Ramakrishna Mission Swami Vivekananda's Ancestral House and Cultural Centre

History

After the death of his father (Vishwanath Datta) in 1884, Narendranath's aunt, who was living with them in that house, claimed full possession of the property. She filed a lawsuit against Narendranath's mother (Bhuvaneswari Devi) and her family. Vivekananda won the case in the lower court, but the case was appealed to a higher court. The case continued for many years in higher courts. It concluded only a few days before Vivekananda's death in 1902. According to the final ruling in the case, Vivekananda was awarded full legal possession of his ancestral house.

Renovation

Over time, the ancestral house of Vivekananda became dilapidated. In 1962, Ramakrishna Mission authorities decided to acquire the property and turn it into a museum. In May 1999, the Ramakrishna Mission acquired the land and the adjacent plot through the Government of West Bengal. A committee was set up for this project. The committee managed to amass a fund of from Central Government, State Government, and public donations of which were granted by the Central Government. In 2004, after renovation, the house was turned into a museum and cultural centre.

Currently, Vivekananda's ancestral home is spread over 22,000 square feet and houses a museum, a research centre, a memorial shrine, a library, an English centre, a computer training centre, and a charitable dispensary. Seminars and conventions are also regularly organised here. There is a Shiva Lingam located at the premises.

Gallery

File:Swami Vivekananda's Ancestral House & Cultural Centre - Kolkata 2011-10-22 6264.JPG|Ancestral house of Vivekananda, now a museum and cultural centre File:Bidhan Sarani - Kolkata 2011-10-22 6262.JPG|Bidhan Sarani, road in front of the house File:Swami Vivekananda's Ancestral House & Cultural Centre Signage - Kolkata 2011-10-22 6265.JPG|Sign in front of the museum File:3_Gour_Mohan_Mukherjee_Street_-_Kolkata_2011-10-22_6178.jpg|Swami Vivekananda's birthplace File:Ramakrishna Mission Swami Vivekananda's Ancestral House and Cultural Centre (birthplace of Swami Vivekananda; now a museum and cultural centre, inaugurated by the President of India A. P. J. Abdul Kalam) at Gourmohan Mukherjee Street.jpg|Statue of Swami Vivekananda adjacent to the house

References

References

1. "Ancestral House of Swami Vivekananda". Indfy.
2. Chattopadhyay Rajagopal. (1 January 1999). "Swami Vivekananda in India: A Corrective Biography". Motilal Banarsidass.
3. Chaturvedi Badrinath. (1 June 2006). "Swami Vivekananda: The Living Vedanta". Penguin Books India.
4. "Ramakrishna Mission Swami Vivekananda's Ancestral House and Cultural Centre, Swamiji's House". BM Ramakrishna Mission Swami Vivekananda’s Ancestral House and Cultural Centre, Swamiji’s House.
5. (2005). "The Immortal Philosopher Of India Swami Vivekananda". Diamond Pocket Books (P) Ltd..
6. "Datta Ancestral Home - Birthplace of Vivekananda". Press Information Bureau (Government of India).
7. "Swami Vivekananda's Ancestral House and Cultural Centre". Times of India Travel.