Ramakrishna Mission Vidyapith, Purulia

Ramakrishna Mission Vidyapith, Purulia, India, is a branch of the Ramakrishna Mission. It is a residential school for boys running under the Gurukul system. It was founded by Swami Hiranmayananda in 1958. The then chief minister of West Bengal requested Ramakrishna Mission to establish an educational institution in Purulia.

The institution runs on the educational philosophy of Swami Vivekananda which calls for a "man making and character building" education. Located in an undeveloped rural area of Vivekanandanagar, the school educates from 5th standard up to higher secondary. This school is one of the best educational institutions of West Bengal. The present secretary of the institution is Swami Jnanalokananda.

Description

The school stands on an area of 2.25 km². It is located in an underdeveloped rural area named Bongabari, Purulia, West Bengal. The campus has a large temple containing the statues and imageries of Sri Ramakrishna, Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda and other direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishnadev. There are two school buildings- the junior classes (class 5 to 7) are run in the Vivek Mandir while the senior classes along with the administrative works are done in the Sarada Mandir.

History of the institute

The history ^[1] of this institution dates back to November, 1956, when a part of 'Manbhum' (then in Behar), earmarked as Purulia, was annexed to West Bengal, as a result of the policy of "Re-organisation of States on the Linguistic Basis." The majority of the population lived a life below the poverty line, the number of educational institutions was few and the literacy percentage very low.

The then Chief Minister of West Bengal, Bidhan Chandra Roy, drew up a programme for the revitalisation of the newly created District of Purulia and made an offer to the Ramakrishna Mission for organising an educational institution in the district. The Mission authorities were undergoing difficulties in getting official recognition of the high school they were already conducting at Deoghar (Behar), where the students had to sit for the Matriculation Examination, as private candidates.

In this context, the Mission accepted the offer of Dr. Roy and sent to Purulia a team of Sannyasins and Brahmacharins, headed by Swami Hiranmayanandaji Maharaj, the-then Secretary, Deoghar Vidyapith. A site was selected in Bongabari village.

Ramakrishna Mission Vidyapith is situated on the Purulia - Barakar Road, about 4 km and 5 km away from Purulia Town and Purulia Railway Station, respectively, covering 100 acres of land. Isolated from the bustle of urban life, the Vidyapith started its work in 1958, as a purely residential higher secondary school with Science, Technology and Humanities Streams, with class IX, its roll-strength being 38. Fine Art and Agricultural streams were added in 1959 and 1961, respectively.

The Vidyapith at Purulia was, thus, an extension of the well-known Ramakrishna Mission Vidyapith, Deoghar. Later the Mission authorities re-organised it as a full-fledged residential school, independent of the Mission's branch at Deoghar.

In 1964 Classes IV through VIII were added to the existing Classes IX through XI. The institution attracted students from different parts of the country, particularly from the eastern region, to have instruction in English or in Bengali. Recognised by the Government of India as a 'Model School', it has Government of India Merit Scholars placed there every year. In order to pay special attention to the backward communities, Vidyapith provides facilities for the education of boys belonging to the tribal and scheduled-caste communities and it institutes programmes of financial assistance for them.

With 316 students on its rolls in 1964, Vidyapith led its students through the (old) Higher Secondary Course in Science, Technical, Agriculture, Humanities and Fine Arts till 1976, when the school was converted into the newly introduced pattern of Madhyamik Education (10 years'schooling).

Srimat Swami Hiranmayanandaji Maharaj, a monk, was the Founder Secretary of Vidyapith.

Activities

There is a hospital for students and a charitable dispensary where free medicines are provided to the poor people of the district, a dairy which fulfills the nutritional requirements of the dwellers, a bio-gas plant which provides the needed fuel to the kitchens, a museum, the "Kala Mandir" center for art and culture, a small gymnasium, a Work House for teaching the students some practical works like electrical works, sewing, wood works, and clay works. The students take part in other co-curricular activities such as ceramics, fine arts, music, and woodwork. Sports facilities include table-tennis tables and 22 football grounds.

Vidyapith (as fondly referred to by its students and teachers) boasts of a strong cultural tradition. Vidyapith celebrates all festivals (of different religions) in a grand way. Be it the Rath Yatra, Diwali, X-mas or Eid. Vidyapith hosts a number of cultural evenings with inter-class or inter-group debating, recitation, drama, audio-drama and music competitions. The school publishes its annual magazine called 'Vidyapith'.

The school campus

There is a residential area for the teachers named as " Gurupalli" which derived its origin from the Sanskrit word "Gurugriha" with the same meaning. There are six hostel buildings for students of different classes. The hostel for the junior (V-VII) is the Shivananda Sadan. Matri Sadan, Sarada Sadan, Vivekananda Sadan, Brahmananda Sadan, Ramakrishna Sadan are the other hostels for the senior students.

Infrastructure includes the school building, the temple, the office building, the hospital, the museums, the bank, the charitable dispensary, the Post Office, the workshop, the dairy, the poultry, and the teachers' quarters, the mango groves and Arjuna trees, the deer park, the aviary and the flower beds.

Discipline

The students follow a strict inside-campus rule to stay away from outer world distractions. Parents and family are allowed to visit the students every Sunday. An excursion is arranged every year for every class, to introduce them to new places and cultures. The school has cultural programs, including dramas enacted by students and teachers.

The institution knows that Indian culture isn't the only culture in the world and encourages students to get familiar with the West too. Hence, world famous movies are screened for students.

References

External links

• Official website
• Alumni page
• Alumni Association