Vivekananda Kendra is a spiritually-oriented service mission founded in 1972, based near the Vivekananda Rock Memorial in

Kanyakumari Kanyakumari (Tamil; / kəɳjɑkʊmɑɾiː/; referring to Devi Kanya Kumari, officially known as Kanniyakumari, formerly known as Cape Comorin) is a town and a municipality in Kanyakumari district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is the ...

(

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...

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 ...

). It focuses on "Man Making and Nation Building" through various activities, including education, women's empowerment, rural development, promoting Indian culture, as well as youth empowerment and free

yoga Yoga (UK: , US: ; 'yoga' ; ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines that originated with its own philosophy in ancient India, aimed at controlling body and mind to attain various salvation goals, as pra ...

classes for all ( to promote healthy mind + body )

Established in 1972

Founded by Eknath Ranade as a "living memorial" to

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 ...

's vision, following the construction of the

Vivekananda Rock Memorial Vivekananda Rock Memorial is a monument and popular tourist attraction in Kanyakumari, India's southernmost tip. The memorial stands on one of the two rocks located about 500 meters off mainland of Vavathurai, Tamil Nadu. It was built in 1970 ...

in Kanyakumari.

Headquarters

Located in Kanyakumari ( Tamil Nadu, India ) adjacent to the Vivekananda Rock Memorial

Recognition

Vivekananda Kendra received the '' Gandhi Peace Prize'' for 2015 for its contribution to ''

rural development Rural development is the process of improving the quality of life, quality of life and economic well-being of people living in rural areas, often relatively isolated and sparsely populated areas. Often, rural regions have experienced rural povert ...

'', education and development of natural resources.

Core Philosophy

Based on the principles of "Man-Making and Nation-Building", emphasizing spiritual growth and selfless service

Non-Monastic Organization

Operates as a lay service organization, promoting spirituality without a monastic structure approach

Educational Initiatives

Runs Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalayas (VKV), a network of 84 schools across states like

Arunachal Pradesh Arunachal Pradesh (; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in northeast India. It was formed from the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) region, and India declared it as a state on 20 February 1987. Itanagar is its capital and la ...

Assam Assam (, , ) is a state in Northeast India, northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra Valley, Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . It is the second largest state in Northeast India, nor ...

, and the

Andaman Islands The Andaman Islands () are an archipelago, made up of 200 islands, in the northeastern Indian Ocean about southwest off the coasts of Myanmar's Ayeyarwady Region. Together with the Nicobar Islands to their south, the Andamans serve as a mari ...

, focusing on

holistic education Holistic education is a movement in education that seeks to engage all aspects of the learner, including mind, body, and spirit. Its philosophy, which is also identified as holistic learning theory, is based on the premise that each person finds ...

inspired by Swami Vivekananda's teachings.

Social Service

Engages in various activities including rural development, healthcare, environmental conservation, and disaster relief, aiming to uplift underprivileged communities.

Spiritual Training

Offers programs and workshops to instill values of self-discipline, patriotism, and service among youth and volunteers.

Cultural Integration

Promotes national integration by celebrating festivals, organizing cultural programs, and conducting interfaith dialogues.

Publications and Research

Publishes literature on Swami Vivekananda's philosophy & conducts research to further his vision of a spiritually awakened and socially responsible society.

Programs Being Conducted

In order to help Children & Youth to achieve overall Physical, Mental & Spiritual well being, Vivekananda Kendra regularly conducts free of cost Sanskar ( aka Upbringing and Cultivation ) Varg ( aks class ), Swadhyay ( aka self-study or self-reflection ) Varg & Personal Development camps as well.

Sanskar ( Sanskrit Word )

Cultivation of good virtues, ethical principles, and values in School going students ( secondary grade )

Swadhyay ( Sanskrit Word )

Involves the study and contemplation of sacred texts and teachings, often including introspection and self-inquiry. ( college grade students ) Vivekananda Kendra as well caters the need of well being of

Pregnant Pregnancy is the time during which one or more offspring gestation, gestates inside a woman's uterus. A multiple birth, multiple pregnancy involves more than one offspring, such as with twins. Conception (biology), Conception usually occurs ...

women,

adolescent Adolescence () is a transitional stage of human physical and psychological development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to adulthood (typically corresponding to the age of majority). Adolescence is usually associated w ...

girls and child - parent healthy relationship by conducting classes like * Matrutv Yog Varga * Amrut Parivar * Kishori Vikas upkram * Matru-Pitru pujan

Gallery

File:Vivekananda Kendra Students Doing Meditation.jpg, Vivekananda Kendra Students Doing Meditation during learning Yoga Class File:Vivekananda Kendra Community Hospital - Health Check Up Camps.jpg, Vivekananda Kendra Community Hospital File:Vivekananda Kendra Students Doing Yoga Exercises.jpg, Vivekananda Kendra Students Doing Yoga Exercises File:Vivekananda Kendra Students Practicing Yoga Exercises - To Improve physical & Mental Stability.jpg, Vivekananda Kendra Students Practicing Yoga Exercise - To Improve physical & Mental Stability File:Vivekananda Kendra Students Playing Games.jpg, Vivekananda Kendra Students Playing Games File:Vivekananda Kendra Students Worshiping Parents.jpg, Vivekananda Kendra Students Worshiping Parents - Parents Worship Hindu Practice File:Vivekananda Kendra Students Playing Mind Games.jpg, Vivekananda Kendra Students Playing Mind Games - Sanskar Varg Classes File:Vivekananda Kendra Students Praying For World Peace and Prosperity.jpg, Vivekananda Kendra Students Praying For World Peace and Prosperity File:Vivekananda Kendra Students Performing Bharat Mata Pooja.jpg, Vivekananda Kendra Students Performing Bharat Mata Pooja

References

External links

* {{India-edu-stub Sangh Parivar Education in Tamil Nadu Education in Arunachal Pradesh Educational organisations based in India Recipients of the Gandhi Peace Prize