Cover Story : Sree Ramkrishna Sevashramam (SRS), Kerala
March 30, 2023
  • Circulation
  • Advertise
  • Careers
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
Organiser
  • ‌
  • Bharat
  • World
  • G20
  • Editorial
  • Analysis
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • More
    • Defence
    • RSS in News
    • Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav
    • My States
    • Vocal4Local
    • Business
    • Special Report
    • Culture
    • Sci & Tech
    • Entertainment
    • Education
    • Books
    • Interviews
    • Travel
    • Health
    • Obituary
SUBSCRIBE
No Result
View All Result
  • ‌
  • Bharat
  • World
  • G20
  • Editorial
  • Analysis
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • More
    • Defence
    • RSS in News
    • Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav
    • My States
    • Vocal4Local
    • Business
    • Special Report
    • Culture
    • Sci & Tech
    • Entertainment
    • Education
    • Books
    • Interviews
    • Travel
    • Health
    • Obituary
No Result
View All Result
Organiser
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Bharat
  • World
  • G20
  • Editorial
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Culture
  • Defence
  • RSS in News
  • My States
  • Vocal4Local
  • Subscribe
Home General

Cover Story : Sree Ramkrishna Sevashramam (SRS), Kerala

Archive Manager by WEB DESK
Nov 9, 2015, 12:00 am IST
in General
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterTelegramEmail

‘Manavaseva Madhavaseva’ in Action

Before Sree Ramkrishna Sevashramam (SRS) spread its tentacles to the Dalit colonies and the islands in the outskirts of Kochi occupied by the backward communities as well as Dalits, those were the days when these settlements were in deep darkness. They were the typical specimens of the neglected Hindu society struggling in poverty, social ostracism, illiteracy, ill health, etc.; Church and their followers kept on luring them into temptation to follow the ‘path of cross’.  They were in total despair. The Hindus of those islands did not have any temple or no crematorium. The trustees of SRS found it their ardent duty to do their level best to empower their brethren who were engaged in the fight against the odds.

Inspiration
By the development of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and its seva vibhag several silver lines appeared in the otherwise dark horizons. Seva Vibhag became a serious arm of RSS during the regime of its third Sarsanghchalak Swarg. Balasaheb Deoras, thanks to his realistic approach towards the social outlook. Several institutions came up for the uplift of the poor, blind, destitute population and even lepers. Most of them are launched by RSS workers some are by people drawing inspiration from the school of thought of RSS and some others are inspired by great sages or monks. Sree Ramkrishna Sevashramam (SRS) in Kalur, Kochi is one among the last category.   
The SRS, even though sounds like a spiritual hermitage, is the fountainhead of various social service activities which at the end of the day appears to be “maanava seva, maadhava seva”. It does not belong to the Sree Ramkrishna Mission order, but is a Kochi-based NGO. SRS was launched in 1982 as a charitable trust aimed at the service of the poor, downtrodden and the destitute ones. Poojaneeya Swami Ranganatha-nandaji, late president of Sree Ramakrishna Mission (President of the Mission in Hyderabad those days), used to visit SRS every year and bless the annual day celebrations. Even though the very inception of SRS was for the service activities, Swamiji gave timely guidelines and advices for shouldering more and more succor to the needy, remembers CS Muraleedharan, the SRS trustee and general convener and the dynamic personality behind the multifarious activities launched by Ashramam.

Quick Take

  • Poojaneeya Swami Ranganathananda used to visit SRS every year and bless the annual day celebrations.
  • The SRS programme to help penniless grannies of a village.
  • The SRS runs an old age home under the Anjaneya Charitable Trust.

Initiative
During the initial days, the SRS gave helping hands to the poor school children who found it difficult to buy the books and other paraphernalia for their studies; but, within a few years, it graduated to be a pioneer in the relentless but silent efforts for the uplift of the poor and needy. The SRS team pooled financial aids from the generous elite in the city and extended financial assistance to the children for their education. Initially it was in the form of books, umbrella, school bags, etc. Later on they brought the selected children to the Ashramam and educated them in the schools and vocational institutions. They got free board and lodging in the SRS.
Villages were given the facilities for free medical camps, prevention of ailments originating from malnutrition and starvation, housing, community centres, etc.  The SRS deployed competent faculty to conduct classes on Bhagavat Gita, Yoga, meditation, Upanishads and curative aspects of Yoga. About 12 villages are adopted in this style. The SRS made it a point to keep the doors, of the temples done by them, open for all communities including non Hindus; the same style practised in the temples run by Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) in Kerala.  
These activities gave a powerful flash to the OBC and Dalit communities in the adopted island villages that they are part and parcel of the broad Hindu community. They ceased to fall easy preys to the gospels of proselytisation. Karukutti village in the border of Thrissur and Ernakulam districts is one of the glaring examples in this context. There are about 200 Dalit Hindu families. The prophets of gospels had tried to lure them, but they failed, thanks to the yeomen’s service rendered by the SRS there.  The societies who were ostracised for centuries were convinced that they are very much the indivisible parts of the vast Hindu community and the mainstream of national life.
Another significant project of the SRS is the Anjaneya Old Age Home being run in Vaikkom, Kottayam district under the banner of The Anjaneya Charitable Trust. It houses the poor, downtrodden old people cutting across cast, creed, sex or religious lines. The destitute people are looked after there with free food, accommodation and medical aid. Vanaprastha, an age care project of the SRS is a prestigious one. It is an old age home for those who miss their dear ones, due to the children’s employment away or abroad, despite having a financially sound condition.
Vanaprastha is considered to be the most exemplary one in this sector. Even foreign NGOs are guided to the SRS when they are on tour for studying this kind of institutions. The cleanliness, Ashram-like ambience, spiritual classes, bhajans, etc. provide a spiritual environment for the aged ones. They get proper and most sophisticated medical care when needed. The SRS also runs a Save Granny programme with the help of Help Age India. Penniless grannies of Karukutti village are provided with food, clothing and medicines worth Rs 500 every month.

