Ramakrishna Mission, Colombo, Srilanka

Though the Mission started functioning in the island in 1924 by way of managing a few schools, the centre in Colombo was formally established in 1930.  Swami Sarvarupananda is the swami-in-charge of the centre.

Activities:

• A free library and a reading room (with 8000 books and 23 newspapers and periodicals) and a bookshop.
• A Sunday school for children (669 on roll).
• An International Cultural Centre with guest rooms, library, etc.
• Relief and welfare work such as providing food and educational, medical and pecuniary help to the needy and victims of war (61,51,040 Sri Lankan Rupees spent).
• Monthly medical camps treated 1016 patients and weekly ayurvedic camps treated 2712 patients.
• Lectures and cultural programmes in the ashrama’s Swami Vivekananda Centenary Memorial Hall (one of the biggest auditoriums in Colombo) as well as in other parts of the island.
• Personality development camps for children from schools all over Colombo, and free distribution of Ramakrishna-Vivekananda literature to schools and libraries.
• Daily worship, weekly classes, fortnightly retreats, occasional festivals, and celebration of the birthdays of Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda and other prophets.
• A sub-centre at Batticaloa with the following activities:
  • Three orphanages with 106 children.
  • Two nursery schools with 169 children.
  • Three Sunday schools with 361 children.
  • A computer training centre with 75 students.
  • Two free coaching centres with 271 students.
  • A healthcare centre, which treated 18,571 patients.
  • Daily worship and weekly congregational prayers.
  • Occasional classes at Manthivu Lepers’ Asylum and Thalankundah, where the centre maintains temples with regular puja and bhajans.
  • Welfare work by providing educational aids and pecuniary help to poor students (Sri Lankan Rupees 49,49,600 spent this year).