Sharada Foundation
Women’s Ashrama – An organization for service to mankind and spirituality.
An organisation (recognised and registered under IT. Dept. of Govt. of India as public charitable Trust) dedicated to the twin ideals: ‘FOR ONE’S OWN SALVATION AND FOR THE WELFARE OF THE WORLD – आत्मनो मोक्षार्थं जगद्धिताय च – Atmano Moksartham Jagat Hitaya Cha as set by Swami Vivekananda
Holy Trio
Our Inspiration
Most Revered Swami Vinayakanandaji Maharaj began his spiritual journey by joining Sri Ramakrishna Math, Basavanagudi, Bangalore in 1977 and received his Mantra Diksha and Brahmacharya Diksha from Most Revered Swami Veereshwarananadaji Maharaj, the 10th President of Ramakrishna Math and Mission and he was initiated into the Holy Order of Sannyasa in 1987 by Most Revered Swami Gambhiranandaji Maharaj, the 11th President of Ramakrishna Math and Mission. After his joining the Order, for the next 14 years he patterned his life along the supreme ideals of Renunciation and Service. At the end of this period he was inspired to practice intense Tapasya in order to achieve the Supreme Goal of Human Life, God Realization as told by Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa Deva. Taking due permission and blessings from the Senior Monks of the Order, he entered into solitude in the dense Churna forest of the Satpura Ranges in Madhya Pradesh situated on banks of River Narmada. He got settled in a place of complete isolation free from any human inhabitation, surviving on the naturally available fruits and roots and a bag of beaten rice which would be delivered to him once in every 2 or 3 month by a generous forest officer. Having spent many years in such a manner he took to the life of a wandering monk travelling to the Himalayas and finally came to Udupi in the year 2001 as a part of his sojourns.
About us
It was around 2004 that from a Common Divine Spring three streams emerged with separate independent identity. The Common Divine Source received the public recognition with the name BAILUR MATH. This Bailur Math is a Lamp lit by a spark of the already existing brightest flame of Divinity and Spirituality, the well-known Ramakrishna Movement. The three independent streams are the three institutions – Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama (the Men Monastic Wing), Sharada Foundation (the Women Monastic Wing), Sri Ramakrishna Sharada Ashrama (Mission and Service Wing).
We are a group of women devotees living together with the ideal of renunciation (Sannyāsa) and Service to mankind. The basis is, of course, the Divinity of man and pure Spirituality. Though we came together almost as early as 2004, we felt the need to form a Trust and have an official legal identity as a Math/Ashrama, only in 2014. Since then we have the status as a non-profit making Public Charitable Trust and is recognized and registered under IT Dept., Govt. of India with income-tax exemption for donors under Section 80G.
Our Activities
The entire ideology of the Ramakrishna Monastic tradition has been put into a nut shell by Swami Vivekananda as आत्मनो मोक्षार्थम् जगत् हिताय च – Ātmano Moksārtham Jagad Hitāya Cha – “for one’s own salvation and for the welfare of the world”. And it is for that we, the inmates, have renounced and we live for that. All our thoughts, planning and activities are to fulfil that end. Implementation of this ideology in an Ashrama finds its expression and functions through three channels.
Our Location
Sharada Foundation establishment is spread over an area of 10 acres and is located about 1 km downstream from Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama, on banks of Swarna Ganga river in Panchanabettu Post of Bommarabettu Village, Udupi Taluk and District. 23 kms to the South is Udupi and 22 kms to the North is Karkala. Nearest airport is Bajpe, Mangalore 62 Kms and nearest railway station is Udupi 21Kms. To come to Ashrama, reach Mangalore or Udupi or Karkala take any bus on the Udupi-Karkala route going via Manipal- Hiriyadka-Bailur and get down at Gudde Angadi Katte stop take an auto to the Ashrama. From Gudde Angadi Katte stop Ashrama is 4.5 k.m
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Note : This Ashrama is not a branch of Sri Sarada Math and Ramakrishna Sarada Mission, Dakshineshwar, Kolkata but works on the same principles and closely follows the same ideals and ideology.