My first visit to Belguam's Ramakrishna Ashram. I'd visited Banaglore ashram several times. I experienced the same peaceful ambiance in both ashrams.
This is the main meditation hall. I was about to climb the steps an aged person sitting there told me to visit the tiled house first and then go up to the meditation hall.
Swami Vivekananda stayed here for 9 days in 1892, October 19th to October 27th.
Once inside I was surprised to see a life size statue of Swami Vivekananda. As you see it seems so real. An elderly person was meditating. I took pictures silently and went out quickly ...my cell phone was not in silent mode and one can never say when those things start ringing.
Amazing talent of the artist who created the murthy.
The meditation hall looked neat & tidy. Three pictures at the inner end of the hall- Ramakrishna Paramahamsa in the middle, Sharada Devi to the right and Swami Vivekananda to the left. A Swamiji had just started pooja. There were three other visitors in the hall.
I spent couple of minutes. I had to rush back to my relatives waiting at the Durga Devi temple at the Fort entrance.
I went down the steps, went past the book-store in the ground floor and back towards the gate. Like Bangalore's Ashram, this ashram too has a well maintained garden.
I wish to come here when ever I visit Belgaum again.
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