‘Vedanta for all’ – Vedantaonline Launched

www.vedantaonline.org – an exclusive website for spreading  Practical Vedanta to the ordinary public is launched. The website an initiative by devotees of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa Deva is being edited and maintained  by  Shri. Prakash Kamanat based in Singapore.  The website was launched  during a function held at the Sree Ramakrishna Brahmananda Ashram, Kayamkulam in Kerala.  The new web initiative will spread all aspects of practical Vedanta preached by Sree Ramakrishna Pramahamsa, Holy Mother Saradadevi, Swami Vivekananda and Swami Nirmalananda as well as other  monastic disciples of Sri Ramakrishna.

The website  aims to bring out plenty of practical solutions for our problems in our lives from these great lives and their teachings with a focus on the life and teachings of Swami Nirmalananda, who is the Unique Apostle and a Direct Disciple of Sri Ramakrishna.”

Vedantaonline will also be a  platform to sell any Vedanta-related books if the publishers would like to do so. Any financial gain generated out of online sales would be utilized for the development of the remote poor tiny village known as SRI RAMAKRISHNA NAGAR, which is situated on the banks of the sacred River Bharata (or Nila) near Ottapalam in Kerala. Sri Ramakrishna Niranjan Ashram founded by Swami Nirmalananda – a monastic disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, is situated in this village. It is at this place Swami Nirmalananda attained mahasamadhi in 1938.

Other initiatives by Vedantaonline.

I )Vedantaonline has initiated a publishing wing by name “Tulasi Books” some of the  titles proposed to be published by  “TULASI BOOKS” are as below.

1)       “The Unique Apostle of Ramakrishna-Life and Teachings of Swami Nirmalananda         by Swami Vishadananda -2nd Edition ( Under printing)

 2)      The biography of Swami Nirmalananda in Malayalam – a combined volume consisting of the re-edition of two small books authored by Dr. P. Achuthan, MA. PhD who is known as Thulaseetheerthan among literary circles.

 3)      English version of the “Life of Swami Nirmalananda” authored by Swami Jagadishwarananda in Bengali

4)      Hindi & Bengali Versions of the “Primary Hinduism”, an English textbook in Hinduism approved by the Ministry of Education, UK, published by Vivekananda Centre, London. This is authored by Seetha Lakhani with the guidance of Jayaprakash Lakhani.

5)      Hindi and Bengali Versions of “Hinduism for Schools”, another textbook in Hinduism for secondary students approved by the Ministry of Education, U.K, published by Vivekananda Centre, London.

6)      Malayalam version of the biography of Swami Nirmalananda authored by Swami Vishadananda ( Translation by Smt. Prasana Palat)

7) “Monasticism for Women- a study of the history and traditions of Hindu approach”, a research book authored by P.S.Kamanat

8)      The Narayanasuktam- a commentary by Swami Vishadananda in Malayalam
 
9)      Sri Sarada Stuti- a song biography in Malayalam composed by Sister (Swami) Sadananda of Sri Sarada Ashrama, Ottapalam. And many more titles..

II) Centinary Celebarations of Swami Nirmalananda’s first visit to Kerala

 Swami Nirmalananda landed at the Ernakulam town  railway station for the first time on 15th February 1911. The centenary of this epoch-making event is falling on 15th February 2011.
This can be considered as the centenary of the RAMAKRISHNA MOVEMENT IN
KERALA. Hence, many programs are planned in many cities. One of the main programs would be held in Alappuzha, where Swami Nirmalananda delivered his first speech on the grounds of the Sanatana Dharma Boys High School.

Swami Nirmalananda stood for Vedanta and the Ramakrishna movement. This occasion would be utilized to mobilize awareness and studies about the PRACTICAL VEDANTA as taught by Swami Nirmalananda among all youths in India and youths in Kerala in particular. There will be forming of study groups in all the district head quarters before 15th February 2011; and by 2013 the aim is to have study circles in all Taluks head quarters. The dangerously polarized world of today needs the Universal outlook in religion and politics, which is absent now in India. This is a serious benign program, which we have taken up to make each human being endowed with large heartedness to live harmoniously despite of differing views and backgrounds, whether in religion or in politics.

The centenary of Tulsi Maharaj’s arrival in Kerala would be marked as the inaugural day for the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Swami Vivekananda and Swami Nirmalananda in Kerala.

Scholarships and Bursaries would be set up and awarded to poor and needy students of the Educational institutions.

III) Development programs for the remote village, Sri Ramakrishna Nagar at Ottapalam envisaged by Vedantaonline.

1)            In Kerala, Sri Ramakrishna Nagar is the only village, where the traditional granite sculptures are living in a group for many centuries. These are the experts sculpting almost all the idols for the Hindu temples in Kerala. We are planning to have a solid program to nurture this art with the participation of these artisans to have a study program in this field recognized by Universities. A technical Institution is planned to teach all the aspects of this field with the active participation of the traditional artisans in the village.

2)            Swami Nirmalananda was keen in developing not only moral and spiritual strength of every human being, but physical strength too. He, as a mere lad of 19 years, established 18 modern gymnasiums in and around Baghbazaar in Kolkata during the eighties of the nineteenth century. Later, at his advanced age of seventy five, he has established a good gymnasium at the Ashrama campus in Sri Ramakrishna Nagar. We will start supporting establishments to set up “TULASI GYMNASIUMS” in many parts of Kerala, starting with Sri Ramakrishna Nagar.

3)            Tulasi Maharaj believed that real education would be effective only if the students stay in hostels free from the pampering of their parents. Hence, we propose to have a students’-Home known as RAMAKRISHNA-TULASI STUDENTS HOSTEL at the Sri Ramakrishna Nagar, running on professional lines. Transport facilities to and fro the nearby educational institutions would be provided. If this project becomes a success, it will be repeated in other villages.

4)            Swami Nirmalananda believed that Vedic studies with a focus on Vedanta studies would be the easiest way to dispel the blind-beliefs of religion in India. Also, Vedic studies will enable human beings to excel in any forms of educational activities. Hence a Ramakrishna-Tulasi VEDA PATASALA is proposed to set up at Sri Ramakrishna Nagar admitting all without the consideration of caste, creed or religions.
 
5)            Absence of a proper public function  hall to conduct cultural meetings and a venue for functions is a drawback in this important town. We propose to build a town hall with the participation of Ottapalam Municipality to anoint it with the hallowed name of Tulai Maharaj, who chose Ottapalamas his final resting place. Its our aspiration  to build a NIRMALANANDA HALL at Otapalam, where all can come and meet and conduct their meetings and functions decently.

Ottapalam is synonymous with Nirmalananda. Hence, we need a statue of Swami Nirmalananda unveiled in Ottapalam town in an important location. This is another project we wanted to execute before the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Nirmalananda