Educational Activities
Students who have passed the Ayurvedic Medicinal Science course BAMS are inducted in hands on training in our hospital to learn the basic allopathic treatment techniques including surgery for a period of two years. They are called the 'Trainee' Junior Doctors. This scheme is in operation since 1980. The centre induct boys and girls each year in a non-formal 'Health Care Training Programme'. The course is for three years and students receive hands-on training in working as 'Nursing Aides'. There are no fees but we give nominal stipend to them. This scheme is in operation since 2007.
A non-formal coaching centre functions under the Home of Service where children of our employees get free coaching and are encouraged to attend their schools regularly. At present there are about 32 children attending these classes. Classes on value education are being held every Sunday under the Central Govt. Project where students of local schools and colleges attend in batches. From Morning till noon the school children come and from noon onwards till evening college boys and girls attend. Every year we give lumpsum amount to children of our employees and some deserving outside children to defray their expenditure on fees and books as grant depending upon the availability of funds. About 50 children of our employees get a monthly stipend as well.
Occasions like Independence Day and Republic Day are celebrated with monastics, inmates and workers with hoisting of the National Flag and singing of the National Anthem.
Spiritual Activities
Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda is held every year on a convenient Sunday after the actual day according to Hindu Almanac.On this day "Narayan Puja" (Worship of Man as God) in done at the hospital in the morning with garlanding of each patient, offering fruits and Vedic Chanting. There is a small temple dedicated to Swami Vivekananda in our premises, where his relics are stored. On this day a special worship is offered at that temple as well. At noon all staff with their families and Doctors and their families are provided consecrated food.
Maha Shivratri, an auspicious night especially in Varanasi, is celebrated with worship, vedic chanting and singing of hymns at the Laveshwar Shiva temple in the campus of the Home of Service.
Christmas Eve, also an auspicious occasion in the calendar of the Ramakrishna Order, is celebrated on 24th December each year with decoration of the Photo of Mary and Baby Christ and suitable offering. Christmas Carols are sung and a small discourse in Hindi and Bengali is given about the Birth of Christ and his teachings.
On the behest from the First President of the Ramakrishna Order, Swami Brahmananda, Ramanam Sankirtan (Singing of Hyms to Lord Rama) is held in the central office of the Home of Service on every Ekadasi (eleventh day after every full moon and new moon).
Book Store — to disseminate some of the highest and noblest ideals and ideas to the modern world through Ramakrishna-Vivekananda- Vedanta Literature.
Vivek Sanjivani
An Initiative for Healthcare and Education
Vivek Sanjivani is an initiative for Healthcare and Education of Ramakrishna Mission Home of Service. It provides General Healthcare through five Telemedicine units and three Mobile Medical units along with Mother-Child Primary Health Care, Adolescent Healthcare, Community Mental Healthcare, Care for the Differently-abled persons, Visual Health Check-up, General Movement Assessment in Neonates and infants, and distribution of Nutritional Food Supplements. It is also engaged in Gadadhar Abhyudaya Prakalpa (GAP), Value Education Programs, Health Education and Promotion, Health Education-based film Development, publication of books and research programmes. It conducts Foundation courses in Science and Mathematics, online teachers’ training and teachers’ workshops. It is already in the process to start multimedia-based online classes for the rural children. Know More ...
Welfare Activities
The state of widowhood is at times a great calamity in a patriarchal and traditional society like India where there has been a tendency since yesteryears of marginalization of widows. In Varanasi, majority of the widows settled in the town are from Bengal who have been seen as burdens on the household and encouraged to leave their homes to settle in the holy city of Varanasi till their last with the lure of attaining salvation. In reality, the precarious existence of the widows on the streets defies imagination. On the whole, stricken with poverty and old age, they have to fend for themselves with medical care and clothing not provided for. It is by serving such sick widows that the work of the Home of Service was begun.
The Home of Service provides pecuniary help to about 200 such widows in form of a financial assistance every month which is disbursed against proper verification. On the 15th day each month, the widows gather at the office of the Home of Service for such pecuniary help.
Starting from April 2020, some 12,000 families had been provided with dry rations and readymade food articles, in Varanasi City, villages in Mirzapur & Sonbhadra Districts and on the National Highways for migrant labourers. Grocery items like rice, dal, potato, mustard oil, onion, sattu, water bottles etc. and Health Care items like soaps and face masks were supplied. In the Varanasi City itself, some 400 destitute widows, stranded pilgrims in the nearby hotels, auto-drivers, rickshaw pullers, boatmen and families of some Sevashrama staff were provided with these supplies.
Old Age Homes & Pilgrims Accommodation
Old Age Home for the devotees and admirers of Ramakrishna Mission. We now have two Old Age Homes, one for women and another for men.
Accommodation with basic amenities but ensuring the proper ambience is available for devotees and spiritual seekers who would like to visit for pilgrimage and spend their time in japa and meditation