Ramakrishna Mutt Temple, Mylapore – History
Vivekananda
on his triumphal return from the West was requested by the devotees in Madras
(now Chennai) to start a Math here. To fulfil their earnest desire Swamiji sent
his brother-disciple Swami Ramakrishnananda to Madras in March 1897 and thus
Sri Ramakrishna Math, Madras, came into existence. After reaching Madras, the
first thing Swami Ramakrishnananda did was to set up a small shrine for Sri
Ramakrishna at a rented house. He lived there and led a life of renunciation,
service and austerities. Slowly he built up the institution as the present Sri
Ramakrishna Math which is a hub of multipronged service activities. This is the
oldest centre of the Ramakrishna Order in the South.
Sri
Ramakrishna Math completed hundred years of its service in 1997. The shrine of
Sri Ramakrishna set up in 1917 in the present Math was clearly too small to
accommodate the growing number of devotees. It was therefore natural that monks
and devotees dreamt for long that a grand temple should come up at the Math.
The collective wish of and the silent prayers of good-hearted led to the
launching of the Universal Temple project. Swami Vivekananda’s vision, Swami
Ramakrishnananda’s austerity, and the earnest prayers of devotees combined with
the social need have all contributed toward the transformation of a dream into
a reality.
Srimath
Swami Bhuteshanandaji Maharaj, the 12th President of Ramakrishna Math and
Ramakrishna Mission, laid the foundation-stone for this Universal Temple on 1
December 1994 in a grand solemn function. It took five years for the project to
take shape as the present grand Universal Temple. On 7 Feb 2000, the temple was
dedicated by Srimat Swami Ranganathanandaji Maharaj, the 13th President of the
Ramakrishna Order. Mother Sharadha Devi stayed here for a month in 1910. Swami
Vivekananda’s days of wandering all over India ended when he reached Chennai in
January 1893.
His
young, enthusiastic disciples in Chennai were primarily responsible for his
historic participation at the Parliament of Religions in Chicago. Throughout
Swamiji’s four-year stay in the West, he kept in close touch with his followers
in Chennai. Swamiji was given a grand reception on his return from the West in
February 1897. During that period, he stayed for nine days at the Ice House
(now Vivekanandar Illam) on Marina Beach. When his devotees in Chennai
requested him to start a permanent center in the city, he readily agreed and
deputed another direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Ramakrishnananda,
to initiate the Order’s activities in southern India.
Sri
Ramakrishna Math, Chennai is the first branch of the Ramakrishna Order in
Southern India and was started in the year 1897. The motto of the Ramakrishna
Mutt and Ramakrishna Mission is: "For one's own salvation, and for the
welfare of the world." A grand temple was planned to commemorate 100 years
of the service of Ramakrishna Mutt in Chennai. Srimat Swami Bhuteshanandaji
Maharaj, the 12th President of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, laid
the foundation stone for the Universal Temple on December 1, 1994. It took five
years for the project to be completed and the Universal Temple was opened to
the public on February 7.
The
Ramakrishna Math in Chennai was started in 1897 by Swami Ramakrishnananda, a
direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna. It was initially located at Ice House or
Castle Kernan and later moved to the Ramakrishna Math in Mylapore. This
structure had a large hall and other rooms on either side of the Prayer Hall.
After the new temple has been built on the adjacent premises, this math is used
for classes and other activities.
The Universal Temple 2000 onwards:
Sri
Ramakrishna Math completed 100 years of its service in 1997. The shrine of Sri
Ramakrishna set up in 1917 was too small to accommodate the growing number of
devotees. The idea of universal temple was conceived and Swami Bhuteshanandaji
Maharaj, the 12th president of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, laid the
foundation stone for the Universal Temple on 1 December 1994, and realized by
the temple architect G Venkataramana Reddy.
On 7
February 2000, the temple was dedicated by Swami Ranganathananda, the 13th president of the Ramakrishna Order. After
Swami Ramakrishnananda, the monastery was headed by Swami Sharvananda
(1911–26), Swami Yatiswarananda (1926–33), Swami Saswatananda (1936–44), Swami
Kailasananda (1944–71), Swami Tapasyananda (1971–91), and Swami Smaranananda
(1991–95). The present head, from 1995 is Swami Gautamananda.