vivekanandafoundationkolkata@rediffmail.com +91 99034 57937 DESAPRAN SASMAL ROAD, KOLKATA INDIA

Our Journey So Far

The Vivekananda Foundation  had a humble around two decades ago. It all started with a Registered Trust in Kolkata, India named as the VIVEKANANDA FOUNDATION. Our Founders  Swami Sarvadevananda (now at the Vedanta Society of Southern California, Hollywood, U.S.A.) & Swami Jnanavratananda of Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission ( Belur Math ), India, and late Shymapada Mitra created a Charitable Trust with an intention to build an voluntary body  with Volunteers who believed in the philosophy of  working selflessly towards the upliftment of the deprived and the poor. 

More than two decades ago when Swami Sarvadevananda was posted at Ramakrishna Math & Mission – Sikra-Kulingram, he came across with various voluntary social and spiritual organizations in the Sundarbans and other remote areas of the North 24 Parganas District in West Bengal. A few enthusiastic young teachers received great inspiration by coming in contact of the Ramakrishna Mission Sadhus and attending the Annual Youth Camps of the Vivekananda Yuva Maha Mandal to build their own character, as well as the character of the men, women, and youth of their localities by forming small groups. The poverty, unemployment, helplessness, misery of women, etc. of that geographic area touched their souls to a great extent. Hence, they started to work for their upliftment.

Swami Divyananda of the Ramakrishna Order contacted them, inspired them, and helped them to organize such groups for the proper social, economical,cultural and educational upliftment in the humanitarian ground in the light of spiritual development in the spirit of Ramakrishna order inspired by Swami Vivekananda. Swami Sarvadevananda, while at Sikra Math, Sikra-Kulin Gram, North 24 Parganas visited these places with the local teachers and professors from Basirhat and first started conducting lectures on spirituality. Thereafter, from 1994, through an informal group of devotees and followers of Sri Ramakrishna, amongst whom late Shyamapada Mitra (Kanchan) was the leader, continued to help these organizations dedicated for the betterment of the society. Gradually the work had been spread over in different remote areas of other district of W.B. This work impacted positively on the lives of the residents for a decade, without any official name or organization.

Over the years the Vivekananda Foundation has over the years build a network of NGO’s located in the various down trodden and under- developed ares of the West Bengal India. Currently there are around 14 other NGOs in their 

FORMATION OF VIVEKANANDA FOUNDATION

 

Finally, with the blessings of Sri Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda and with the advices of Swami Sarvadevananda (now at the Vedanta Society of Southern California, Hollywood, U.S.A.) & Swami Jnanavratananda of Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission ( Belure Math ), India, late Shymapada Mitra, created a Registered Trust in Kolkata, India named as the VIVEKANANDA FOUNDATION. Till his untimely demise, he was the designated Settler and the first Secretary for undertaking various social services and humanitarian activities, as well as spiritual work. The Trust was registered on 29th December, 2008 in the office of the Additional Registrar of Assurance – III, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.