Vivekananda Kendra, Nagdandi is situated 2 kms away from the famous Achabal garden in the Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir UT. It is around 70 kms from Srinagar city, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir. It was initially an Ashram established by a saint named Swami Ashokananda in 1941. Later on he, who was himself a follower of Ramakrishna Paramhansa of Bengal, and his disciples created an institution called Shree Ramkrishna Mahasammelan Samiti and dedicated the ashram to the new entity.
Swami Ashokananda was born as Deenabandhu Mukherjee. He was actually initiated into the spiritual order by Shrimad Swami Sachitananda ji who was a direct disciple of Mata Sharda. Swami Ashokananda came to Kashmir in 1932. He chose Kathleshwar Mandir in Tankipora area in Srinagar on the banks of river Vitasta (Jehlum) as his immediate place of stay. While he was staying at Kathleshwar temple, a large chunk of people came into his contact and they eventually became his fervent devotees and disciples. The prominent devotees included men and women from the families of Ogras, Katjoos, Dhars and Tarozdars of Srinagar.
In 1934, Swamiji went to the Nandkeshwar temple at Sumbal. After staying there for five years, he went on a Yatra to Krishenganga in Teetwal area. For two long years he was on a special spiritual seclusion in the woods of the banks of the river Krishenganga. It was in 1941 that he resurfaced in the Achabal area of district Anantnag where he established a small hut in the deep woods of nearby hills. He initially constructed three mud huts, one as residence, the second as kitchen and the third as meditation room. He called his Ashram as Nagdandi which eventually came to be known as Nagdandi Ashram. Nag-Panchami is celebrated as the ‘sthapana-divas’ of the Ashram from Swamiji’s time.
When the Ashram attracted the people living in nearby areas, it sent a message far and wide. With the passage of time, the Ashram assumed importance in the minds of ardent believers of Sanatana Dharma living in the valley. People from far off places used to visit the Ashram occasionally and interact with the Swamiji. His ardent devotees including A.K.Ogra, Barrister Narendrajit Singh & his wife Sushila, Dr. Karan Singh and Dr. Shivji used to visit the hermitage oftenly.
Swami Ashokananda expressed his wish before his devotees and disciples in regard to the due expansion of the Ashram. Accordingly, some people from Achabal, Anantnag and Srinagar came forward and donated their land near the Ashram to it. Katjoo’s family was also the one which donated land in Chatragul area of Kangan (Ganderbal) to the Ashram. The vast land that was now available to the Ashram was in due course of time demarcated and Shree Ramkrishna Mahasammelan Samiti was created in place of Nagdandi Ashram. It was around 100 Kanals of land (approx 12 hectares) dedicated towards the Ashram.
Some believe that the property of the Ashram belongs to the Guru Sri Ramakrishna Paramhans but the records show it in the name of the Shree Ramkrishna Mahasammelan Ashram. It was during the 1960s that Swami Ashokananda came into contact with Eknath Ranade, the founder of Vivekananda Rock Memorial and the General Secretary of Viekananda Kendra. Eknath Ranade was a former Sarkarivah of RSS who was relieved from his responsibilities there to focus on the mission of Vivekananda Rock Memorial. Swami Ashokananda executed a ‘Will’ in 1970 by virtue of which he proposed absolute management rights of the Ashram to the Ramakrishna Ashram, Belur Math, West Bengal. The ‘Will’ had another option to handover the management of the Ashram to Eknath Ranade. In 1971, Swami Ashokananda achieved ‘nirvana’ and his devotees built a ‘samadhi’ of him in the Ashram premises.
In absence of any interest shown by the Belur Math, Eknath Ranade, in good faith, went ahead with his plans to develop the Ashram into a historical socio-spiritual centre of excellence and also as an effective vehicle to preach Sanatana Dharma, promote national integration, and engage in social welfare. He took important steps to attach it to the Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari (T.N) eventually in concurrence with the immediate Ashram devotees and the disciples of Swami Ashokananda. Adv. P.N.Bhat of Anantnag was a very ardent devotee of Swami and he invested his time, energy, intellect and emotions other than the money to give the Ashram a grand look under the able guidance of Eknath Ranade.
