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Thrissur Sri Ramakrishna Math - a Foreword

Thrissur,Kerala, the names immediately bring to mind images of the arboretum, the great orchard! No wonder it's called God's Own Country!

Thrissur, being centrally situated, and because of a great tradition and heritage, is known as the 'cultural capital' of Kerala!

Thrissur has contributed not one or two, but many a heroic children at the Divine Mother Bhoomi Devi's bosom! Sizable indeed are the number among them who did belong to the spiritual monastic orders, Swami Tyageesanandaji, Swami Ranganathanandaji, Swami Chinmayanandaji, Swami Siddheswaranandaji, so goes the list.

Although not as world famous as those just mentioned, Trichur can proudly claim as its children even more monastic members, specifically the Sri Ramakrishna order of monks. Some of them are the late Swamis Nisshreyasanandaji (served in erstwhile Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe), Nityabodhanandaji (served in Geneva, Switzerland), Swaranandaji, Vipapmanandaji, Viswambharanandaji, Turiyatmanandaji, and Vyomakesanandaji. Thrissur has also gifted a few illustrious daughters too to, the monastic world.

The Trichur Sri Ramakrishna Math and Ashram is located in one of the more verdant and naturally blessed Trichur surroundings, the Puranattukara Adatt panchayat area. Nestled amidst vast farm lands and the famous tourist spot, the Vilangan and its neighboring hills the Ashram has played a significant role in uplifting the economy of the locality leading to the local governing body the Adatt Panchayat being promoted and awarded the Best Village Council in the country!

Not long ago this countryside had a few huts and shanty dwellings, home to some of the poorest and downtrodden people. A great devotee of Sri Ramakrishna, a lawyer by education and the Headmaster of the Trichur Vivekodayam High School, Vadakke Kuruppath Krishna Menon took it upon his able young shoulders the task of devoting his time and toil for the betterment of the human conditions of the people of the area.

The year was 1927. Tumultuous waves of socio-political change had already begun to heave nationwide led by Gandhiji. Sri. Krishna Menon did the daily walks covering the 10 kilometers on foot, reaching Puranattukara (Adat), only to busy himself with down-to-earth chores of helping the poor build and mend their huts, bathe the elderly, teach the children, provide them decent clothing and also find plenty of time to pray with them! His inimitable direct dealing style earned him accolades; many remember Mr.Menon, later Swami Tyageesanandaji (picture) as the sweet swami who always stood by them in their times of dire need. Eventually the hut which housed the swami became the home of the Trichur Sri Ramakrishna Math and Ashram. The children who found refuge with him rose to positions of eminence. The lowly huts turned themselves into lovely cottages. The development work heralded by him found fruition in the establishment of an elementary school for the uplift of the Harijan.

Today the local village council, the Adat Grama Panchayat has won its rightly deserved pride of place significantly due to the long selfless sevana of Swami Tyageesanandaji. The Thrissur Sri Ramakrishna Math too did see strides of progress along the lapse of time.

It is to be remembered that the prime motto of the Ramakrishna Mission is “Atmano Moksahrtham, Jagad Hitaya cha”. “For one's own salvation and for the welfare of humanity and the world at large”. On the Jagad Hitaya cha angle the center does have amenities and utilities befitting the times for serving inmates and guests with a great gurukul (residential education), higher secondary school, primary health care, library, school for studies in Sanskrit, community gathering center, eco-friendly farming initiative for vegetables and medicinal herbs, a vast playground, a state-of-the-art print and publishing outfit, a book stall - but the Atmano Mokshartham horizon looks even brighter – spiritual retreats (satsang, antaryogam), devotional singing (bhajan), daily arati (vespers), study of the sacred texts, japa and guided meditation, self introspection sessions, publication of the Prasthana Traya, Prabuddha Keralam, a spiritually oriented magazine, Family get together, celebration of the Holy Trio and the Direct Disciples' Birth Days, Pooja and Havan ceremonies – these are but a few of the functions which fulfill the quintessential search, enrichment and salvation of the soul!

In short, The Sri Ramakrishna Math in Thrissur (Trichur) plays a brilliant pivotal role in catering to the comprehensive temporal-secular aspects of life as well as the more profound spiritual realms of human evolution – aptly epitomized in the aphorism “Tasya bhaasaam sarvamidam vibhaati”

Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa once said “a craving for the Lord's Name, total daya for all living beings, worship of Lord Vishnu, these are but essential for a Vishu Bhakta!”

While in a mystical trance (bhava samadhi) He repeated, “Sympathy for fellow beings? Fie, Fie, Who are you, worm of lowly worms, to show and act in sympathy? Never! Never! Instead, work hard to behold the very Lord Siva in every Being! And with love serve every being as if you are serving Lord Siva Himself!”

These prophetic words of the Guru planted significantly potent seeds in the young Narendra's (later Swami Vivekananda) mind. Those very seeds flourished and developed into the great all embracing philosophy leading to the establishment of the Sri Ramakrishna movement that is providing holistic nurture and nourishment as a Kalpataru, the blessed wish-granting tree!

The Thrissur Sri Ramakrishna Math in Puranattukara is but one of the 180 odd expanding branches of that tree. Thousands of smaller branches and sub-branches also flourish. The taproot and the mother lode of this great family has its firm base in the spiritually and culturally rich West Bengal.

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