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Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission Online Donations
Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission Online Donations

Viveka Tirtha

Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Centre for Human Excellence and Social Sciences.
A humble attempt to actualize the great vision of Swami Vivekananda. 
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Swami Vivekananda’s main emphasis was on man-making, total and holistic development of human personality. His memorable words were: “The aim of this institution is to make men. …You must have this new method — the method of man-making. The true man is he who is strong as strength itself and yet possesses a woman’s heart. You must feel for the millions of beings around you, and yet you must be strong and inflexible and you must also possess obedience; though it may seem a little paradoxical — you must possess these apparently conflicting virtues. …You must be free as the air, and as obedient as this plant and the dog.”

Swamiji’s vision of an ideal human personality was the harmonious development of the faculties of feeling, thinking and willing—heart, head and hand: “heart to feel, brains to conceive, hands to work.” He wanted this man-making programme particularly for the youth of our country so that we would have strong, energetic, young men and women, sincere to the backbone, of impeccable character and unimpeachable integrity. He wrote: “What I want is muscles of iron and nerves of steel, inside which dwells a mind of the same material as that of which the thunderbolt is made.”

It was to put into practice Swamiji’s views on man-making education that Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission started school, colleges and hostels in many of its branch centres. There was, however, a need to have a separate centre devoted to the study and propagation of basic principles of Human Excellence in the light of Swamiji’s message.

“A hundred thousand men and women, fired with the zeal of holiness, fortified with eternal faith in the Lord, and nerved to lion’s courage by their sympathy  for the poor and the fallen and the downtrodden, will go over the length and breadth of the land, preaching the gospel of salvation, the gospel of help, the gospel of social raising-up, the gospel of equality.”

Chronological Developments

Therefore, when the Government of West Bengal, at the initiative of its Chief Minister, proposed that a centre for Human Excellence and Social Sciences for research and educational activities at various levels in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences with special emphasis on Value Education, man-making and character-building education as enunciated by Swami Vivekananda, be started at Rajarhat in Kolkata, the Ramakrishna Mission accepted the proposal. The Mission requested the Govt. of West Bengal in writing (letter dated 19.08.2013) for allotment of a plot of land at a concessional price.

Legal Aspect and Support
from the Government of West Bengal

The State Cabinet in its meeting held on 09.09.2013, decided to approve the allotment of 5 (five) acre plot of land in New Town, Kolkata in favour of the Ramakrishna Mission for setting up a Centre for Human Excellence and Social Sciences on usual terms and conditions. Accordingly, a registered deed of Lease was executed on 28th May 2014 between the West Bengal Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (HIDCO) and the Ramakrishna Mission.

Actualization of Swamiji's Vision
Some Concrete Steps Contemplated in the Proposed Centre

The proposed Centre, christened “Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Centre for Human Excellence and Social Sciences”, will be a humble attempt to actualize the great vision of Swami Vivekananda by creating the machinery by which the excellences inherent in a human being, the Perfection and Divinity already present in man, become fully manifest and flow out as a torrent for the welfare of the world.

Centre for Values Education

Values education, not only for youths and students but for people from various walks of life, will form an important activity of Viveka Tirtha. The Centre will offer (i) Personality Development Courses for the youth, and (ii) Values-orientation courses for Government / Corporate employees and professionals. To begin with, certificate and diploma courses will be offered. Eventually, the courses will be brought under the ambit of Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Educational and Research Institute (RKMVERI), Deemed University, Belur, thus offering scope for undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes as well.

Centre for Skill-development

Training programmes on computer operations and other professional skills will be provided.

Research Wing

In-depth studies on various aspects of Indian cultural heritage, philosophy, social sciences, consciousness, Vedanta as applied to modern life, Swami Vivekananda’s ideas and their applications in the present age, modern science vis-à-vis ancient Vedantic wisdom will be conducted here.

School of Indian Arts and Culture

This will house a permanent exhibition where the glory of India’s cultural and spiritual heritage will be depicted through and other visual modes, and also its relevance to modern times will be showcased. Conveying the life-giving universal message of Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda will be the keynote of the exhibition.
In addition to running an art gallery, the School will conduct courses on Indian cultural heritage, drawing and painting.

School of Languages and Soft-skills

This will have courses on Indian and foreign languages, communication skills, leadership training, public speaking, etc.

Publication Division

This unit will bring out books, lectures, short movies, etc. in various languages on different topics related to values, human excellence and culture.

With this end in view, following buildings/departments are slated to come up at Viveka Tirtha:
(i) Human Excellence Building, (ii) Hostel and Guest Houses, (iii) Staff Quarters, (iv) Service Block
One distinguishing feature of the campus is that the central building of the entire campus of Viveka Tirtha will resemble the Art Institute at Chicago, USA, where Swami Vivekananda delivered his world-famous addresses in the World’s Parliament of Religions in 1893. This Art Institute gave the World a new civilization befitting the culture of East and the West. The other buildings will be named after the Western disciples who served Swamiji in his Mission in the West as well as in India.