Project Description

Building better villages

Swami Vivekananda wanted a center to be established in each Indian village through which knowledge is disseminated to the villagers and by virtue of which their eyes will be opened to the World.  With this vision in mind, we have established one such center in a village in Mandya District and we are gradually looking to expand.

Swami Vivekananda’s ideas for rural improvement

Swami Vivekananda, through his letters and in his speeches gave lot of insights about the work that needs to be done for the villagers. Some of his ideas are:

  • Mass Education – “Educate and raise the masses, and thus alone a nation is possible.”
  • Empower the Poor – “The solution is not by bringing down the higher, but by raising the lower up to the level of the higher.”
  • Create Employment – “Material civilization, nay, even luxury, is necessary to create work for the poor.”
  • Moral and Intellectual Education – “All the wealth of the world cannot help one little Indian village if the people are not taught to help themselves. Our work should be mainly educational, both moral and intellectual.”
  • General Awareness – “By means of lectures and the like, the village people must be taught religion, history, and such other subjects—specially history.”

Objectives of Viveka Mandira

  1. It will have a prayer hall dedicated to Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa who is considered as the greatest spiritual teacher of the Modern Era. It has been established beyond doubt that his life and teachings will benefit the mankind. We intend to have regular evening prayers, reading from scriptures and monthly discourses in this hall.
  2. It will serve as a library where the books of various subjects will be made available to the villagers.
  3. It will have computers with an Internet connection.  The students and the interested villagers will be educated on how to make use of technology to improve their lives.
  4. There will be a regular show of documentaries and awareness programs will be held in the village with “Viveka Mandira” as the Center.
  5. As regarding the preservation of India’s spiritual culture, Chanting of Veda Mantras, Bhagavad Gita, and other celebrated mantras like the Vishnu Sahasranama and the Lalitha Sahasranama will be taught here.
  6. Without doubt, the center intends to bring 100% literacy in the village.
  7. The Center will take special interest in the rural youth and will conduct programs to empower them with knowledge and to make them more productive.
  8. Improvement of the economic conditions of the villagers will be a priority.
  9. The center will also conduct tuition for the students

“As You have Come into this World leave some mark behind”

-Swami Vivekananda