Gujarat Ramakrishna Vivekananda Bhavaprachar Parishad

To actualize the counsel preached by his Guru Sri Ramakrishnadeva, Swami Vivekananda has set up Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission. Through these organizations he put forth the noble expectation that monks should not get entangled with their own salvation only but should also think about the common welfare of the world. Inspired by Ramakrishna-Vivekananda ideology, as many monks has accepted the way of renunciation for the common welfare of the world, so also getting inspiration from these great personalities several householder devotees too came forward for human welfare, on this way of renunciation & service. Swamiji had a dream that the ideology of Sri Ramakrishna should spread throughout the world through both the monks & householders alike.

As, with the current of the time the belief in this ideology is getting strengthened, and the future world also keeping an eye on it, there was a serious thinking, keeping in the mind the necessity of uniting the different centres (which are not connected with either Math or Mission, but are) active with the ideology of Sri Ramakrishna, Vivekananda & Holly mother Sarada Devi, in a organized way. The basic purpose of this consideration was very noble. The activities of each private centre should be performed with single motto under the leadership/guidance of the Math & Mission so that ideals, thoughts, work and management getting unified becomes harmonious. Besides this they should get inspiration to organize meeting among the centres periodically, so that they can exchange ideas, get guidance for their problems and confusions, and can get more strength to strengthen the ideology This type of arrangement can spread Ramakrishna-Vivekananda ideology widely in society, and it will have positive impact on the society.

In November 19898, the authorities of Math & Mission called a convention of such centres spread all over India, at Belur-Math. The aim of this convention was to float a vast organization like Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Bhava Prachar Parishad.In this convention, there was elaborate discussion on the points like how infrastructure, constitution, & management of this Bhavprachar Parishad along with its role in the present situation will become supplementary to the Math & Mission. In this convention only the authorities of the Math & Mission has fully approved the ten guiding principals, in which contact with Math & Mission, aloofness from the political activities,  to be ever active for the accepted ideal of the secularism, to accommodate centres managed by women devotees in this Parishad, neatness in recording of the accounts. Moreover youth activities, prayers, services in the under privileged area and so on were included in this Parishad.Like this, this convention turned out to be a key note of converting Ramakrishna Vivekananda ideology in to vast well organized movement.

In 1993, in Gujarat, being only one centre of the Ramakrishna Order, Shri Ramakrishna Ashrama, Rajkot, has gladly shouldered the responsibility of organizing such Bhavprachar Parishad in the state. In a quick response Swami Jitatmanandaji with help of the youth power, initiated efforts in the direction to unite different centres working in Gujarat in accordance with Ramakrishna-Vivekananda ideology under the single motto. On 21st November 1993, a convention of non-affiliated centres in Gujarat, was organized under the chairmanship of Swami Jitatmanandaji,  in which Swami Nikhileswarananda gave details of Bhavprachar Parishad working in various states and with stress on the need of organizing such Bhavprachar Parishad in Gujarat, he presented the required guideline. All representatives of the centres, present in the convention, welcomed it with joy, and Gujarat Ramakrishna Vivekananda Bhavprachar Parishad was founded. And Swami Jitatmanandaji suggested the names of Dr. Kamalakant from Vadodara centre as convener and Sri O. P. N. Kalla from Ahmedabad centre as joint convener, which was approved by all centres present.
 
1) Shri Ramakrishna Yuvak Mandal, Bhuj; 2) Sri Ramakrishna Vivekananda Kendra, Vadodara, 3) Sri Ramakrishna Vivekananda Kendra, Ahmedabad & 4) Sri Ramakrishna Sevasansthan, Valasad have played a key roll in organizing this Parishad.

At present there are 23 centres in this Parishad, engaged themselves with various activities in accordance with Ramakrishna-Vivekananda ideology. Each centre organizes youth onventions, spiritual discourses, and programs on the occasions like youth-days, exhibitions as well as sales of Ramakrishna Vivekananda literature, activities for students like elocution & recitation competitions, personality development programs, along with medical camps, necessary relief work during calamities, and running of dispensaries etc. under the guidance of Math & Mission.  They are...