Sri RamaKrishna Mission Vidyalaya

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Sri RamaKrishna Mission Vidyalaya, Coimbatore, India is a major educational centre of the well known Ramakrishna Mission. It is 19 km from the Coimbatore city on the highway to Ootacamund, and it is situated in a serene environment spread over 300 acres (120 ha). Sri.T.S.Avinashilingam founded the Institution in 1930 with an investment of Rs 5.75 and with one harijan boy on its roll. There was a source for his inspiration to set out on this bold venture. While studying in college, Sri T.S. Avinashilingam met swami Shivananda, a direct disciple of Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna whose another famous disciple was Swami Vivekananda. It was from Vivekananda that Shivananda absorbed the idea of prime importance of education for the revival of India.The sacred touch of Swami Sivanada, as Sri Avinashilingam later described it, awoke in him the necessary strength and vision for his future mission in the field of education. Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation, laid the foundation stone of the Vidyalaya in 1934 and wished that the students of the Vidyalaya would be intensely patriotic followers of Truth. The Vidyalaya was affiliated to the Ramakrishna Mission in the same year.

The Vidyalaya strives to infuse the educational and spiritual ideas of Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda into the daily lives of its students. Emphasis is laid on their all-round growth and enrichment. Universal values such as self-reliance, self control, patriotism, service and dedication to duty are taught in various practical ways. A band of dedicated monks and bramacharis of the Sri Ramakrishna order manage the activities of the Vidyalaya assisted by a highly professional and dedicated team of teaching and non-teaching staff.

The most important cutural activity of the Vidyalaya every year is the public celebration of the birthday of Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna, popularly known as the Guru Puja. The day-long celebration includes bhajans, talks by eminent personalities, drama, educational exhibition, music and cultural programmes.

The highlight of the function is the Maheswara Puja, i.e. feeding of about 10,000 people at noon.

Over the period of 70 years, the Vidyalaya has grown into a comprehensive and reputed educational complex with nearly 4000 students,offering them facilities for education ranging from the pre-school to the doctoral levels. As a support service,there are eight hostels in the campus,with a total strength of about 1500 boys.The hostel atmosphere enables the students to imbible the best of Indian cultural values. Simple vegetarian food, hygienically prepared,is provided to the hostelers. The messes are run on a dividing system. The average expense of a hosteller is around Rs.700 per month.