Ramakrishna Math in Ooty, Which Gandhi Visited, Turns 100 Today
It was the wish of Mahapurush Swami Shivanandaji Maharaj, a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, who was recuperating in the Nilgiris then.
Ooty:Ramakrishna Math, a spiritual landmark of the Nilgiris where Mahatma Gandhi paid a visit during his lone visit to the Nilgiris in 1934, is turning 100 on Thursday.
Elaborating on this, D. Venugopal, the director of Nilgiri Documentation Centre, said Ramakrishna Math, located in the R.K. Puram area here, is one of the oldest centres in south India identified in 1924 at the present spot which had a special divine vibration for the founders.
It was the wish of Mahapurush Swami Shivanandaji Maharaj, a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, who was recuperating in the Nilgiris then. A local devotee and washerman, Thiruvengadan Pillai of Kil Kodappamund, for whom Goddess Mariamma appeared in a dream, donated the land for setting up the math. son Narayanasami Pillai was associated with the math for a long time.
Work on the math was started by Swami Shivananda himself. The consecration ceremony took place in February 1926 and the new building was inaugurated. Srimath Swami Vijnananandaji, another illustrious disciple of Sri Ramakrishna and 4th president of the order, visited Ooty in 1931.
Swami Chidbhavananda was the head of the math from 1926-1940. He was a revered spiritual leader, educator and author from the Kongu region of Tamil Nadu. He was the author of the popular Tamil pocket book of daily prayers. During his tenure in the Nilgiris, he spread the Ramakrishna cult among many Badaga villages, Venugopal noted.
V. Sivadass, secretary of the Manas spiritual organisation here, said the Ramakrishna Math, which came into being in Ooty 100 years ago, had been engaging in spiritual preaching, holding meditation and spiritual classes and reaching out to the poor for social service activities.
“History revealed that Mahatma Gandhi visited Sri Ramakrishna Math in the present R.K. Puram area on the afternoon of 4-2-1934. Mahatma is said to have spent a few minutes there, sitting for a prayer and meditation. Mahatma interacted with the priests in the math and enquired about the progress and the attendance of devotees visiting the math for spiritual classes. He emphasised the need to eradicate untouchability and the need to adhere to spirituality to live a peaceful and disciplined life,” Sivadass added.
