The Opening of Sri Sarada Math
Everyone should Swami Shankaranandaji & Visuddhanandaji waiting
before the closed doors of the Temple
before opening on 2nd Dec 1954have the opportunity to live the highest life. Swami Vivekananda wanted to break the barriers of gender in the realm of spiritual practice and realisation. It was to educate women to be amazons of spirituality, learning and universal culture. It is women in society who have the greatest influence on the future generations and could effect a spiritual revival in the world. It began in a small educational institution by an effort of Eastern and Western women and it grew through the guidance and blessings of Swami Vivekananda’s brother monks, the direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna. At last, Swami Vivekananda’s earnest desire to kindle the spirit of renunciation and bring spiritual awakening in women was fulfilled in during the birth centenary year of Sri Sarada Devi.

On the 2nd of December 1954, Swami Sankarananda, the seventh President of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission, performed the opening ceremony of the Women’s Math in the presence of a large number of senior monks and Trustees of the Ramakrishna Order. He installed the pictures of Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda in a small shrine in the main building, while theBrahmachariniswere chanting Vedic Mantras. Swami Vishuddhananda, who was then the Vice-President, Swami Madhavananda, the General Secretary, and Swami Vireswarananda, one of the Assistant Secretaries, theBrahmacharinis, and a large number of devotees assembled from far and near. Pravrajika Bharatiprana, then known as Sri Bharati was given charge of the Math by Swami Sankarananda, President of the Math.

Swami Shankaranandaji installing the
Holy Mother's picture in Sarada Math shrine The Math was run by theBrahmacharinisfor some years successfully, under the guidance of the Trustees of Belur Math. Then it was decided to hand it over to theBrahmacharinisso that their work could be carried on independently.

t took time for it to take shape but from the time the dedicated women workers gathered together to live an ashram life till the Math’s independence, the senior monks of the Ramakrishna Math guided, taught, organised and helped in every way possible. They made every effort with great personal sacrifice so that Sri Sarada Math may be properly launched according to the ideals of Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekanananda.

On the 1st January 1959 on the birthday of Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi, eight senior members of Sri Sarada Math were invested withSannyasaby Swami Sankarananda. This was a preliminary step to the formation of an independent women’s organisation.

First Eight Sannyasinis