Ranade’s vision was to use the Ashram as a cultural link between Kashmir and Kanyakumari; and the Vivekananda Kendra, after his demise in 1982, took every step to realize his dream. Shree Ramkrishna Mahasammelan Samiti-Vivekananda Kendra, Nagdandi stands today as a great monument to the idea of national integration as well. It is a great achievement of the people with nationalistic bent of mind who dedicated their efforts to the development of the Ashram over the last more than five decades to convert it into a cultural centre of national importance. It was this author’s proud privilege that Eknath Ranade during his Kashmir tour in July 1974 took me along with from Srinagar to Nagdandi when I was a college student and a young activist. I was fascinated to see the Ashram, its location and the work going on in the Ashram complex under the able guidance of Ranade. I also met Adv. P.N.Bhat there for the first time in the Ashram.
The Ashram faced a very difficult situation in 1989-90, when the forced mass-exodus of the Kashmiri Hindu community took place in Kashmir due to Islamic terrorism followed by ethnic cleansing. Ashram had virtually no one to look after it at that point of time. There was a lot of pressure on the Ashram too, but the Vivekananda Kendra based and inspired management of the Ashram took extra vigil and in consultation and with the help of the local administration and the support of the security forces secured the premises from any major upheaval or loss. It had been posting full-time volunteers to the Ashram from the 1970s and it continued the practice even in the most difficult period from 1990 to 2010. The main names in this context are: Datta Ram, Kalyan and Vivek. With effect from 2010, the Vivekananda Kendra changed its policy and appointed an Administrative Committee with its Chairman from the valley of Kashmir.
Accordingly, Brij Lal Bhat, a senior retired officer of the J&K government, who had a background of his deep association with the Ashram and the Vivekananda Kendra, was assigned the responsibility in the capacity of the Chairman (Prakalp-Pramukh) of the Administrative Committee of the Ashram by the Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari in the year 2010. The Committee over the last one and a half decade has brought a great change and also a multi-dimensional improvement in the working of the organisational affairs and the overall functioning of the Ashram. Besides doing its work as assigned by the Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari, the Ashram is continuing with its legacy left behind by the revered Swami ji, Eknath Ranade ji and the earlier devotees and functionaries of the Ashram.
It would be in place to mention here the main projects that the Ashram is focussed on with deep commitment and dedication round the year. It includes: Pooja Archana & Traditional festivals, Navreh (New Year Day) festival, Durga Ashtami and Ram Navami festivals, Nagpanchami festival, Mata Kheer Bhawani Mela, High density orchards and other plantation management, Ashram as ‘ashray’ for youth and most needy, All India Yoga Shivir, International Yoga Day, Spiritual Retreat, Personality development camp for children, Health care facilities & sanitation and other large scale developmental works.
The Ashram and the Kendra have developed a large-scale infrastructure in the complex of Nagdandi so that people could stay there for their cherished projects and programmes that are organised on daily, monthly, six-monthly and annual basis. The development of facilities such as buildings, transportation, water & power supplies, lavatory & sanitary points and the other connected necessities is an ongoing continuous process. The SRMS-VK constructed a 3,500 sq. ft hall called Vivekananda Bhawan, administrative block, two dormitories and space on the first floor for library blocks.
One Shree Ramakrishna temple on 1400 sq. ft has also come up in place of the old and damaged structure. ‘Sanatan Samiksha Bhawan Hut’ with multi-use around 900 sq. ft has also been thrown open to participants. ‘Eknath Bhawan’ with 24 bedded accommodation attached with four lavatory points is also completed and ready for use. This Bhawan has come up after major renovation work of an old & abandoned building housing paddy grass, scraps and other store material. Now the Ashram has accommodation facilities for 100 yatries at its complex in Nagdandi. Swami Ashokananda Bhawan has also been given a much needed face lift. Installation of Vivekananda Memorial and lawn development near the founder’s Bhawan inspire everyone towards the mission of ‘man-making & nation-building’.
In order to join the noble mission of Vivekananda Kendra, the Ashram provides one with a number of opportunities. It has initiated noble projects among the displaced people of Kashmir in Jagti Township and also among the PM’s Employment package employees and their children in the valley. The government of India in recognition of the great efforts made by the Kendra at Nagdandi conferred Padam-Shri to Brij Lal Bhat, Chairman (Prakalp-Pramukh) of the Administrative Committee of the SRKS-VK, Nagdandi for the year 2026 for his outstanding contribution. This has been welcomed by one and all and in this way the Nagdandi Ashram has truly become a mission and a vision in action for everyone to get guidance, role and inspiration.
