Vivekananda Memorial in Mysuru nearing completion

A memorial and cultural centre in Mysuru in honour of Swami Vivekananda is nearing completion and the authorities are confident of its inauguration in December.

The Viveka Memorial or Viveka Smaraka is taking shape at Niranjan Mutt, where Swami Vivekananda stayed during his visit to Mysuru in November 1892. Soon after, he embarked on a lecture tour to the West and participated in the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago on September 11, 1893.

According to patrons of Sri Ramakrishna Ashram, which is spearheading the project, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be invited for the inauguration. They are awaiting a date from the Prime Minister’s Office before it can be announced.

The syllabus and content of what will be imparted to students at the cultural centre has been conceived and prepared at Ramakrishna Institute of Moral and Spiritual Education, which has expertise in evolving course curricula.

The project has been taken up at a cost of nearly ₹40 crore and the groundbreaking ceremony was held in July 2022. The Viveka Smaraka will be one of its kind and focus on personality development of the youth.

Apart from being a cultural centre complete with an amphitheatre, meditation room, library, and so on, it will serve as a training centre for the youth and help them upskill. This is apart from regular spiritual and philosophical activities, yoga, training in music and fine arts, propagation of ideas and values of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Swami Vivekananda, and more.

A museum with photographs and messages of Swami Vivekananda and Ramakrishna Paramahamsa will also be part of the project.

For decades, Niranjan Mutt was in a dilapidated condition despite its historical and cultural importance.

During his stay in Mysuru, Swami Vivekananda held extensive interactions on Vedanta with scholars, pundits, the then Maharaja Chamarajendra Wadiyar, and Diwan Seshadri Iyer, apart from engaging in philosophical debates.

He also used to deliver lectures at Sadvidya Pathashala — opposite Niranjan Mutt — espousing his views on Vedanta and his vision of a new India, which captured the imagination of the public.

The monk’s stay in Mysuru and his association with the city was recalled during the ongoing centenary celebrations of Sri Ramakrishna Ashram. Swami Suvirananda, General Secretary, Sri Ramakrishna Mutt headquarters at Belur Mutt, Howrah, sent a message which was read out to the audience. He mentioned the genesis of the Ramakrishna Movement in Mysuru and linked it to Swami Vivekananda’s visit. After his pivotal visit in November 1892, Mysuru became a crucible for numerous individuals profoundly inspired by his transformative message, according to Swami Suvirananda.

The project was mired in dispute, with activists questioning the land transfer to the Ashram on the grounds that a Kannada school already existed there and had to be protected. But after a prolonged struggle and court intervention, the project finally took off and is now nearing completion.