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1. Budge Budge
Swami Vivekananda landed at the Budge Budge ferry ghat while returning after his first visit to the West. The anniversary is still celebrated on 19 February with great zeal. The old station where he boarded the train to Sealdah station is decorated every year with flowers on this day.
2. The Kali Temple of Kalighat
This Kali temple of Kalighat is one among the fifty-one holy spots related to the Divine Mother ‘Sati’.
Sri Ramakrishna visited this temple on several occasions. On Sri Ramakrishna’s arrival here, the devotees accompanying him would feel the living presence of the Divine Mother and an extraordinary joy in their hearts. Sri Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda also visited this temple and offered their worship.
3. Fort William
Sri Ramakrishna once went to this fort and he used the downward inclined road (Kalambārā rāstā) of the fort as a metaphor to illustrate how men become degraded by lust and are unaware of their own downfall.
4. Princep Ghat
On 28 January 1898 Miss Margaret Noble (later Sister Nivedita) was received here by Swami Vivekananda when, inspired by him, she came to serve India. From this Ghat Swami Vivekananda boarded a steamer named ‘Golconda’ on 20 June 1899 for his second trip to the West along with Swami Turiyananda and Sister Nivedita.
5. Kayalaghat (Koyla Ghat)
On 27 October 1882 Keshab Chandra Sen and his Brahmo followers had arranged a boat-trip on the Ganga for Sri Ramakrishna. After the wonderful ride and blissful spiritual talks by Sri Ramakrishna, the boat cast anchor at Koyla Ghat and the passengers disembarked.
6. Nabagopal Ghosh’s House:
The house of Babu Nabagopal Ghosh, who was Sri Ramakrishna’s great devotee and an ideal for householders, is located on the western bank of the Ganga, at Ramakrishnapur in Howrah district.
At the earnest prayer of Babu Nabagopal and his wife, Swamiji along with other monks installed the image of Sri Ramakrishna at their house on the Maghi Purnima day, 6 February 1898. After the completion of puja, there he composed the well-known pranam mantra of Sri Ramakrishna extempore—‘’Sthāpakaya cha dharmasya, sarva dharma svarūpiney….” (I bow down to Ramakrishna, the supreme among all incarnations, who established religion and is the embodiment of all religions).
7. Howrah Station
On 27 January 1868, Sri Ramakrishna along with Mathur Babu and his party consisting of some one hundred and twenty-five persons set out on a pilgrimage to the sacred places of northern India from Howrah station. Sri Sarada Devi used to visit this station on her way to Bishnupur and back by railway. Swami Vivekananda reached this station from Bombay while returning after his second trip to the West. Swamiji used this station on other occasions also like going to Antpur in December 1886, receiving Mac Leod and Olley Bull on 14 Feb 1898 etc.
8. Swami Vivekananda’s Birthplace and Ancestral House
Located in Simla, this house is the birthplace of Narendranath Dutta (Swami Vivekananda). The house stands as witness to many notable events of Swamiji’s childhood. Sri Ramakrishna visited this house several times.
9. Shyampukur Bati
Sri Ramakrishna spent few days (from 2 October to 11 December 1885) here for recuperating from illness. It is witness to many divine lilas of Sri Ramakrishna.
10. Bagbazar and Adjacent Areas
Sri Ramakrishna visited the ancestral house of Kalinath Bose, then at 40 Bosepara Lane. It was here that he first met Harinath Chatterjee (later Swami Turiyananda), Gangadhar (later Swami Akhandananda) and Girish Chandra Ghosh, the noted playwright. He visited the temples of Madanmohan, Jagannatha, Punte Kali, Siddheswari Kali etc. of this area. He used to visit frequently the houses of devotees in Bagbazar. Sri Sarada Devi had a great fascination for the Ganga, so over a period of several years devotees arranged different rented houses for her to stay, within the Bagbazar area.
11. Balaram Mandir
The house of Balaram Bose, a great devotee of Sri Ramakrishna, located in Bagbazar, has a prominent role in the divine lila of Sri Ramakrishna. This house is witness to numerous visits of Sri Ramakrishna, his ecstasies and his conversations with devotees etc. Sri Ramakrishna himself used to pull the chariot of Lord Jaganatha during the Ratha Yatra celebrations which were held here. Sri Sarada Devi, and many direct disciples stayed in this house often. The Ramakrishna Mission was formally established by Swami Vivekananda at a meeting held in this house on 1 May 1897.
12. Mayer Bari, Bagbazar
Built by Swami Saradananda in Bagbazar area, this house was home to Sri Sarada Devi from 23 May 1909 onwards. She stayed here whenever she was in Kolkata till her mahasamadhi on 21 July 1920. The office of the Bengali journal ‘Udbodhan’, started by Swami Trigunatitananda, is housed in a nearby building.
13. Ghusuri
Sri Sarada Devi stayed here during 1890. Swamiji one day called on Sri Sarada Devi here, seeking her permission for his pilgrimage with an intention never to return to the monastery till he had accumulated sufficient spiritual power.
14. Cossipore Garden House
This garden house located in Cossipore has numerous holy associations with Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi and many of the direct disciples. It is the scene of the culmination of Sri Ramakrishna’s divine lila. The Kalpataru Utsav is celebrated here each year on 1st of January.
15. Cossipore Crematorium
This old crematorium located at Cossipore has many holy associations. After his mahasamadhi, Sri Ramakrishna’s body was consigned to flames here.
