Vivekananda Kendra

Vivekananda Kendra is a Hindu spiritual organisation based on the principles preached by Swami Vivekananda. It was founded 7 January 1972 in Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, India by Shri Ekanathji Ranade. Its current president is P. Parameswaran.

Contents 1 Sphere of influence 2 Activities 2.1 Schools and foundations 3 Major publications 4 Books published 5 See also 6 External links

Sphere of influence

The organisation is most influential in North-East India. It has over 200 full-time dedicated workers and 205 branch centres spread over the 18 States of India. The workers are of three categories:

• Jeevanavrati (Sanskrit: जीवनव्रती) or life worker, the young men and women who join Kendra for life
• Sevavrati (Sanskrit: सेवाव्रती), who joins Kendra for specific period of time
• Vanaprasthi (Sanskrit: वानप्रस्थी), who join Kendra after their retirement
• Karyakarta (Sanskrit: कार्यकर्ता), Local workers who does the Nations work without leaving their mundane life

To mould dedicated workers, the Kendra adopts a methodology unique to it by organising 'Yoga varga' (class), 'Bal-samskar varga', 'Swadhyaya varga' and training camps. The training centers are located at all four sides in India. Vivekanandapuram in Kanyakumari, Vivekananda Kendra Prashikshan va Seva Prakalpa in Nashik, Vivekananda Kendra Ashram at Nagdandi in Kashmir, Vivekananda Kendra Laipuli in Tinsukia

Activities

The organisation conducts Yoga classes, seminars, and rural development activities.

Schools and foundations

• Schools in Arunachal Pradesh running under Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalayas Arunachal Pradesh Trust. VKVAPT
• Schools in North Eastern Area famous as VKV, i.e. "Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalayas" Under project Vivekananda Kendra Siksha Prasar Vibhag. VKSPV
• ARUN JYOTI

1. Anupacharik Shiksh Manch
2. Svasthya Seva Manch
3. Mahila Manch
4. Yuva Manch
5. Samskritik Manch

• Vivekananda Kendra Medical and Research Foundation
• Vivekananda Kendra Institute Of Culture, Guwahati VKIC
• Vivekananda Kendra Vedic Vision Foundation, Kodungallur, Kerala VKVVF
• Vivekananda International Foundation, New Delhi,India VIF
• Natural Resource Development Project – Nardep VK NARDEP
• Rural Development Programme VKRDP
• Vivekananda Kendra Prakashan Trust VKPT, Chennai, Tamil Nadu
• Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalaya,Kanyakumari VKV
• Vivekananda Kendra Prashikshan va Seva Prakalpa, Nashik
• Vivekananda Kendra Shiksha Prasar Vibhag (VKSPV), Tezpur
• VKV Upper – Assam Division has following renowned schools amongst others, in Assam Valley:
  • Vivekanada Kendra Vidyalaya, Golaghat established in 1988 is a senior secondary English medium school affiliated to CBSE. The school was established at Mission Road, at the plot donated by Dr. Robin Banerjee, a philanthropist and a naturalist. (See, http://golaghat.vkv.in/)
  • Vivekanada Kendra Vidyalaya, Dibrugarh established in the year 1981 is one of the renowned school in Dibrugarh with the aim of imparting quality education in general and to make the pupils responsible citizens in particular. Dibrugarh VKV is also affiliated to CBSE. (See, http://dibrugarh.vkv.in --under development—or http://iiic.info/vkvdbr/index0.html --old information--)
  • Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalaya VKV, Laipuli, Tinsukia, Assam. Set up in 1976, the first batch(Class X) rolled out in 1990. In 1995 the first batch of class XII had passed out from here. At the beginning only the science stream was available to the students of class XIth and XIIth. But at present a commerce stream is also available. (See http://tinsukia.vkv.in --under development--)

Major publications

• Magazines

1. Yuva Bharati – English monthly
2. Kendra Bharati – Hindi monthly
3. Vivekananda Kendra Patrika – a thematic six-monthly cultural magazine in English
4. Vivek Vichar – Marathi
5. Jagruti – English & Assamese
6. Vivek Sudha – Gujarati
7. Vivek Vani – Tamil
8. Quest – BiAnnually in English

• India's contribution to World Thought and Culture
• Comprehensive Biography of Swami Vivekananda : Prof. S.N. Dhar in two parts. (Latest edition has this two parts in 3 volumes)
• Rousing Call to Hindu Nation : Shri Eknath Ranade
• Sadhana of Service : A manual for Social Workers
• Story of Rock Memorial : Shri Eknath Ranade
• The Goal and the Way
• Heart Beat of Hindu Nation : Shri P. Parameswaran
• Gita for Daily Life

Books published

VKPT (December 1991), Golden Words of Swami Vivekananda, Chennai, INDIA: Vivekananda Kendra Prakashan Trust, OL24405837M 

VKPT (2009), Padavali ॐ, Chennai, INDIA: Vivekananda Kendra Prakashan Trust, ISBN 81-89248-35-9, OL24405835M, 81-89248-35-9 

VKIC (January 2010), Heritage of KAMAKHYA on the Nilachala Hill, Guwahati, IN: Vivekananda Kendra Institute of Culture, ISBN 81-89248-94-90, OL24405831M 

Dr. Suresh Shastri (13 October 2010), Karmayoginee Nivedita, Pune, India: Vivekananda Kendra Marathi Prakashan Vibhag, OL24405830M 

See also

• Swami Vivekananda
• Eknath Ranade
• Ramakrishna Mission

External links

• Vivekananda Kendra website
• Vivekananda Kendra Vedic Vision Foundation website
• Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalayas Arunachal Pradesh Trust
• Vivekananda Kendra In Arunachal Pradesh
• Vivekananda Kendra Arunjyoti
• VKV – Golaghat
• VKV – Portblair
• VKV – Dibrugarh
• http://www.tinsukia.vkv.in | VKV TINSUKIA
• Vivekananda Kendra Institute Of Culture
• Vivekananda Kendra Siksha Prasar Vibhag
• Vivekananda International Foundation
• Vivekananda Kendra Natural Resources Development Project
• Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalaya
• Vivekananda Kendra Utkal Seva Prakalp
• VKV at Baragolai, Assam, INDIA
• Collection of all about Swami Vivekananda by Frank Parlato Jr.