Old Math (Nilambar Babu’s Garden House)

  • Before the establishment of the Belur Math, the Ramakrishna order was housed at the garden house of Nilambar Mukherjee, known as Old Math from 1898-1899. 
The building facing the Ganges



  • The earthquake on 12th June 1897 severely damaged the old monastery building (Alambazar Math) and made it uninhabitable. The dwelling conditions were also unfavorable. This prompted the shifting of the Math to Nilambar babu’s garden house. It is situated about a kilometre southwards from the Belur Math near the Belur boat jetty. 
  • Sri Sarada Devi stayed here on several occasions and initiated many devotees. 
  • Swamiji’s famous song ‘khandana bhava bandhana’ and the hymn ‘Om hrim ritam’, was composed here. It was here that Miss Margaret Noble was initiated into brahmacharya and given the name Sister Nivedita. 
  • The shrine is situated in the room of the Holy Mother. The terrace was the place where Mother practiced her intense meditations including the pancha-tapa meditation. Both these places are at the second floor of the house.


Holy Mother's Shrine (Picture from the internet)


The place of the divine meditation


  • The bathing ghat of the Ganges was used by Mother and here she received her spiritual revelation regarding Swamiji’s mission. 
View of the Ganges




  • This Math was earlier known as ‘Nilambar Mukherjee’s Garden House’, when it was rented on several occasions for Mother’s stay or for the activities of the Math. 




A room adjacent to the terrace


  • Finally, it came under the possession of Belur Math in 1984, and, after extensive restoration, was opened to the public on December 1987, Mother’s birthday.
  • The tranquil ambience of this sprawling and well maintained property adjacent to the Ganges is noteworthy. 
  • An adjacent building built in modern times is used for imparting Vedic education.

Reference:

https://belurmath.org/old-math/

https://englishbooks.rkmm.org/s/ramakrishna-movement/m/the-early-history-of-the-ramakrishna-movement/a/the-vibrant-math-at-nilambar-mukherjees-garden-house

https://mahendrajani.com/2016/08/09/belur-math-pilgrimage-2015-day-7-evening-at-nilambars-garden-house-and-belur-math-arati/

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