16. Old Math (Nilambar Mukherjee’s Garden House)
The ‘Old Math’, earlier known as Nilambar Mukherjee’s Garden House, served as the monastery of the Ramakrishna Order for a short period (13 February 1898 – 1 January 1899). This place was sanctified by Sri Sarada Devi’s stay on several occasions. Here, Swamiji initiated Sister Nivedita into Brahmacharya.
17. Belur Math
This holy place of pilgrimage is situated on the western bank of the Ganga in Howrah. Swami Vivekananda established this Math as the main monastery of the Ramakrishna Order and installed the sacred relics of Sri Ramakrishna here. Sri Ramakrishna accompanied by Captain, a householder devotee, visited the timber yard which was then located in between Holy Mother’s Temple and Samadhipith. Belur Math houses the headquarters of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission. The temples of Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda and Swami Brahmananda are located on its hallowed grounds. This Math is a source of peace and spiritual inspiration to millions of people all over the world.
18. Baranagar Math
Located in Baranagar, this was the first monastery of the Ramakrishna Order (1886–1892). The direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna lived here and practiced severe austerities after the mahasamadhi of Sri Ramakrishna.
19. Temples in Baranagar and Cossipore
Sri Ramakrishna visited several temples in Baranagar and Cossipore areas like Brahmamoyee Kali temple, Baranagar market’s Kali temple, Joy Mitra’s Kripamoyee Kali temple
and Baranagar’s Siddheswari Kali temple.
20. Baranagar Pathbari
Pathbari Mandir is a place where Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the great religious leader, set his foot once nearly five hundred years ago. Sri Ramakrishna also visited this place but detailed accounts are not available.
21. Kalyaneshwar Shiva Temple, Bally
This Shiva temple is located in Bally, near Belur Math. Sri Ramakrishna visited this temple several times and offered puja to Lord Shiva. On one such occasion when he was offering puja, he remarked to Hridayram that Shiva linga was a living deity and actually moving. On another occasion when he was visiting this temple, accompanied by Swami Brahmananda, he went into an ecstatic mood.
22. Alambazar Math
Located in Kolkata, this was the second monastery of the Ramakrishna Order. Here the direct disciples lived from February 1892 to February 1898. After the triumphal return from the West, Swamiji came to this Math on 19 February 1897 and stayed nearly one year with occasional trips to North India and Kolkata. Here, he inspired his brother monks and disciples to dedicate their lives for the service of humanity.
23. Dakshineshwar Kali Temple
Established by Rani Rashmoni, this temple complex, located on the eastern bank of the Ganga, is dedicated to Bhavatarini Kali. This was the primary sadhana kshetra of Sri Ramakrishna where he practiced various sadhanas and attained perfection in each path. The temple garden is witness to many significant events in the lives of Sri Sarada Devi and many of the monastic and lay disciples of Sri Ramakrishna. Sri Ramakrishna lived here for 30 years – from 1855 to 1885.
24. Patbari of Dasa Gadadhara, Ariadaha
Close to Dakshineshwar, is the samadhi of Dasa Gadadhara, a beloved disciple of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Nityananda. Sri Ramakrishna, along with many devotees like Sri Bijoy Krishna Goswami, visited this place often. He would point out to the devotees an old painting of Sri Chaitanya in sankirtana, and sometimes go into an ecstatic mood himself.
25. House of Gopaler Ma, Kamarhati
To the north of Kolkata on the eastern bank of the Ganga at Kamarhati, lived Gopaler Ma, a widow and great devotee of the child Krishna, Gopala. Sri Ramakrishna bestowed his grace upon her. He visited her house at least twice, once accompanied by Swami Brahmananda.
26. Mahotsabtala and Mani Sen’s House, Panihati
Located to the north of Dakshineshwar on the eastern bank of the Ganga, Panihati Mahotsabtala is associated with Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. From 1858 to 1885, Sri Ramakrishna attended the famous annual ‘Danda Mahotsab’ several times. He would dance in ecstasy during the sankirtana. People who saw this divine sight felt that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu himself has incarnated again. Sri Ramakrishna visited Mani Sen’s house whenever he came to attend the Panihati Mahotsab.
27. Nabaichaitanya Mitra’s House, Konnagar
Sri Ramakrishna used to call him ‘Nabai’ or ‘Nabaichaitanya’ affectionately. Sri Ramakrishna came here first on 3 December 1882 during a grand festival when many people rejoiced in ‘namasankirtana’. Later on, Sri Ramakrishna visited this house several times.
28. Māhesh Jagannatha Temple, Srirampore
The Ratha Yatra of Māhesh is the second oldest chariot festival of Lord Jagannatha in India (next to Ratha Yatra at Puri) and oldest in Bengal. Sri Ramakrishna used to visit this place almost every year and even participated in the chariot festival. Sri Sarada Devi also attended this festival.
29. Shyamsundar Mandir, Khardaha
Located in Khardaha to the north of Kolkata, this is a much revered place of pilgrimage, as this is where Sri Nityananda lived. His son Vīrabhadra established a temple here and installed the image of Shyamsundar (Sri Krishna). Sri Ramakrishna visited the temple along with Pandit Jadav Kishore Goswami, a descendant of Sri Nityananda and enjoyed his hospitality. Sri Sarada Devi also visited this temple with her companions.
AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just too awesome for words!
I would love to be there. How may one join there?