Women Monastic Organisation

A dream of Swami Vivekananda

Swami Vivekananda had an idea of starting an organization for women, for he knew that there would be no chance for the welfare of the world unless the condition of women was improved as it was not possible for a bird to fly on only one wing. In one of his letters, he said, “Hence it is that my first endeavour is to start a Math for women.” He also wrote, “With Holy Mother as the centre of inspiration, a Math is to be established on the eastern bank of the Ganga. As Brahmacharins and Sadhus will be trained in this Math (Belur Math) so in the other Math also, Brahmacharinis and Sadhvis will be trained.”

In 1954, in the year of Holy Mother’s birth centenary, the authorities of the Belur Math thought that it was high time to give a concrete shape to the ideas of Swami Vivekananda. Accordingly, a suitable piece of land with some buildings was procured on the eastern bank of the Ganga, a little north of the Dakshineswar Kali Temple.