The popular belief tells that a site turns instantly holy and becomes a place of pilgrimage where a Divine Incarnation sets His foot even for once. Sri Ramakrishna had visited and stayed at Balaram Mandir on more than hundred occasions. The holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi too had lived many a time for good many days in the north-western first-floor room in this house. This room is now preserved reverentially as the ‘Mother’s Room’. Swami Vivekananda had lived in this house many a times for days together. This place was much dear to Swami Brahmananda and Swami Premananda who had lived here a number of times for long spells. Swami Adbhutananda and Swami Turiyananda also had lived for several years in the south-eastern room on the ground floor of this house. It is no wonder that this house has become today a veritable place of pilgrimage bearing the sacred memories of Sri Ramakrishna, the Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda and other direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna. This mansion is, therefore, held in high esteem by devotees and admirers in India as well as abroad.
Master Mahashay, the illustrious recorder of the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, has mentioned about this house in the Gospel as, “…Oh Balaram! Blessed are you. Your house has now become the main centre of preaching by the Master. Scores of new devotees are drawn irresistibly here to be showered with love divine. Many are inspired here by his incessant spiritual talks, devotional songs and ecstatic dances…”.
Located at 7, Girish Avenue, Kolkata-700003 (formerly 57, Ramkanto Bose Street, Baghbazar), Balaram Mandir was the dwelling house of Balaram Basu, one of the foremost lay-disciples of Sri Ramakrishna. This residence figures prominently in the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda literature and occupies a very significant position in the history of the Ramakrishna movement.
During the last few years of his life, whenever Sri Ramakrishna chose to spend a night or two at Kolkata he would only stay at Balaram’s house and nowhere else. On such occasions, he used to sleep in the south western corner room on the first floor. During his last illness, the Master spent seven memorable days here bringing profound joy and spiritual light to a large number of devotees.
The hall adjoining this room was the place where Sri Ramakrishna used to meet the devotees. Here he showered his divine grace on them. Here they saw him on many occasions in the blissful state of Samadhi (communion with God). It was in this hall that the celebrated actor-playwright and later a great house-holder devotee of the Master, Girish Chandra Ghosh had his first close glimpse of the Master.
The adjoining quadrangular verandah was the scene of unique spiritual fervour on the Car Festival days when Sri Ramakrishna with his devotees pulled the small chariot of Lord Jagannath amidst musical chanting of the name of the Lord and danced in ecstasy filling the hearts of all present with divine bliss.
Shortly after the passing away of Sri Ramakrishna on 16th August 1886, his holy relics; a major portion of which now remains enshrined at Sri Ramakrishna temple at Belur Math, was brought to Balaram Mandir from the Cossipore Garden House and worshipped daily until the start of the monastery at Baranagar later. At that time, the Holy Mother too came to Balaram Mandir and stayed in its inner section for more than a week. In later years also, she lived here for many days on several occasions and some notable incidents of her life are associated with this house.
It was in the first-floor hall of the Balaram Mandir that on 1st May 1897, Swami Vivekananda founded ‘The Ramakrishna Mission Association’ which was later registered under the Societies Registration Act as ‘The Ramakrishna Mission’ and now well known all over the world for its service to humanity. On this occasion, Swamiji stayed at Balaram Mandir for several days. During the next two years, until his second visit to the West, he would often attend the Sunday meetings of the Association in this hall and inspire the audience by his fiery discourses and elevating devotional songs.
The first relief work of the Ramakrishna Mission conducted by the Ramakrishna Mission started on 15th May 1897 among the famine-stricken people of Mahula village in Murshidabad District of West Bengal. The work spread over a few more areas. These relief programmes were conducted by Swami Akhandananda, a brother disciple of Swami Vivekananda, and directed from this house.
At the call of Swami Vivekananda, Margaret Elizebeth Noble (later Sister Nivedita) sailed to India from London with a view to spreading education among the Indian women. On 12 November 1898, a meeting of the lay devotees was convened in the first-floor hall of Balaram Mandir. In this meeting, Nivedita presented her plan of the Girls’ School before the audience. The following day, on 13th November the school commenced functioning with the blessings of the Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi at 16, Bosepara Lane, Baghbazar.
In this house, on 23rd August 1902, ‘Vivekananda Society’ was established in a meeting chaired by Sister Nivedita. In 1903, on the birthday of Swami Vivekananda, the Society started working in a rented house at Manicktala, in North Kolkata.
In the fact, most of the apostles of Sri Ramakrishna lived in this house for many days on many occasions and gave spiritual guidance and inspiration to countless seekers.
Thus, after passing away of Sri Ramakrishna, the outer section of the Balaram Mandir virtually became the first monastery of the Ramakrishna Order.
Pursuant to the last wishes of Ramakrishna Basu, the worthy son of Balaram Basu, a Public and Charitable Trust was formed in respect of Balaram Mandir on 31st March 1922 primarily for the preservation of the sacred memories of Sri Ramakrishna, the Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda at Balaram Mandir. A part of Balaram Mandir was given away to the Ramakrishna Order for conducting its activities. From the early seventies of the Twentieth Century, regular religious discourses, prayers and devotional songs have been organized in the first-floor hall of the Balaram Mandir. In April, 1974, the first Manager of the Balaram Mandir Trust was appointed. In 1979, portraits of Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda were enshrined on a marble platform in the south-western corner room on the first floor where Sri Ramakrishna used to spend his nights during his stay at Balaram Mandir. Daily worship of Sri Sri Thakur, Sri Sri Ma and Swamiji commenced from the same year.
On 11th December 2000, the whole of this historical house came under the charge of the Balaram Mandir Trust. At long last, the merger of the Balaram Mandir Trust with that of the Ramakrishna Math, Belur took effect on and from 6th May 2002. At present, Balaram Mandir is a branch centre of the Ramakrishna math, Belur and is re-named as the ‘Ramakrishna Math (Balaram Mandir)’.
Today, Balaram Mandir stands as a silent witness to a number of important events in the history of the Ramakrishna Order and the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Movement. Besides regular observances of Tithi-Pujas of the Master, the Holy Mother, Swamiji and all the direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna, Ratha Yatra and the Foundation Day of the Ramakrishna Mission (1st may) are celebrated here in befitting manner.
Thus, this centre of the Ramakrishna Math has been serving as a source of spiritual sustenance to the stream of devotees who have been coming here for solace and inspiration ever since the time of the Master. In recognition of its historical and religious eminence, the Government of India had officially declared Balaram Mandir as an international centre of pilgrimage in West Bengal.