Balaram Mandir is a branch of the Ramakrishna Math, Belur Math and situated at 7, Girish Avenue, Baghbazar in Kolkata, West Bengal. Sri Balaram Basu was a prominent lay disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahansa. During his lifetime, Sri Ramakrishna visited Balaram’s home, now known as Balaram Mandir, over a hundred times. He considered the place as 'Divine Mother's second citadel’ where he met his disciples and devotees from Kolkata. Whenever he stayed over in Kolkata for the night, he would only stay here given the pious nature of Balaram’s family who were staunch Vaishnavas. Sri Ramakrishna also considered the food served here as ‘shudh anna’ or pure food.
The room where Sri Ramakrishna stayed is on the first floor to the right as one ascends the stairs. This room is now the main shrine. Adjacent to this room is a large hall which was then known as the ‘Baithak Khana’ where he met all those who called on him. This is now the prayer hall.
The household deity – Lord Jagannath - was enshrined in a room at the northeast corner of the building. It continues to be housed there. The Ratha Festival associated with the Lord was celebrated with much fanfare by Balaram’s family. It is said Sri Ramakrishna participated in the festival every year between 1881 and 1885. He would himself draw the small chariot (Rath) on the first-floor verandah, singing bhajans, and dancing to the kirtans that were sung. Every now and then he would pass into Samadhi radiating the Bliss of God-vision.
Sri Ramakrishna passed away on 16th August 1886. A portion of his holy ashes were taken and kept at Ramchandra Dutta’s Garden House in Kankurgachi. Unknown to others, the major portion of the ashes including the Atmaram part was brought to Balaram Mandir by Niranjan and Shashi (later Swamis Niranjanananda and Ramakrishnananda) and kept in Lord Jagannath’s shrine room. For the next two months daily Puja was performed here before the box containing the holy ashes was moved to the Baranagore Math.
As will be evident, many events in Sri Ramakrishna’s Divine Lila were played out in this hallowed premises. Even today, Balaram Mandir is considered spiritually ‘alive’ (‘jagrata’) given the number of pure souls that are associated with this place. The Holy Mother, Sri Sarada Devi, and all direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna were regular visitors at Balaram’s home. The Holy Mother stayed here on several occasions; the room where she stayed is now a shrine dedicated to her known as “Mayer Ghar”.
Among the direct disciples, Sri Balaram Basu, Swami Brahmananda, and Swami Premananda, spent their last days here passing away 13th April 1890, 30th July 1918, and 10th April 1922 respectively. Swami Adbhutananda (Latu Maharaj) and Swami Turiyananda (Hari Maharaj) also spent long spells here in tapasya and sadhana. The room where they stayed is on the ground floor to the right as one enters the building. It is now the meditation room.
Perhaps the single most important event that happened here was the founding of the ‘RAMAKRISHNA MISSION ASSOCIATION’ by Swami Vivekananda at a meeting on 1st of May 1897. This association was later to become the Ramakrishna Mission as we know today.
Sister Nivedita convened a meeting here of leading luminaries of the city to present her idea of opening a school for girls. After the idea was welcomed, the school was formally inaugurated on 13th November 1898 by Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi herself. Swami Vivekananda, Swami Brahmananda, and Swami Saradananda were present on the occasion. In a sense, the founding of this school paved the way for the formation of Sri Sarada Math in the future fulfilling Swami Vivekananda’s dream of having a separate monastic organisation for women.
Under Swami Saradananda’s leadership, the first meeting of ‘Vivekananda Society’ was held in Balaram Mandir. This society continues to provide yeomen service in disseminating and putting to action Swami Vivekananda’s ideas to this day.
Balaram Mandir is of paramount importance to the Ramakrishna Movement. Not only is the place associated with the divine memories of Sri Ramakrishna, Ma Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda, and all the direct disciples, but many seminal and ground-breaking decisions were taken here that laid the foundation for institution building in the future.