Impact
Oncology awareness programme conducted by the veteran oncologists is another social service of the SRS. The SRS office bearers are all smiles to provide their premises for conducting meeting and classes on various cultural, religious and nationalistic activities. A regular Veda class of Kozhikkode-based Kaasypaashramam of Acharaya Rajesh is one among them. The SRS plays the role of a platform to introduce the poor students to the generous donors for their studies. C Narayana Swamy, an inmate of the Vanaprastha, is the prominent philanthropist in this direction. Swamy, a former GM of WIPRO has facilitated the studies of more than 60 professional course students. All those beneficiaries have landed in decent and lucrative professions, thanks to the divine helping hand of Swamy. He is totally averse to the self publicity; Organiser found it difficult to have a chat with him about his sterling aids to the young generation. He has asked the beneficiaries to follow the same style. Several luminaries have visited the SRS and lauded the activities.  Atal Behari Vajpayee, senior RSS leader Madan Das Devi,
P Parameshwaran, late RSS veterans K Bhaskar Rao and
P Madhavji, etc. are a few among them.
—T Satisan

 

ShareTweetSendShareSend
Previous News

‘Dharma’ of Society

Next News

Cover Story : Kanchana Maala, Tamil Nadu

Related News

US “strongly condemns” Myanmar army’s decision to abolish 40 political parties

US “strongly condemns” Myanmar army’s decision to abolish 40 political parties

China warns Taiwan President against meeting US House Speaker during visit to Central America

China warns Taiwan President against meeting US House Speaker during visit to Central America

“Bhagavan Ram was sent to Earth by Allah”, Farooq Abdullah’s gems prove that the name of Ram greater than Ram

“Bhagavan Ram was sent to Earth by Allah”, Farooq Abdullah’s gems prove that the name of Ram greater than Ram

Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra tea gets European GI tag

Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra tea gets European GI tag

Ram Navami: Relevance of Bhagwan Ram and his Ram Rajya for peaceful and prosperous world

Ram Navami: Relevance of Bhagwan Ram and his Ram Rajya for peaceful and prosperous world

Akshay Gour alias Faheem Khan reverts to Sanatan fold; attempted suicide following threats from Muslim clergies

Akshay Gour alias Faheem Khan reverts to Sanatan fold; attempted suicide following threats from Muslim clergies

Comments

The comments posted here/below/in the given space are not on behalf of Organiser. The person posting the comment will be in sole ownership of its responsibility. According to the central government's IT rules, obscene or offensive statement made against a person, religion, community or nation is a punishable offense, and legal action would be taken against people who indulge in such activities.

Latest News

US “strongly condemns” Myanmar army’s decision to abolish 40 political parties

US “strongly condemns” Myanmar army’s decision to abolish 40 political parties

China warns Taiwan President against meeting US House Speaker during visit to Central America

China warns Taiwan President against meeting US House Speaker during visit to Central America

“Bhagavan Ram was sent to Earth by Allah”, Farooq Abdullah’s gems prove that the name of Ram greater than Ram

“Bhagavan Ram was sent to Earth by Allah”, Farooq Abdullah’s gems prove that the name of Ram greater than Ram

Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra tea gets European GI tag

Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra tea gets European GI tag

Ram Navami: Relevance of Bhagwan Ram and his Ram Rajya for peaceful and prosperous world

Ram Navami: Relevance of Bhagwan Ram and his Ram Rajya for peaceful and prosperous world

Akshay Gour alias Faheem Khan reverts to Sanatan fold; attempted suicide following threats from Muslim clergies

Akshay Gour alias Faheem Khan reverts to Sanatan fold; attempted suicide following threats from Muslim clergies

Bageshwar Dham: Send two of your children to the service of Prabhu Ram, asked Pandit Dhirendra Krishna Shahstri

Bageshwar Dham: Furious Congress Govt to register another case against Dhirendra Shashtri for his “Saffron Flag” remark

Madhya Pradesh: Father Chris Norman and a religious preacher booked for illegally converting Hindus to Christianity

Madhya Pradesh: Father Chris Norman and a religious preacher booked for illegally converting Hindus to Christianity

MP: Saint Mary’s principal Rafale sent to police custody after liquor & contraceptives recovered from his cabin

MP: Saint Mary’s principal Rafale sent to police custody after liquor & contraceptives recovered from his cabin

Minor Hindu girls abducted by Imteyaz & others recovered from Telangana; told Organiser, accused wanted to have ‘Nikah’

Minor Hindu girls abducted by Imteyaz & others recovered from Telangana; told Organiser, accused wanted to have ‘Nikah’

  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Cookie Policy
  • Refund and Cancellation
  • Delivery and Shipping

© Bharat Prakashan (Delhi) Limited.
Tech-enabled by Ananthapuri Technologies

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Bharat
  • World
  • Editorial
  • Analysis
  • Opinion
  • Defence
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Business
  • RSS in News
  • My States
  • Vocal4Local
  • Special Report
  • Sci & Tech
  • Entertainment
  • Education
  • Books
  • Interviews
  • Travel
  • Health
  • Obituary
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • Circulation
  • Careers
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Refund and Cancellation

© Bharat Prakashan (Delhi) Limited.
Tech-enabled by Ananthapuri Technologies