Historic Vivekanandar Illam wants vacated by Politicians in Tamilnadu

[Guest guest]

CHENNAI: The government wants the historic Vivekanandar Illam

(Vivekananda House) on Beach Road vacated. Government engineers have

offered to help the present occupants, the Ramakrishna Mutt, find an

alternative location; a businessman, on behalf of DMK leaders, has

advised the Mutt to leave by Thursday, April 24.

 

The irony is that Chief Minister M Karunanidhi facilitated the Mutt

getting the building — originally Castle Kernan and later known as

Ice House — back in 1997, during his previous tenure. The Mutt's ten

year lease expires in 2010, after which they planned to apply for a

30-year lease.

 

State government records say Swami Vivekananda stayed at Castle

Kernan for nine days, from February 6-15, 1897, after his visit to

the Parliament of Religions at Chicago. On this basis the

government, on the centenary of the Swami's visit, decided to grant

the lease.

 

The lease was given on condition, according to 'government order 89'

of the higher education department on February 24, 1997, that the

building be used for a museum highlighting Swami Vivekananda's

teaching. The building was renovated and on December 20, 1999,

Karunanidhi extolled Swami Vivekananda, and called the Ramakrishna

mission " an Everest among NGOs " . The 10-year lease was given a month

later.

 

The mission collected Rs 65 lakhs for a permanent exhibition, plus

another Rs 30 lakh as corpus. The exhibition is now a major

attraction for visitors to Chennai.

 

Given the government orders and correspondence, the Mutt was

optimistic of getting a 30-year lease in 2010. But on April 4, at

6:15 pm, superintending engineer Anbazhagan and executive engineer

Annadurai reached Vivekananda House and told the Mutt's Swami

Sahajananda they would help him find an alternative location in the

Greenways Road area.

 

A businessman, close to both the CM and the Mutt, advised the monks

to clear out by April 24. The DMK, it is said, wants to set up a

classical Tamil centre. The Mutt has sought legal advice. The Mutt

has a place in Mylapore, which they took in 1906 after moving out of

Castle Kernan.

 

At that time, they could not match the bidders at the auction for

the historic building. More than a hundred years later they face a

not dissimilar situation.

 

 

 

 

 

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MEDITATION TODAY:

 

The weak, the fearful, the ignorant will never reach the Atman. You

cannot undo, the effect must come, face it, but be careful never to

do the same thing again. Give up the burden of all deeds to the

Lord. Give all, both good and bad. Do not keep the good and give

only the bad. God helps those who do not help themselves.

 

- Swami Vivekananda