By John B Monteiro

Mangaluru, Jun 1: Most Mangaluruans have heard of Morgan Gate because many city buses start or touch this landmark south of Jeppu. But, not many know of Morgan Bungalow, located on a seven-acre estate, close to Mangaladevi Temple. That is because J H Morgan, tile manufacturer and plantation produce processor and exporter, who left India in 1947, is now part of forgotten history.

But, Morgan Tiles still protect Morgan Bungalow from sun and rain. The stately building with a large central hall and wide verandah now houses the Mangaluru branch of Ramakrishna Mission, headquartered at Belur, West Bengal. The focus is Ramakrishna Mission in Mangaluru, lately in the media for its city cleanliness drive.

Though Ramakrishna Mission came to Mangaluru only in 1947, its pedigree goes back to Sri Ramakrishna (1836 – 1886). After he passed away in August 1886, a monastic order bearing his name was organised by his sanyasin disciples headed by Swami Vivekananda.

It has two-fold ideal before it – to create a band of sanyasin teachers of Vedantha as propounded by Sri Ramakrishna and practically illustrated by his own life; and in conjunction with lay disciples to carry on missionary and philanthropic work, looking upon all as manifestations of the Divine. The twin organisations, Ramakrishna Math, registered as a trust in 1901, and Ramakrishna Mission, registered as a society in 1909, are closely related with both having their headquarters at Belur.

The Mangaluru Ramakrishna Mission was started by Swami Vimalanandaji in 1947, thanks to the initiative of Rao Bahadur Keshav Pai. It was in response to the requests made by devotees in Mangaluru to the Mission Headquarters. It started functioning from a rented house at Lalbagh. Meanwhile, in the 1940s, Sowkar Venkatesh Pai had started a Balakashram for the benefit of poor children of the community by providing free boarding lodging. This work was later done under an organisation called Hindu Seva Sang.

The Sowkar Ranga Venkatesh Pai Trust bought and gifted Morgan Bungalow and its compound to Ramakrishna Mission on August 11, 1951 in memory of Sowkar M Ranga Pai, adoptive father of Venkatesh Pai.

The heart of this heritage building is the large central hall which is now meditation-cum-prayer hall, comfortably accommodating about 200 devotees. The north and south wings are used as offices and living quarters. At the north end of the hall is the shrine of Sri Ramakrishna with his portrait on the wall, flanked by portraits of Swami Vivekananda and Sharada Devi.

The Ramakrishna Mission Complex in Mangaluru is home to a plethora of spiritual activities including daily worship, prayers and bajhans. Important festivals and birthdays of saints are celebrated. The Mangaluru Math runs Sri Ramakrishna Balavrinda, a Sunday school for children. Started in 1951, Balakashrama run by the Mission provides free boarding, lodging and educational facilities for 70 students. The Mission has run a charitable dispensary since 1955, switching it over to Homoeopathic system in 1998.

The essence of Ramakrishna Mission’s philosophy pivots on the importance of individual person. As is prominently written under Swami Vivekananda’s statue on the campus, “Each soul is potentially divine”. The efforts should be to manifest this divinity in oneself by controlling nature. This theme runs through the books available for reading at the Mission’s Sri Sharada Library or at sale at the bookshop conveniently located near the main gate. Aspirants for spirituality can also attend discourses on scriptures, spiritual life and teats.