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When Swami
Vivekananda, after his successful return from the World Religious
Conference at Chicago entered India through Kanyakumari. He traveled
from Kanyakumari to Chennai by train. Since the train had to pass
through Chengalpattu before reaching Chennai, and there was no official
stop at Chengalpattu, the people gathered and requested the station
master to stop the train at Chengalpattu station. When the request
was denied, the people layed flat on the railway track and made
the train stop. Swami Vivekananda delivered a speech for 10 minutes
and
the people were happy. This incident became the seed for the development
and growth of Swamiji’s ideologies.
Inspired by the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda, a Vidyalaya
was started in Chengalpattu by the late Sri.T.E.V.Sharma in Vedachala Nagar in
1936 (22.6.1936), the Birth Centenary year of Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna. It slowly
grew into a popular institution in the town and it was affiliated as a branch
centre to Ramakrishna Mission in December 1940,which stands now as a well known
Chengalpattu Ramakrishna Math, situated at 56 kms south of Chennai, catering
to the needs of the poor and down-trodden people in and around Chengalpattu.
Today, The Ramakrishna Mission is established in 20 acres of land having a Main
Shrine in the centre with a Marble Image of Sri Ramakrishna surrounded by Monks
quarters, Students hostel, Destitute welfare centre. The entire campus is situated
at the foot of hills and well maintained with full of trees and garden.
The Ashrama Campus at Hanumanthaputheri was dedicated to Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna by Revered Srimat Swami Vireswaranandaji Maharaj, President, Ramakrishna Math & Mission on 11.05.1983. The foundation stone for the temple was laid by Revered Srimat Swami Bhuteshanandaji Maharaj, Vice President, Ramakrishna Math & Mission on 19.09.1984. The temple was consecrated by Revered Srimat Swami Gambhiranandaji Maharaj, President, Ramakrishna Math & Mission on 02.02.1988.
As the days passed, many initiated devotees, well-wishers and public start visiting the shrine on festive occasions. The shrine was so small that it could accommodate only 200 to 250 devotees. So the need to expand the shrine was a dire need. As a result, the new shrine redesigned with the main tower resembling the tower of Sri Jagannath temple at Puri and other towers with exquisite artistic design was built at the cost of Rs. 70 lakhs. The newly restructured temple was declared open by Revered Srimat Swami Gitanandaji Maharaj, Vice President, Ramakrishna Math & Mission on 20.08.2004.
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