How the Ashram Started
Inspired by the ideas and ideals as lived and preached by Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda, a small band of young men at Raipur, started gathering together, once a week, at the residence of Sri A Biswas, located at Daga Buildings, Byron Bazar. They would sing the 'Aratrikam' composed by Swami Vivekananda and read out from the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna and the Complete works of Swami Vivekananda. This eventually led into forming a society to organize the activities of this small but devoted band which later on got registered in the name of Shri Ramakrishna Sewa Samiti.
When Swami Atmananda visited Raipur in 1960, he became the nucleus to bind the activities of the Samiti, which then shifted to a small rented house in Budhapara, a locality sanctified by Swami Vivekananda's stay for two years (1877-79) during his adolescence. It was then vigorously planned to establish a Centre on a permanent footing to commemorate Swami Vivekananda's stay here and to complete the first phase of the Ashrama by the time the world celebrated his birth centenary in January, 1963.
Accordingly this Ashrama was founded on its own present land in April, 1962 and the Samiti got affiliated to the Ramakrishna Mission with its headquarters at Belur Math on 7th April, 1968. And hence, the then Shri Ramakrishna Sewa Samiti was renamed as RAMAKRISHNA MISSION VIVEKANANDA ASHRAMA.
The story of the Ashrama, since its inception, has been a story of its dedicated medical and educational services apart from the spiritual and cultural, rendered to the general public. Revered Swami Atmananda (1929-1989) was the founder Secretary of this Ashrama. It was because of his untiring efforts that Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Movement had widespread recognition in Chhattisgarh - Madhya Pradesh.
