01Vivekananda’s math
Back from the West in 1897, Vivekananda founded the Ramakrishna Mission on 1 May that year and looked for a permanent home for the monks. The land at Belur was bought in 1898, and on 9 December he carried the urn of Sri Ramakrishna’s relics on his own shoulder to install them here. He held the first Durga Puja at the math in 1901. He died in his room on 4 July 1902, at thirty-nine, and a small temple marks the place of his cremation on the riverbank.
02The temple of 1938
The main temple of Sri Ramakrishna, dedicated on 14 January 1938, was designed by Swami Vijnanananda, one of Ramakrishna’s direct disciples and an engineer, from Vivekananda’s own ideas. Its gateway, windows and dome borrow forms from Hindu temples, Buddhist chaityas, Rajput windows and Christian churches, to show in stone his master’s teaching that all paths lead to the one God. The evening arati, with Vivekananda’s hymn Khandana bhava bandhana, is sung every day.
The life of this place
- 1 May 1897Vivekananda founds the Ramakrishna Mission.
- 9 December 1898Sri Ramakrishna’s relics are installed at Belur.
- 4 July 1902Swami Vivekananda leaves his body at Belur Math.
- 14 January 1938The main temple of Sri Ramakrishna is dedicated.
Open morning and afternoon with a midday break; arati at sunset. Ferries run from Dakshineswar across the river.
