Ramakrishna Mission Home of Service is an Indian non-governmental organisation (

NGO A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an independent, typically nonprofit organization that operates outside government control, though it may get a significant percentage of its funding from government or corporate sources. NGOs often focus ...

) located in

Varanasi Varanasi (, also Benares, Banaras ) or Kashi, is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world.* * * * The city has a syncretic tradition of I ...

(formerly known as

Banaras Varanasi (, also Benares, Banaras ) or Kashi, is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world.* * * * The city has a syncretic tradition of I ...

), established in 1900, and a branch of

Ramakrishna Mission Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission (RKM) is a spiritual and philanthropic organisation headquartered in Belur Math, West Bengal. The mission is named after the Indian Hindu spiritual guru and mystic Ramakrishna. The mission was founde ...

since 1902. It manages an education program on essential health issues in schools, slums and villages of

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...

(

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

) thanks to auto-produced multimedia educational movies. It also gives health care and supplies free medicines to penniless people at its

charitable hospital A charitable hospital, or charity hospital, is a non-profit hospital that provides treatment for poor and uninsured people who can not purchase treatment. An example would be St. Jude Children's Hospital that provides assistance to children and f ...

and two hospices.About us

History

Ramakrishna Mission Home of Service was created in 1900 by a group of young men at

, inspired by the teachings of

Swami Vivekananda Swami Vivekananda () (12 January 1863 – 4 July 1902), born Narendranath Datta, was an Indian Hindus, Hindu monk, philosopher, author, religious teacher, and the chief disciple of the Indian mystic Ramakrishna. Vivekananda was a major figu ...

, in a very modest way with 4 annas (0,25 rupees) as capital which they got by begging. The Home of Service was started by three friends - Jamini Ranjan Majumdar, Charuchandra Das (later Swami Shubhananda) and Kedarnath Moulik (later Swami Achalananda). On 13 June 1900, Jamini Ranjan nursed an old lady pilgrim who was left to die on the wayside and begged food to feed her. Later he got her admitted to Bhelurpur hospital and arranged for her treatment by collecting necessary funds for her treatment. The group searched for suffering and helpless people on the streets and roads of Varanasi, and their principle was to serve them as God, in line with the philosophy propounded by Swami Vivekananda. Thus they formed an organisation called Orphanage or Poor Men's Relief Association. The money for medicines, beds, blankets and other necessities were obtained by individual contributions or by begging. On 13 September 1900, a house was rented for Rs 5/- per month in Ramapura. As the work expanded, the hospital was shifted to a bigger place and attracted attention of the prominent citizens.

, when he visited Varanasi in February 1902, was immensely impressed to see the dedicated service of those poor but determined youth and wrote a
appeal
for funds. He also instructed the group to name the hospital as Ramakrishna Sevashrama or Home of Service. The Sevashrama was affiliated to Ramakrishna Mission on 23 November 1902 and was renamed as Ramakrishna Mission Home of Service. Sister Nivedita went from door to door to collect funds for the sevashrama after Swami Vivekananda died in 1902.

Swami Shivananda Swami Shivananda (1854–1934), born Tarak Nath Ghosal, was a Hindu spiritual leader and a direct disciple of Ramakrishna, who became the second president of the Ramakrishna Mission. His devotees refer to him as Mahapurush Maharaj (Great Sou ...

, who established the Adviata Ashrama in Benares, adjacent to the Home of Service was also a great source of inspiration. In 1903 the President of the

Ramakrishna Order The Ramakrishna Order ( Bengali: রামকৃষ্ণ সংঘ) is the monastic lineage that was founded by Ramakrishna Paramhansa, when he gave the ochre cloth of renunciation to twelve of his close disciples, in January 1886 at the Cossip ...

