Trip to Belur Math :

Trip to Belur Math :

Belur Maṭh is the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission, founded by Swami Vivekananda, a chief disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. It is located on the west bank of Hooghly River, Belur, West Bengal, India and is one of the significant institutions in Calcutta. The temple is notable for its architecture that fuses Hindu, Christian and Islamic motifs as a symbol of unity of all religions.

In 1897 two monasteries were founded by Swami Vivekananda, one at Belur, which became the headquarters of Ramakrishna Mission and the other at Mayavati on the Himalayas, near Almora called the Advaita Ashrama. These monasteries were meant to receive and train young men who would eventually become sannyasis of the Ramakrishna Mission, and to give them a training for their work.

The 40-acre (160,000 m2) campus of the Belur Math on the banks of Ganga includes temples dedicated to Ramakrishna, Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda, in which their relics are enshrined, and the main monastery of the Ramakrishna Order. The campus also houses a Museum containing articles connected with the history of Ramakrishna Math and Mission. Several educational institutions affiliated with the Ramakrishna Mission are situated in the vast campus adjacent to Belur Math. The Belur Math is considered as one of the prime tourist spots near Kolkota and place of pilgrimage by devotees. The ex-president Abdul Kalam regarded Belur Math as a "place of heritage and national importance."

          The main temple of Belur Math is Sri Ramkrishna Temple.

Sri Ramkrishna Temple

We had very beautiful meditation. We (me and my friends with whom I went) set for meditation and I felt very calm, a thoughtless moment. Awesome meditation. Nice vibrations of that place.

The Ramakrishna temple at the Belur Math is designed to "celebrate the diversity of Indian Religions" and resembles a temple, a mosque, a church if seen from different positions. The architectural style and symbolism from a number of religions have been incorporated into the design of the temple at Belur Math, to convey the "universal faith" in which the movement believes. The temple is considered as a prime example of the importance of "material dimension" of religion.

                          Swami Vivekananda Temple :

                        The Swami Vivekananda Temple stands on the spot where Swami Vivekananda’s mortal remains were cremated in 1902. Consecrated on 28 January 1924, the temple has in its upper storey an alabaster OM (in Bengali characters). Beside the temple stands a bel (bilva) tree in the place of the original bel tree under which Swami Vivekananda used to sit and near which, according to his wish, his body was cremated. On July 4, 1902 at Belur Math, he taught Vedanta philosophy to some pupils in the morning. He had a walk with Swami Premananda, a brother-disciple, and gave him instructions concerning the future of the Ramakrishna Math. He died in the evening after a session of prayer at Belur Math. He was 39. Vivekananda had fulfilled his own prophecy of not living to be forty-years old.

                                                                                               Holy Mother's temple :

The Holy Mother's temple is dedicated to Sarada Devi, the spiritual consort of Ramakrishna. The temple of the Holy Mother was consecrated on 21 December, 1921.
                                                                                                Swami Brahmananda's temple :

Another temple dedicated to Swami Brahmananda—a direct disciple of Ramakrishna—is situated near Holy Mother's temple.

A beautiful garden in Belur Math. There are many such but I could able to click one.









Few pics of Belur Math…

                                                        Beautiful view of Belur Math

Below pics from on the way to Belur Math :

Trip to Dakshineswar Kali Temple

The Dakshineswar Kali Temple is a Hindu temple located in Dakshineswar near Kolkata. Situated on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, the presiding deity of the temple is Bhavatarini, an aspect of Kali, literally meaning, ‘She who takes Her devotees across the ocean of existence’. The temple was built by Rani Rashmoni, a philanthropist and a devotee of Kali in 1855.


There are twelve shrines dedicated to the aspects of Shiva, Kali’s companion, along the riverfront, a temple to Radha-Krishna, a bathing ghat on the river, a bookshop, a srine to Rani Rashmoni. The chamber in the northwestern corner jus beyond the last of the Shiva temple, is where Sri Ramskrishna Paramhamsa spent a considerable part of his life.

Beside picture is the presiding temple deity, Bhavatarini, with a foot over Shiva.


In 1847 Rani Rashmoni prepared to go to Kashi (the sacred Hindu city) to express her devotion to Mother Divine.The night before the pilgrimage began, Rashmoni had a vision of the Divine Mother, in the form of the goddess Kali in a dream and reportedly said, “There is no need to go to Varanasi. Install my statue in a beautiful temple on the banks of the Ganges river and arrange for my worship there. Then I shall manifest in the image and accept worship at that place."

Sri RamKrishna Paramhamsa came to the temple in 1855, as an assistant to his elder brother, Ramkumar, the head priest, a job he took over the next year, after Ramkumar’s death.

Front view of Dakshineshwar Kali Temple

                                                          

Above you can see the picture of main temple of Dakshineshwar. There is Kali Maa’s idol in the temple which you can see in below picture.

There are twelve shrines of Shiva where there are 12 Shiv Lings in each shrine…