“The story of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa's life is a story of religion in practice. His life enables us to see God face to face. No one can read the story of his life without being convinced that God alone is real and that all else is an illusion. Ramakrishna was a living embodiment of godliness.” - Mahatma Gandhi

“And in the life of Ramakrishna, the Man-Gods, I am about to relate the life of this Jacob's ladder, whereon the twofold unbroken line of the Divine in man ascends and descends between heaven and earth.” – Romain Rolland

"Diverse courses of worship from varied springs of fulfillment have mingled in your meditation. The manifold revelation of the joy of the Infinite has given form to a shrine of unity in your life where from far and near arrive salutations to which I join my own." – Rabindranath Tagore on Sri Ramakrishna Deva

Sri Sri Ramakrishna Deva’s birth and his merely 50 years of life have shown the world the attitude it must take to fulfill the purpose of human birth. He said, “The sole aim of human birth is to realize God”. It may be very difficult for many to understand and accepts this, but then we are not so fully developed human beings yet to realize its significance. He also said, “A man cannot live without god just as a lamp cannot burn without oil.” There are very few who can understand such statements but that does not make the statement untrue.

Those that have come to Sri Ramakrishna’s shelter, we believe, and this was told by Sri Ramakrishna Himself, are in their last birth. One of his great characteristics is that anyone examining His life and teachings closely, cannot have any trace of doubt in his mind about the existence of God or about the relationship between man and God.

Sri Ramakrishna also proved in his life by practicing many different faiths and many traditions in one religion itself and proved to Himself and to the world, first-hand, that all these are true and valid paths to the same Eternal and Universal Truth. He said, “As many faiths, so many paths”. If this message was not given at the right time and were not spread and popularized in the lives of the common people, we can not imagine what the world’s sorry state would have been with so many different opinions and faiths. Though communal clashes do take place even now, because of various reasons, many times not religious at all, most of those who fight know, in the heart of their hearts, that probably the other view may also be true. Most of such clashes now do take place for reasons political or for no reason at all.

To celebrate the birthday of such a great master is very important for the whole world as it would remind it what its journey is and what its destiny must be.

In our Ashrama, this day is celebrated with great joy and devotion. The reports of the previous years’ celebrations are given for your perusal.

2011 | 2010