Ramakrishna Mission, Colombo, Sri Lanka

Though the Mission started functioning in the island country in 1917 by way of managing a few schools, the centre in Colombo was formally established in 1930. Swami Aksharatmananda is the Swami-in-charge of the centre.

Activities:

• A library with 8000 books.
• A Sunday school for children, and music classes.
• An International Cultural Centre with guestrooms, library, etc.
• Relief and welfare work such as providing food and educational, medical and pecuniary help to the needy.
• Monthly medical camps in Colombo and weekly ayurvedic camps in Urumpirai.
• 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.
• 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.
• Post-war Rehabilitation and welfare centres in Northern Sri Lanka:
• • Urumpirai: Coaching classes, a Sunday school, an ayurveda clinic and monthly satsang programmes.
  • Kilinochi: Coaching classes and a Sunday school.
  • Visuvamadu: Coaching classes.

Batticaloa sub-centre: Activities of the sub-centre are spread over four campuses:

A. Kallady Uppodai, the central campus:

• An orphanage for boys.
• Another orphanage (at a distance of 1 km) for girls.
• Two nursery schools (2 km from the sub-centre).
• A Sunday school.
• A computer training centre.
• A coaching centre, and a library with 3000 books.
• A healthcare centre.
• Free distribution of books to libraries and schools, religious video shows at schools, and a bookshop.
• Daily worship, weekly congregational prayers, and celebration of the birthdays of Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda.
• Occasional classes at Manthivu Lepers’ Asylum and Thalankudah. The centre also maintains a temple at each of these two places with regular puja and bhajans.
• Welfare work by providing educational aids and pecuniary and medical help to poor students.

B. Karaitivu campus (43 km south of Kallady Uppodai):

• Computer classes.
• Agricultural activities.
• An exhibition and cultural programmes.

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

• Agricultural activities.

D. Kiran campus (28 km north of Kallady Uppodai):

• A Sunday school.
• Monthly medical camps.