Belur Math

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Belur Math

Name: Belur Math
Creator: Ramakrishna Mission
Date built: 1898
Primary deity: Ramakrishna
Architecture: Fusion of Hindu, Islamic, Buddhist, Rajput, Christian styles
Location: Belur
The marble statue of Ramakrishna at Belur Math
Khandana Bhavabandhana.ogg Khandana Bhava Bandhana (Arati Song) (help·info)

Belur Math is the headquarters of the Ramakrishna 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. The temple is notable for its architecture that fuses Hindu, Christian and Islamic motifs as a symbol of unity of all religions.[1]

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.[2] The design of the temple was envisioned by Swami Vivekananda and the architect was Swami Vijnanananda—a direct monastic disciple of Ramakrishna. The Belur Math is considered as one of the prime tourist spots in India and place of pilgrimage by devotees.

The Belur Math conducts medical service, education, work for women, rural uplift and work among the labouring and backward classes, relief, spiritual and cultural activities.[3] The center also celebrates annual birthdays of Ramakrishna, Vivekananda, Sarada Devi and other monastic disciples. The annual celebrations of Kumari Puja and Durga Puja are one of the main attractions.[4]

Contents

History

In January 1897, Swami Vivekananda arrived in Colombo with his small group of Western disciples. Two monasteries were founded by him, one at Belur, which became the headquarters of Ramakrishna Mission and the other at Mayavati on the Himalayas, near Almora called the Advaita Ashrama[5][6] 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 same year the philanthropic activity was started and relief of the famine was carried out.[6]

Swami Vivekananda's days as a parivrajika—a wondering monk before his visit to Parialment of Religions, took him through many parts of India and he visited several architectural monuments like the Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri palaces, Diwan–I–Khas, palaces of Rajasthan, ancient temples of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and other places. During his tour in America and Europe, he come across buildings of architectural importance of Modern, Medieval, Gothic and Renaissance styles. It is reported that Vivekananda incorporated these ideas in the design of the Belur Math temple.[7]

Swami Vijnanananda, a brother-monk of Swami Vivekananda and one of the monastic Disciples of Ramakrishna, who was, in his pre-monastic life, an civil engineer, designed the temple according to the ideas of Vivekananda and laid the foundation stone on 16 May, 1935. The massive construction was handled by Martin Burn & Co.. The mission proclaims the Belur Math as, "A Symphony in Architecture".[8]

Architecture

The Belur Math, a modern shrine resembles a temple, a mosque, a church if seen from different positions.[9] 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.[10][11] The temple is considered as a prime example of the importance of material dimension of religion.[10]

Swami Vivekananda temple Belur Math.

The main entrance of the temple, has a facade influenced by Buddhist architectural style. The structure which rises over the entrance is modelled on the Hindu temples of south India with their lofty towers. The windows and balconies inside the temple draw upon the Rajput (Hindu) and Mughal (Islamic) style of north India. The central dome is derived from European architecture of the Renaissance period, while the ground plan of the interior gives the impression of a Christian cross.[10]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Sarina Singh; Joe Bindloss, Paul Clammer, Janine Eberle. India. p. 452. 
  2. ^ "Belur Math". Retrieved on 2008-10-10.
  3. ^ Cyrus R. Pangborn. "The Ramakrishna Math and Mission". Hinduism: New Essays in the History of Religions. p. 118. 
  4. ^ "Day of anjali & attraction", The Telegraph (October 7 , 2008). Retrieved on 10 October 2008. 
  5. ^ By Hendrik Kraemer. World Cultures and World Religions. p. 151. 
  6. ^ a b J. N. Farquhar. Modern Religious Movements in India. p. 202. 
  7. ^ Swami Tattwajnanananda. "prelude". A Symphony in Architecture Ramakrishna Temple Belur Math. 
  8. ^ Swami Tattwajnanananda. A Symphony in Architecture Ramakrishna Temple Belur Math. 
  9. ^ Pilgrimage Centers of India. p. 167. 
  10. ^ a b c Open University Course Team. Introduction to the Humanities. p. 75. 
  11. ^ Pilgrimage Centers of India. p. 167. "This symbolises the main message of the master that all religions and men are essentially one and united." 

External links

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Temple centres in West Bengal
Temples
Centres

Coordinates: 22°37′57″N 88°21′23″E / 22.6325, 88.35639

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belur_Math"

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