Ramakrishna Mission, Colombo, Sri Lanka

Though the Mission started functioning in Sri Lanka in 1917 by managing a few schools, the centre in Colombo was formally established in 1930. Swami Aksharatmananda is the Swami-in-charge of the centre.
Activities:

1. A library with 8000 books.

2. A Sunday school and a music school.

3. An International Cultural Centre with guestrooms and a library.

4. Relief and welfare work: Food distribution, educational, medical and financial aid to the needy.

5. Lectures and cultural programmes in the Swami Vivekananda Centenary Memorial Hall (one of the biggest auditoriums in Colombo) and at other places across the island.

6. Free distribution of Ramakrishna-Vivekananda literature to schools and libraries.

7. Personality development programmes for students.

8. Daily worship, weekly classes, fortnightly retreats, occasional festivals, and celebration of the birth anniversaries of the Holy Trio and other luminaries.

Post-war rehabilitation and welfare centres in Northern Sri Lanka:

• Urumpirai: Coaching classes, a Sunday school, an ayurveda clinic, and monthly satsangs.

• Kilinochi: Coaching classes and a Sunday school.

• Visuvamadu: Coaching classes.

• Point-Pedro welfare centre: Monthly cultural classes.

Batticaloa sub-centre
(Situated 350 km north-east of the main centre. Activities are spread across four campuses):

A. Ramakrishnapuram (Kallady Uppodai), the central campus:

1. An orphanage for boys.

2. Another orphanage for girls.

3. Two nursery schools.

4. A Sunday school.

5. Centre for Human Excellence: Certified courses in arts, languages, IT, personality development and yoga.

6. Inclusive Resource and Training Centre for Visually Challenged Persons:

   • Accessibility tools and assistive technologies.

   • Training for teachers of visually challenged students.

   • Provision of audio and braille books, braille kits, and regular motivational and educational sessions.

7. A library with 3000 books and a bookshop.

8. A healthcare centre.

9. Rural health camps on Saturdays at Vaharai and Chenkalady Divisional Secretariats.

10. Free distribution of notebooks to schools and libraries, and screening of religious video shows at schools.

11. Daily worship, weekly congregational prayers, and celebration of the birth anniversaries of the Holy Trio.

12. Welfare work: Educational, medical and financial assistance to students.

B. Karaitivu campus (43 km south of Ramakrishnapuram):

1. Centre for Human Excellence: Courses in yoga, computer and music learning.

2. Agricultural activities.

3. Cultural programmes.

C. Rugam Farm campus (36 km west of Ramakrishnapuram):

• Paddy cultivation on 40 acres of land.

D. Kiran campus (28 km north of Ramakrishnapuram):

1. A tailoring unit established with government aid for self-employment.

2. Weekly medical camps.

3. A Sunday school.