The Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa which was founded by a group of young men led by Mr Dhanagopal Naidoo who later became ordained a monk with the name Swami Nischalananda. The Centre pays tribute to the founding members of the Centre and to all past Presidents, administrators, devotees, donors, volunteers and well-wishers and thanks them for their vision and meaningful contribution to the growth of the Ramakrishna Movement in South Africa.

The Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa is a Branch of the Worldwide Ramakrishna Mission, which has its Headquarters at Belur Math, West Bengal, India. The President and Vice-President of the Centre are monks of the Ramakrishna Order; and they, together with lay devotees and volunteers form the organisation which offers a number of spiritual and welfare services to achieve the aims and objectives of the Centre.  The Centre is registered with the Department of Social Welfare (NPO No. 053-630-NPO). It is also a Public Benefit Organisation (PBO No. 930007651).

The extract below, taken from the Belur Math website, describes the organisation and how it came to be.

“Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission are worldwide, non-political, non-sectarian spiritual organizations which have been engaged in various forms of humanitarian, social service activities for more than a century. Inspired by the ideals of renunciation and service, the monks and lay devotees of the Math and Mission serve millions of men, women and children, without any distinction of caste, religion or race, because they see the living God in them.

The organizations were brought into existence by Sri Ramakrishna (1836-1886), the great 19th century saint from Bengal who is regarded as the Prophet of the Modern Age, and Sri Ramakrishna’s chief disciple, Swami Vivekananda(1863-1902), one of the foremost thinkers and religious leaders of the present age, who is regarded as ‘one of the main moulders of the modern world’, in the words of an eminent Western scholar A.L. Basham.

Although Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission are legally and financially separate, they are closely inter-related in several ways and are regarded as twin organizations.”

For more information on Belur Math click here