Swamiji's statue unveiled at Ranchi, Jarkhand

Ramakrishna Mission TB Sanatorium, Ranchi

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Mahalaya, the 3rd October, 2005 was indeed a joyful occasion when, in the afternoon, Srimat Swami Atmasthanandaji Maharaj, Vice-President, Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission unveiled the Statue of Swamiji. A brief but interesting account is given below.

Arise! Awake! - Swamiji's standing exhortation to the humanity to realise its divinity reverberated in the entire vast Sanatorium campus on the holy Mahalaya, the 3rd October, 2005. After the Opening Ceremony, all the assembled devotees felt that the clarion call of Swamiji will be ever heard through the strategically placed statue in the Office Chowk area popularly known as golchakkar.

· hic et u·bi·que.....

The opening Ceremony of the Statue by Srimat Swami Atmasthanandaji Maharaj had all the devotional elements with offering of arghya, pushpanjali and deeparadhana. Amidst vedic chanting and pradakshina of the image, by pressing the switch, the screen that covered the statue was brought down by remote process to the furoius sound of heavy crackers followed by great applause. No wonder that was the only topic hic et u·bi·que(here and everywhere)!

· hectic

The land preparation for the statue installation was not a simple task. The lamp post in the centre had to be removed with the interconnecting wires between the other poles taken underground; thus, to make the statue visible sans the criss-cross of electric wires. The concrete pylon was first erected over which the six-feet statue was mounted. Two fountains were constructed by the side of the statue. The entire circle was bordered with a pleasant looking grill. Pavement with pink tiles was neatly laid to facilitate circumambulation of the statue in future.

· holistic

The first person who mooted the idea of installing Swamiji's statue and donated immediately was Sri Diptiman Roychoudhury of Ranchi. The other person who unhesitatingly volunteered in giving financial assistance was Smt Purnima Ray of U.S.A. She routed her donation through ASTI, U.S.A. The installed statue would undoubtedly inspire a holistic approach to the varied seva activities of the Sanatorium.

· hypnotic

The long road from Sanatorium more leading into the Sanatorium campus practically terminates at the statue spot. The statue was made in fiberglass material by Sri Shibnath Barai of Dumdum, Kolkata. The majestic six-feet statue is well mounted on black tiled pylon of five feet height with fountains by the two sides and surrounded by a Trishul model grill over the circle. Two powerful white electric illumination from the side road drenches the statue in the night. The light under the Fountains weave a magic of indradhanush/ramdhanush (rainbow) colours over the falling waters that give a hypnotic effect on the visitors and passers by.