Monastics from around the World Render Homage to Vivekananda at his Ganges Monastery, Ganges, Michigan
Chicago IL: Over fifty monastics arrived from around the world at the Vivekananda Monastery at Ganges, Mich., in the early sunny afternoon of November 7, 2013, to render obeisance to their Founder-Swami on his 150th birth anniversary. Coming from as far away as Germany, Switzerland, Moscow, Brazil, Argentina, South Asia, Japan, and Fiji, some of the monks were accompanied by foreign devotees, ill-at-ease with English, and likewise visiting Chicago or North America, for the first time. To receive them at the gate of this expansive retreat center and accompany them in joyous procession to the main shrine were devotees from around the Midwest, with others coming from as far away as Canada and Houston, Texas. The monastics, counting over a dozen nuns (pravrajika), participated in two conclaves the next day morning: after the heads of the order had deliberated on internal administrative matters, they were joined by the rest to confer on mission strategy and planning, before leaving in the early afternoon to the Lemont temple. The contingent, which included General Secretary of Ramakrishna Mission Swami Suhitanandaji, arrived by bus from the Ramakrishna Temple at Homer Glen, accompanied by Minister-in-Charge of Vivekananda Vedanta Society (VVS) of Chicago Swami Ishatmananda. Resounding […]
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