At Cossipore Garden-House, Sri Ramakrishna himself implanted the 'Seed' of the future 'Order' by inspiring his intimate young disciples, headed by Narendranath (later Swami Vivekananda), to embrace the life of renunciation.

Shortly after the 'Mahasamadhi' of Sri Ramakrishna in August, 1886, Narendranath, in strict adherence to the parting instructions of his Master, organised a monastery (Math) at Baranagore, lying at a short distance from Cossipore, in order to establish spiritual fraternity among his brother-disciples. Thus, 'Ramakrishna Math, Baranagore' was the 'Sapling' of the Ramakrishna Order, initiated in the twin ideals, viz. :-

1) Training of a band of youths dedicated to self-realisation and to the dissemination of the universal principles of 'Vedanta', as preached by Sri Ramakrishna and illustrated by his own life, and

2) Implementation of Services, in co-operation with the lay-members, in different fields of human need, looking upon all beings as veritable manifestations of the Divine.

With a view to realising these objectives, Swami Vivekananda, after his return from the West, founded the 'Ramakrishna Mission Association' on May 1,1897. By that time, the Math was shifted to Alambazar and therefrom to Nilambar Mukherjee's Garden-House at Belur, temporarily. In 1898, Swami Vivekananda founded Belur Math (Howrah), now developed into a gigantic 'Tree'.

Branch-Centres of Math & Mission

Excluding the Headquarters at Belur, there are, up to March,2004, 153 branches in all, of which 67 are Mission-centres, 26 combined Math & Mission-centres and 60 Math-centres. Out of 153 centres, 115 are located in India and 38, abroad.

Through the variegated activities of the branch-centres of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, the 'Ramakrishna -Vivekananda Movement' has gained momentum, all over the world, especially in the sphere of uplift of the down-trodden masses, by means of relief works, medical services and educational projects.

Ramakrishna Mission Vidyapith, Purulia: A Retrospect.

The Ramakrishna Mission Vidyapith, Vivekananda Nagar, Purulia is like a nursery where both flower-buds and human-kids are nurtured and nourished with equal care, fondness and discipline.

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