Vivekananda University celebrated the third anniversary of its foundation at its Belur campus on 4 July.  A special convocation was held on this occasion.  Swami Atmasthanandaji, President, Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission, declared open the newly constructed central building of the University.  Dr G Madhavan Nair, Chairman, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) inaugurated the Vivekdisha Village Resource Centre (VRC) project under ISRO-VRC scheme.  Professor S K Thorat, Chairman, University Grants Commission, New Delhi, was the Guest-in-Chief.  Swami Prabhanandaji, General Secretary, Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission, presided over the function and awarded diplomas to the students who passed out of the Narendrapur and Ranchi Morabadi Faculty Centres.  Professor Shankari Prasad Basu was awarded D Litt (Honoris Causa) for his monumental research work on Swami Vivekananda, Sister Nivedita and Subhash Chandra Bose. 

A new branch centre of the Ramakrishna Mission has been started at Hatamuniguda in Rayagada district, Orissa.  Its address is: Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, P.O. Hatamuniguda, Tahasil Bissam-Cuttack, Dist. Rayagada, Orissa 765020; phone no. (06863) 21-2323.

    Madurai Math held a function on 12 July in connection with the silver jubilee of its school.  A life-size statue of Swami Vivekananda was unveiled, a commemorative volume released and a cultural programme organized.
 

    Swami Smarananandaji, Vice-President, Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission, inaugurated an extension to the temple at Barasat Math and an extension to the school building at Bamunmura sub-centre on 14 July

    Seva Pratishthan organized a function on 27 July to mark the concluding phase of its platinum jubilee celebrations.  Swami Atmasthanandaji, President, Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission, inaugurated the new MRI Unit and gave a benedictory speech.  Swami Gitanandaji, Vice-President of the Math & Mission, and Sri Pranab Mukherjee, Union Minister for External Affairs, addressed the gathering.  Swami Prabhanandaji, General Secretary of the Math & Mission, presided over the meeting. 

    Sri Nirupam Sen, Ambassador of India to the United Nations, visited Vedanta Society, New York, USA, on 15 June and released the book Albert Einstein and His Human Side authored by Swami Tathagatanandaji. To buy the book click here

FOREWORD : "There have been many books written about Albert Einstein and several written by himself. But Albert Einstein, His Human Side by Swami Tathagatananda is especially valluable in that it emphasizes an aspect of Einstein that is spiritually uplifting. The world knows of Einstein's genius and his role in the scientific breakthroughs of the twentieth century. But it doesn't know much about the man beneath the hype. . .Swami Tathagatananda describes in a lively way the important events of Einstein's life including his early personal and professional struggles,
. . .his small part in the development of the atomic bomb, and his efforts at promoting world peace. You can tell the Swami is in deep sympathy with his subject, and this makes his book all the more enjoyable to read"   - Samuel D, Fohr, Ph.D., Prof. of Philosophy, University of Pittsburgh .
To buy the book click here

Dr A P J Abdul Kalam's Talk  | Dr A P J Abdul Kalam's Talk in pdf format  

    We are sorry to announce the passing away of Swami Vedatmanandaji (Biren Maharaj) on 23 July at 1.25 am at Seva Pratishthan hospital in Kolkata.  He was 104 more...