Swami Brahmananda Ramakrishna Paramhansa Deva had sixteen direct disciples (other than Swami Vivekananda) who became monks of the Ramakrishna Order; they are often considered his apostles. In the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda movement, the apostles have played an imp ...

visited the ashrama and wanted to construct a permanent building. Eventually, the present land in the Luxa area of Varanasi was purchased in 1908. Upendra Narayan Deb and Tarini Charan Pal paid for the land. Swami Brahmananda laid the foundation stone and inaugurated the new building on 7 May 1910. The building was designed by

Swami Vijnanananda Swami Vijnanananda (born Hariprasanna Chattopadhyay; 30 October 1868 – 25 April 1938) was an Indian monk of Ramakrishna order, born in an upper-class family near Dakshineswar, and was a direct disciple of Ramakrishna. He was an engineer a ...

. The new building had six general wards and three isolation wards to accommodate 46 patients. The local Government approved a grant of Rs 120/- annually. The home had the unique privilege to be blessed by the visit of Holy Mother Sri

Sarada Devi Sri Sarada Devi ( Bengali: সারদা দেবী; ; 22 December 1853 – 20 July 1920), born Kshemankari / Thakurmani / Saradamani Mukhopadhyay, was the wife and spiritual consort of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, a nineteenth-century Hindu ...

on 8 November 1912. She donated a ten rupee note to the sevashrama as a token of her approval for the service rendered to the poor as God. Most of the direct disciples of

Sri Ramakrishna Ramakrishna (18 February 1836 – 16 August 1886——— —), also called Ramakrishna Paramahansa (; ; ), born Ramakrishna Chattopadhay,M's original Bengali diary page 661, Saturday, 13 February 1886''More About Ramakrishna'' by Swami Prab ...

visited the Sevashrama including Swami Premananda,

Swami Saradananda Saradananda (23 December 1865 – 19 August 1927), also known as Swami Saradananda, was born as Sarat Chandra Chakravarty in 1865, and was one of the direct monastic disciples of Ramakrishna. He was the first Secretary of the Ramakrishna Math ...

, Swami Turiyananda and

Swami Akhandananda Swami Akhandananda (1864–1937) was a swami and direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, a 19th-century mystic. He was the third president of the Ramakrishna Mission. Early life Initial Years Akhandananda was born as Gangadhar Ghatak (Gangopa ...

. As the years went by, the Ramakrishna Mission Home of Service grew in all proportions. New service wings were added. Today this multi-dimensional institution of service (a 230 bedded General Hospital) sprawls into an area of and specially caters to the needs of the rural poor and underprivileged patients.

Health Promotion Program

The Health Promotion Program started in 2000, and very soon gained the support of famous organisations, such as the

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a list of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Gen ...

, the

European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the primary Executive (government), executive arm of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with a number of European Commissioner, members of the Commission (directorial system, informall ...

, the

Sir Dorabji Tata Trust The Sir Dorabji Tata Trust was established by Sir Dorab Tata (fondly called ''Sir Dorabji''), the elder son of Tata Group founder Jamsetji Tata. Founded in 1932, it is one of the oldest non-sectarian philanthropic organisations in India. Hist ...

, the

British Medical Association The British Medical Association (BMA) is a registered trade union and professional body for physician, doctors in the United Kingdom. It does not regulate or certify doctors, a responsibility which lies with the General Medical Council. The BMA ...

and the National Institute of Urban Affairs. It aims at the poor populations from the area of

, and provides them health education (especially through the Multimedia Health Education Program) but also attends to their essential health needs. In the end, the program's purpose is to ensure a healthy environment for these populations, for their bodies as well as for their minds.

Gallery

References

{{Reflist

External links

rkmhos.in, Ramakrishna Mission Home of Service official website

at

Belur Math Belur Math () is the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, founded by Swami Vivekananda, the chief disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. It is located in Belur, West Bengal, India on the west bank of Hooghly River. Bel ...

, Headquarters

, Official website. * A contagious joy transmitting health to children : a Development Cooperation Story for the Wikibook

Development Cooperation Handbook Health charities in India Organisations based in Varanasi 1900 establishments in India Organizations established in 1900 Ramakrishna Mission Articles containing video clips