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   Smt. Sheila Dikshit, Chief Minister of Delhi, declared open the new medical block at the Karol Bagh campus of our Delhi centre on 16 February.

  Chennai Math has introduced an award called Vivekananda Prashasti to be presented to persons contributing in various fields, such as Education (Vidya), Music and Arts (Kala), Service (Seva) and Sports and allied sectors (Shakti), on the lines of Swami Vivekananda’s teachings. The first award, Vivekananda Vidya Prashasti, was presented to Sri Atmakur Ramanaiah, Programme Officer of the Math's Publication Department, for his doctoral thesis on "Swami Vivekananda's Humanism" in Telugu. The award, comprising a citation, a statuette of Swamiji, a shawl and Rs. 50,000/- in cash, was presented to him during the public celebration of Sri Ramakrishna Jayanti at Chennai Math on 21 February.

   Swami Smarananandaji, Vice-President, Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission, inaugurated the newly built monks’ quarters at Chandipur Math on 23 February.

   The Sanskrit College of Palai Ashrama celebrated its silver jubilee on 27 and 28 February.

   A student of Class IX of our Narottam Nagar school, who hails from the backward Tusta tribe of Tirap district, won the prestigious National Talent Search Award for the year 2009, comprising a certificate and Rs. 6000/-.

   A staff member of Deoghar Vidyapith, Sri Sanat Halder by name, won the silver medal in the 34th National Yoga Championship in the age group 21-25 (Men) organized from 4 to 7 February at Yamunanagar, Haryana, by the Yoga Federation of India, an alliance recognized by the Indian Olympic Association.

PUBLIC CELEBRATION
IN CONNECTION WITH THE 175th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION  OF 
SRI RAMAKRISHNA
(Sunday, 21 February 2010 at Belur Math)

PROGRAMME  :  PHOTO GALLERY  :  FIRE-WORKS

 175th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION  OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA
(Tithi Puja : Tuesday, 16 February 2010, at Belur Math)
Photo Gallery-1,  Photo Gallery-2
Video: Discourse on Sri Ramakrishna (Hindi) by Swami Tattwajnananandaji
Video:  Discourse on Sri Ramakrishna (English) by Swami Chetananandaji

   The Institute of Culture, Kolkata, organized an international seminar on Spirituality and Science of Consciousness from 8 to 10 January. Swami Prabhanandaji, General Secretary, Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission, spoke at the inaugural session. In all, 17 eminent scholars from India and abroad presented papers.

On the National Youth Day on 12 January 2010, a Music Festival was organized at the Institute of Culture, Kolkata.

Chennai Math organized a procession, a public meeting, and an all-India drawing competition on the theme Draw Swamiji – Draw Energy in which about 30,500 youths participated.

  Madurai Ashrama conducted a public meeting, and an essay competition on Swamiji in which 22,712 students from 296 educational institutions in Tamil Nadu participated

   Swami Smarananandaji, Vice-President, Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission, unveiled the eleven-foot bronze statue of Swami Vivekananda at Madurai Math on 22 December.

   On 31 December Chennai Math launched a mobile bookstall which will carry the message of the Holy Trio through our publications all over Tamil Nadu, especially to educational institutions.

  Sri Ramakrishna Temple at Allahabad Math was remodelled on the occasion of the Ashrama’s centenary. Swami Atmasthanandaji, President, Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission, consecrated the temple, with a marble image, on 17 January, the birthday of Swami Brahmanandaji.  (a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna).  Swami Atmasthanandaji also addressed a public meeting organized on this occasion and released the commemorative volume.  In all, about 120 monks and several hundred devotees attended the function.

Sri Sri Saraswati Puja at Belur Math, 20 January 2010
Photo Gallery

National Youth Day Celebration at Belur Math
Photo Gallery

National Youth Day Celebration at Belur Math
Photo Gallery

    Vadodara centre organized a seminar on “Lessons on Excellence and Leadership from Indian Culture” on 3 December.  Sri P N Bhagwati, former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India, and many other distinguished persons addressed the gathering of students, teachers, government officials and professionals.  The centre also felicitated one hundred outstanding students on this occasion.

    Narottam Nagar centre organized a two-day teachers’ conference on 3 and 4 December on Building Quality in Education: Sharing of Best Practices.

  Vivekananda University, Belur, and Shikshanamandira (Residential College of Teacher Education, a unit of Saradapitha, Belur) jointly organized an international conference on Education: Indian and Global Perspectives on 12 and 13 December.  Swami Prabhanandaji, General Secretary, Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission, presided over the inaugural session.

    Vidyamandira (Arts and Science College of Saradapitha, Belur) organized an educational exhibition from 23 to 25 December, which was inaugurated by Swami Atmasthanandaji, President, Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission.

    Swami Prabhanandaji, General Secretary, Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission, released the book Yuganayak Vivekananda (Gujarati biography of Swami Vivekananda in two volumes) and presided over an educational seminar at Rajkot Ashrama on 27 and 28 December respectively.

In a function held at the Institute of Culture, Kolkata, on 18 November, Sri Gopalkrishna Gandhi, then Governor of West Bengal, presented Vivekananda Medal Award, comprising a cash award of 50,000 rupees and a citation, to Prof. Brij Nath Kaul of Srinagar, Kashmir.  Swami Prabhanandaji, General Secretary, Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission, attended the programme as the chief guest.