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Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Kanpur
Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Kanpur
(A branch centre of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission)

Sri Ramakrishna Dhyan Mandir

Forming of an informal group of young men in 1921 by Nepaleshwar Banerjee (later Swami Nityananda, a disciple of Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi). They often met at Dr. Sen’s house in Kanpur in order to meditate, pray and read inspiring thoughts of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda and freedom fighters. In 1924 the Informal group took the shape of Ramakrishna Seva Sadan by setting up a shrine for regular worship of Sri Ramakrishna, starting of a school, a gymnastic club, hostel for boys and a charitable dispensary in rented houses in different places like Afeem Kothi, Raza Manjil, Karachikhana and Anwarganj.

 In 1931, Ramakrishna Seva Sadan was affiliated to the world-wide Ramakrishna Mission, Belur Math, Howrah, West Bengal. Though it became a recognized centre of the Ramakrishna Mission, it continued to function from different rented houses until 1936. In 1936, the Ashrama obtained its present 1.5-acre site on lease from Kanpur Development Authority. 
 On 25 October 1936, Swami Vijnananandaji Maharaj, a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, arrived at the old Kanpur railway station and was received by devotees, monks and eminent citizens of the Kanpur city. He was accommodated at a rented house in Afeem Kothi area in Kanpur for six days. On 28 October, 1936, Swami Vijnananandaji laid foundation for a new prayerhall and temple of Sri Ramakrishna at a piece of plot in Gumti 5 area in central Kanpur. He also gave mantra diksha to eight people on this occasion.
In 1937 the newly constructed prayerhall and temple opened by Lala Chengamal, a leading businessman and supporter of the Ramakrishna Mission in Kanpur. The building consisted of a shrine for Sri Ramakrishna, prayerhall, living quarters for monks and students, and other amenities.

According to Swami Vivekananda, the temples of Sri Ramakrishna should be built to enable the devotees to advance spiritually for realizing the truth with no hatred towards other faiths. The guidelines for building the temple of Sri Ramakrishna at Belur Math were laid down by Swami Vivekananda himself. Keeping this as basis, various other architectural features familiar to the region are added while maintaining its universal outlook. So various architectural elements and motifs found in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain temples and the churches and cathedrals of Europe are synthesized in this Universal Temple.

Sri Ramakrishna Dhyan Mandir Photos

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