Belur Math

4.7

Location: Belur, Howrah, West Bengal 711202, India

Estimated visiting time: 1hour

Belur Math is located on the west bank of the Hooghly River in north Kolkata, the headquarters of Ramakrishna Math and Mission. Visited by people from all over the world to seek spiritual fulfillment, Math celebrates all faiths equally. Belur Math is mentioned as a place of heritage and national importance by the erstwhile President, Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam. The Math exercises the principal ideology of ‘selfless service of God in man’, conceptualized and founded by sage Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa’s chief disciple, Swami Vivekananda at the turn of the twentieth century. Surrounded by manicured gardens and palm trees, the Math is spread across an area of 40 acres. Dedicated to Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa, Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi, the wife of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda with their respective relics enshrined and the central monastery of the Ramakrishna order, the campus includes individual temples. Belur Math becomes one of the most important destinations to be visited by everyone when in Kolkata, with a rich history, impressive architecture, and being a place of utmost spiritual importance. Against that of other touristy places, the place reflects a contrasting ambiance of peace and serenity.

Attraction

The Math complex has a beautifully manicured garden and lawn lined by palm trees enhancing the serenity of the place even more, in addition to the temples, shrines, monastery, and museum.

Attractions inside the Belur math complex:

Sri Ramakrishna Temple or The Main Monastery
The Old Shrine
The Swami Vivekananda Temple
Swami Vivekananda Room
Holy Mother Temple or Temple of Sri Sarada Devi.
Swami Brahmananda Temple
The Samadhi Enclosure
The Ramakrishnan Musem

$Prayer At Belur Math$

History

Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa, Swami Vivekananda, along with his brother monks laid the foundation for building monasteries in India, the pursuit of carrying forward the teachings and vision of their guru of serving humanity. In the January of 1897, Swami Vivekananda founded two monasteries, having returned from Colombo with a small group of Western disciples, one was at Belur, and the second monastery was founded at Mayavati in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand from Swami Vivekananda’s observation while he traveled across the world as a parivrajaka (wandering monk), the ideas behind the architecture and design of the temple came.

$Worship in Belur Math$

Inside/Outside Views

With a height of 112.5 feet spread across 32,900 square feet, the temple is built of chunar stone and concrete. Ideated by Swami Vivekananda, the central theme and architecture of the temple are based on the vision of one universal faith. Swami Vijnanananda, a direct monastic disciple of Ramakrishnan was the principal architect of the temple. When seen from different angles, the monument resembles a cathedral, a palace, and a mosque, all at the same time. By the diversity of all Indian religions, the elements of architecture have been inspired. By motifs on the entrances at Sanchi Stupa and Gopurams of South Indian temples, the designs on the high entrance of the temple are highly affected. With lattice sculptures of navagraha figurines, the exterior walls of the temples are adorned. The floor resembles the Holy Cross, while the design of the central dome is derived from the European Renaissance.

Opening Hours

Math Timings

April to September – from 6:00 AM to 11:30 AM and

From 4:00 PM to 8:30 PM

October to March – from 6:30 AM to 11:30 AM and

From 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM

Museum Timings

On Mondays and selected public holidays, the museum is closed and open Tuesdays to Sunday
April to September – from 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM and

From 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM

October to March – from 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM and

From 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM

Entry & Others Fees

No entry fees required.

Near Restaurants

Near Hotels

How to Reach

By Air: Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport is the closest and most easily accessible airport.

By Train: Howrah junction is the closest railway station.

By Bus: To this area, all local buses ply.

Tips for Travellers

Be polite and don’t throw waste here and there and make sure that your activities should not disturb the other visitors.

At Math, the evening aarti or prayers is a delight to watch. During the evening prayer, people are not permitted to stroll outside the temple premises. To make people aware of the timing a bell is rung to join the aarti inside. The aarti takes place at 5:30 PM.