VRMVK: Vivekananda Rock Memorial & Vivekananda Kendra 

The Mission

Vivekananda Kendra is a Spiritually Oriented Service Mission, is serving the nation since 1972. Vivekananda Kendra is cel­ebrating 50 years of Service with motto “Man Making- Nation Building”; its twin objectives, it is to be aimed”

(1) Transforming our people’s inherent God-wardness into the right spiritual urge ris­ing out of the teachings of the Upanishads, namely,
(a) Each soul is potentially divine
(b) Faith in God, in turn means faith in one’s self i.e. in one’s potentiality to rise to divine heights.
(2) To convert the spiritual fervour thus re­leased into works of national reconstruction.
Vivekananda Rock

Memorial –

Vivekananda Kendra is the first phase of Vivekananda Kendra. It is the result of Ma. Eknath Ranade’s (Founder of Vivekananda Kendra) hardwork and love for the nation.

The Vivekananda Memorial, as it stands today, is a memorial to Swamiji as to Shri Ekanthji Ranade whose devotion to the work he had undertaken was inspired not by mere faith but by intellectual conviction.

At Kanyakumari – a unique symbol of unity and purity – is the Memorial of Swami Vivekananda, another symbol of the united aspiration of Nation. In the Memorial, there is a happy and harmonious blend of all the architectural beauty of the country. It is a symbol of unity because the whole nation wished, worked and contributed for it. Person from all states participated in its inauguration.

Rock Memorial was inaugurated on September 2, 1970, the President of India Shri V.V. Giri called upon fellow Indians to rise to the call of the nation.
Vivekananda Kendra – A thought movement

Vivekananda Kendra is a movement which was start­ed on 7th January 1972, after completion of Vive­kananda Rock Memorial. This is called Second Phase as Rock Memorial is considered as First Phase. The organisation which was in seed form 50 years ago has now become a grown up ‘Vriksha’- Tree. Since 1972, Vivekananda Kendra is working for this mission. Currently 1039 branch centres and 43 projects are running all around the Bharat.

Vivekananda Kendra – A Cadre Based Organisation
Vivekananda Kendra is a cadre based organisation; the life workers- Jeevan Vratis – are the backbone of the organisation, who work with the help of Sthanik Karyakartas. A life worker is the one who dedicates his/ her entire life for the cause. In Vive­kananda Kendra both brothers and sisters can work as life workers. Also there are few karyakartas who can give some years of their life for this cause they are called as ‘Sevavratis’ and also few Retired but not Tired workers work as Vanasprasthis. The main work force is the local karyakartas.
Projects –

1. Vivekananda Kendra Prashikshan va Seva Prakalpa
   Vivekananda Kendra Prashikshan Va Seva Prakalpa is a regional train­ing centre for Ma­harashtra & Goa situated at Pim­palad, Trimbak 32 km from Nasik in the tribal area.

“Prakalpa” is also working for all round develop­ment of tribal people around Pimpalad through its multi focused activities, viz.: medical service , educational service , vocational training to trible people, woman empowerment and cultural activi­ties to bring together the tribals and human resource development through various shibirs.

1. Vivekananda Kendra Skill Training Project
   Located at Kallubalu, Bangalore, the objective of this project is to provide Basic training in tailoring and vocational skills for the rural girls and boys. Balwa­dis, Knitting, Weaving etc. activities are running.
2. Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalaya
   Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalaya (VKV) held aloft Kendra’s vision of ‘Man-Making & Nation-Build­ing’ as the twin objectives of imparting educa­tion. All the activities in the schools are organised to realize these objectives.Swamiji’s concept of ‘Spiritual Nationalism’ is taken-up by Kendra as spiritually oriented service mission. VKVs strive to achieve this mission through various ways. Kendra understands it as a great social infrastructure and economic as­set. Kendra makes it a point that through education the concept of development with culture is incul­cated in the future educated youth of the State and the State through its culture strengthens the bond of family and community with a na­tion VKVs al vision.
   There are 37 schools in Arunachal Pradesh, 24 in Assam, 1 in Naga­land, 10 IN Andaman, 1 in Karna­taka and 2 schools in Tamil Nadu are running.
3. Vivekananda Kendra Arun Jyoti
   Arunachal Pradesh has a value-based and communi­ty-oriented education, we see in these communities no beggars, no orphans and destitute. There are no locks on the houses or the granaries. The principle of living is “one for all and all for each.” When anyone wants to build a house, the whole community works together to build it. If any house gets burnt, the whole village works to rebuild it and all houses in the vil­lage come together to provide materials. Thus within twenty-four hours a well-furnished house is ready for the family. When a whole village is burnt, nearby villages come together, rebuild the houses and even furnished them. The society is a living society; so it responds to the needs of its members immediately. Thus it does not need an orphanage or a destitute home or police force, or even government welfare schemes, as the society itself is a welfare society. And yet the missionaries want to “civilize” them! Wherever conversions take place, these traditional values are lost.

