Child Eye Care Programmes, details of which are given below:

The following centres conducted free eye camps:

* through Chengalpattu centre; ⁺ through the mobile medical unit of Seva Pratishthan;

^# in collaboration with 4 Ashramas (at Antpur, Bagmari, Baranagar Math & Chandpur)

We are sorry to announce the passing away of two of our brother-monks.

Swami Ananyanandaji (Govinda Maharaj) passed away on 6 February at 11.05 am at Seva Pratishthan hospital, Kolkata.  He was 92 and had been suffering from various old‑age ailments for some years.  Initiated by Swami Virajanandaji, he joined the Order in 1938 at Chennai Math and had Sannyasa from his Guru in 1947.  Besides his joining centre, he served at Karachi (later closed down), Institute of Culture (Kolkata), London (later moved to Bourne End), Chennai Students’ Home, Nattarampalli, Mysore and Ulsoor centres as an assistant, and Mayavati, Shillong (for a short period) and Hyderabad centres as head.  He was the editor of Prabuddha Bharata for about three years.  He also participated in the refugee relief operations at Kurukshetra in 1947-48.  He had been living a retired life at Hyderabad centre and Belur Math since April 1997.  Simple, austere and forbearing, he quietly bore his physical sufferings till the end.  He was an avid reader and author of a few books, and was well known for his loving and affable nature, gentle disposition and polite manners.  In him the Order has lost a model from among the older generation of monks who acted as sources of inspiration to the younger generation.

Swami Deshikatmanandaji (Achyuta Maharaj) expired on 21 February at 8.30 pm at Ulsoor centre.  He was 67 and had been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease for a couple of years.  An initiated disciple of Swami Vireshwaranandaji, he joined the Order in 1973 at Chennai Math and had Sannyasa from his Guru in 1983.  Besides his joining centre, he served at Belur Math and Coimbatore Mission, Kankhal (for a few months during Kumbha Mela, 1998) and Delhi centres as an assistant and Chennai Students’ Home as head.  He had been staying under medical care at Hyderabad and Ulsoor centres for the last two years. The Swami was hardworking and devoted, simple and genial by nature.

—-o—-

The birthday (tithi puja) of Sri Ramakrishna was celebrated at Belur Math on Thursday, 23 February.  Cooked prasad was served to about 22,000 devotees.  Swami Atmasthanandaji, President, Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission, delivered a benedictory address at the public meeting held in the afternoon which was presided over by Swami Smarananandaji, Vice-President, Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission.  Swami Prabhanandaji, General Secretary of the Math & Mission, and Swamis Bhajananandaji and Srikaranandaji, Assistant Secretaries, also addressed the gathering.  The public celebration held on Sunday, 26 February, drew more than a lakh of visitors who thronged the Math throughout the day.  Cooked prasad was served to about 34,000 persons on that occasion.  This year fireworks on the Ganges were triggered electronically, and the spectacular display produced thereby was appreciated greatly.

The following centres also celebrated the 175th birth anniversary of Sri Ramakrishna.  (Main programmes conducted by them are given against their names.)

In India: Bhubaneswar: A spiritual retreat on 19 February in which about 450 devotees participated; A religious meeting at Siksha O Anusandhan University, Bhubaneswar, in which about 250 persons, mostly doctors and medical students, took part; Eight patha-chakras (study circles) were started in rural areas of Cuttack district from September to December 2011;

Chandigarh: A drama on the childhood of Sri Ramakrishna and a mono-act play on a few events in the life of Sri Ramakrishna, on 22 February;

Chennai Math: Public meetings, parliament of religions, sadhu sammelan (congregation of monks), youth convention and cultural programmes from 22 to 26 February; thousands of devotees, monks and admirers attended the programmes;

Cooch Behar: A procession on 19 February;

Delhi: A four-day lecture series on ‘Sri Rama to Sri Ramakrishna’ from 13 to 16 February;

Gol Park: A music festival on 12 February in which distinguished vocal and instrumental artistes performed;

Hyderabad: Release of a video DVD titled ‘A pilgrimage to Belur Math’;

Itanagar: A religious meeting, guided meditation and cultural programmes on 19 February;

Jamshedpur: Exhibition and cultural competitions in 16 schools and 1 college from 7 December to 19 February;

Kadapa: Devotional singing on 26 February;

Kamarpukur: A public meeting at Arambagh on 15 February, which was attended by about 1000 persons;

Kankurgachhi: Guided meditation and japa yajna on 12 February in which about 700 devotees took part; Seminar on Sri Ramakrishna O Banga-Rangamancha (Sri Ramakrishna and the theatres of Bengal) on 18 February which was attended by nearly 900 persons;

Mangalore: Classical music programme on 18 & 19 February;

Medinipur: Spiritual retreat on 24 February in which 342 devotees took part;

Puri Mission: An interfaith meeting on 25 February in which representatives of 6 faiths spoke, and a spiritual retreat on 26 February in which about 200 devotees took part; Release of a commemorative volume on Sri Ramakrishna;

Rajkot: A drama on the life & teachings of Sri Ramakrishna on 26 February;

Seva Pratishthan: Cultural programmes and a spiritual congregation on 18 & 19 February;

Silchar: Public meeting, devotional singing and cultural programmes in the month of February;

Tiruvalla: Religious convention on 8 January, which was attended by about 400 devotees;

Outside India: Dhaka (Bangladesh): Procession, devotees’ convention, interreligious conference, discourses, cultural programmes, etc from 17 to 19 February;

Swami Atmasthanandaji, President, Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission, is keeping well at Belur Math.

Swami Gitanandaji, Vice-President, continues to be under medical care at Kankurgachhi Math.

Swami Smarananandaji, Vice-President, is scheduled to return to Belur Math on 12 March after his trip to Chennai Math.  He will be visiting Aurangabad and Pune from 21 March to 6 April.  He is keeping well.