Vivekananda Kendra is working on this idea as a project called “Arun Jyoti” with 5 lare sections, namely ‘Informal Education Forum’, ‘Health Care Forum’, ‘Youth Forum’, Women’s Forum’ and ‘Cul­tural Forum’,

1. Vivekananda Kendra Institute of Culture
   The prime objective of Vivekananda Kendra Insti­tute of Culture is to bring forth the unique attributes of the North-East and nourish the commonalities. Vivekananda Kendra as VKIC organises Seminars, Workshops, Documentation Projects, Lecture Series, Study Circle and a Reference Library in As­sam and Arunachal Pradesh.
2. Vivekananda Kendra Natural Resourc­es and Development Project
   VK-NARDEP is an integral project of Vivekananda Kendra Kanyakumari. It was started in 1986 inspired by Indic vision of the seers: Isavasyam idam Sarvam – All Existence is permeated by Divine & Swami Vivekananda’s clarion call to uplift the downtrodden masses. VK-NARDEP com­bines traditional wisdom and modern sci­ence and provides cost-effective alternative holistic solutions to the problems of modern living – especially for the rural communities.
   Various activities like, Cost-effective housing, water management, organic farming, indigenous health system, renewable energy etc. are running in Kanya­kumari.
3. Vivekananda Kendra Rural Welfare Project
   Vivekananda Kendra Rural Welfare Project is a Socio-economic project aimed at all round develop­ment of tribal women.

Various activities like, Training-cum-production center in weaving, knitting, tailoring, embroidery, different agro based training and demonstration, a day scholar school and awareness camp are running in Khatkhati, Assam.

1. Vivekananda Kendra Medical Research Foun­dation
   Vivekananda Medical Research Foundation is work­ing in medical sector with three hospitals (i) Vive­kananda Kendra NRL Hospital – Treatment through modern technology and medical camps in 13 vil­lages regularly and (ii) Vivekananda Kendra BORL Hospital. (iii) VK- IOCL hospital, Paradip, Odisha
2. Vivekananda Kendra Rural Development Proj­ect
   In 1982 the Kendra decided to expand its service activities in the southern districts of Tamilnadu. The local people and well wishers of all over the country and the Kendra workers were of one mind that Rural development activities with a cultural thrust should be started immediately. The idea received the bless­ings of Swami Ranganathananda of Sri RamaKrish­na Math,and Swami Chidbhavananda of Sree Ra­maKrishna Tapovanam. The aim is to motivate our people to adhere to and nurture the cherished values of our Sanatana Dharma to prevent alien elements weaning away our young men and women from our cultural moorings. Thus was born the project RU­RAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME.
   Its main objective is to motivate rural people to adhere to and nurture the cherished values of our Sanatana Dharma.

Drinking water, relief programme, cultural classes, Amrut Surabhi, help to poor students, balwadis, cultural competitions, camps, medical centers, women’s activities, youth programs, eye care, Adopt a Granny, etc. activities are running in vari­ous districts of Tamil Nadu. Project is located at Toothukudi, Tamil Nadu.

1. Vivekananda Kendra Prakashan
   Basic objective of publication is to spread noble thoughts of Swami Vivekananda and healthy litera­ture to inspire youth with the message.
   Vivekananda Kendra Prakashan has various lit­erature in various languages like English, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Assamese, Tamil, Oriya, Kan­nada, Bangla, Telugu, and Malayalam.
2. Vivekananda Kendra Vedic Vision Foundation
   Its main objective is to Create a network of thinkers and scholars of Vedic studies. Conducting research on Vedic knowledge and supporting Vedic scholars. Dissemination of Vedic knowledge in order to promote the practice of Vedic truths in families.

Vedic Vision Foundation has various activities like Publications, Yoga and Pranayama Courses, Personality Development Camps, Celebrations, Satsanga and Spiritual Discourses.

Headquarter of this project is situated at Kodungallur, Kerala.

1. Vivekananda International Foundation
   Vivekananda International Foundation is established as third Phase of Vivekananda Kendra (As discussed initially) to become a centre of excellence to kick start innovative ideas and thoughts that can lead to a stron­ger, secure and prosperous India playing its destined role in global affairs.

VIF organises events, conferences, lectures, seminars and discussions and invites scholars and subject spe­cialists for exchange of ideas. Headquarter of VIF is situated at New Delhi.

1. Vivekananda Kendra Academy for Indian Culture, Yoga and Management (VK- AICYAM)
   This is situated at Bhubaneswar, Odisha. This is meant for research on Yoga, management and Janajatis in Eastern Bharat i.e. West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh etc.

Vivekananda Kendra received Gandhi Peace Prize in 2015
Vivekananda Kendra was honored with the prestigious Gandhi Peace Prize in the year 2015 by the Gov­ernment of India for its service work. The amount of one crore received in this award was given by Vive­kananda Kendra to the Ministry of Defense, Government of India for the welfare of the families of martyrs of India. Along with this, Honorable Shri P Parameswaran ji, former National President of Vivekananda Kendra, has been honored by the Government of India with Padma Vibhushan and National Vice President Hon’ble Ms. Nivedita Raghunath Bhide has been honored with Padma Shri.

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