Baranagore Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama High School


Baranagore Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama High School is a senior secondary boys' school in the district North 24 Parganas of West Bengal, India. The school was founded in 1912, and is located at the northern outskirt of Kolkata, on the banks of the river Ganges. The school is run by the Baranagar Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama Authority under the guidance of Ramakrishna Mission at Belur Math. Based on its performance of the students in the Xth standard board examination, the school is considered as one of the very best schools in West Bengal.

Emblem

Designed and explained by Swami Vivekananda in his own words:

Establishment

The “Brahmananda Ramakrishna Mission” of the twentieth century is today’s “Baranagar Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama”. Then the twentieth century was in its childhood the great hero and saint Vivekananda had elevated himself like a phoenix from the ashes his divine preaching had enchanted the young mind. India was then under the British bondage. The British Government had already issued the order, of partition of Bengal in accordance with the divide and Rule policy of The Lord Curzon. The air was being rented with the melodies of Rabindranath “Banglar Mati Banglar Jal” Bengal became turbulent and agitated like “Nataraj” with the waves of anti-partition movement and this turbulence had given birth to a number of brave dreamers who were inspired by the paradigm of Swami Vivekananda. Sri Yogindnanata Tagore, a disciple of Swami Brahmananda – a brave soldier of the anti-British movement and an active member of Anushilan Samiti, set up an orphanage in the name of his preceptor at the house of Panjas at Alambazar in North Kolkata. In 1912 on the pious day of Akshaya Tritiya the organisation started its journey with the name “Brahmananda Balakashrama”.

History

19122018

Baranagore Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama High School has become an embodiment of the ideology ‘service and welfare through education’, since its initiation in 1912, on the auspicious day of Akshaya Tritiya. Since then, through selflessness and service to the mankind, this organization so successfully caters the spiritual genre, convened by Lord Sri Ramakrishna, in every possible way.
The foundation stone of this ashrama, as a "Brahmananda Balakashrama", was laid by Sri Yogindranath Tagore, an eminent freedom-fighter and disciple of Srimat Swami Brahmanandaji Maharaj, the first president of Ramakrishna Order. Later it was shifted into a one storied building adjacent to Jaikrishna Mitra Kalibari at Kutighat in the name of, “Baranagar Ramakrishna Ashrama for Orphan”. Then, in 1924 the Ashrama was acquired by Belur Math as a branch centre and hence, renamed as “Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Baranagore”. On February 20, 1928, by the patronage of the late zaminders of Narali, Jessore, the Ashrama procured a land of 8 bigha and 8 chhatak beside Gopal Lal Tagore Road. It was the same Akshaya Tritiya on 11 May 1929 the Ashrama was shifted to the plot.
The primary school, set up in the Ashrama premises in 1934, was sequentially upgraded to upper primary and then to lower secondary section in the year 1952. The multifaceted upper secondary wing of the institution was inaugurated in 1954 and it, henceforth got the recognition of ‘Madhyamik’.
11 May 1998, on the auspicious Buddha Purnima, a parallel primary wing of the institution was incepted under the jurisdiction of Ramakrishna Mission, Belur Math. This new segment was named "Ramakrishna Mission Centenary Primary School, Baranagore" and was inaugurated by Revered Srimat Swami Lokeswaranandaji on the occasion of ‘Centenary Celebration’.

2018Present

After a prolonged yet rigorous effort of 42 years, this institution has been elevated to the Higher Secondary level in 2018 and education is being imparted through Bengali and English medium in this section.

Campus

Ashrama has a large campus. It contains a primary school section, secondary and higher secondary school section, libraries, three free coaching centres, a charitable homeopathic dispensary, a mobile medical unit, prayer hall, a temple, monk quarters and playgrounds.

Infrastructure

Secondary section

There are two secondary section buildings in school campus, one for classes and other for classes. There are five sections in each of the classes from V – VIII and in IX and X there are four sections each.

Higher secondary section

There is one higher secondary section building in school campus for classes XI and XII. The building is named "Nivedita Bhawan" which was inaugurated by Swami Suhitananda ji maharaj on 14 May 2018.

Affiliations

Secondary section is affiliated by West Bengal Board of Secondary Education and higher secondary section is affiliated by West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education.

Academics

The present curriculum of higher secondary section, affiliated by WBCHSE, consists of Arts and Science stream, for the time being.

Organisation structure

List of headmasters of Baranagore Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama High School according to their working period:
List of headmasters of Baranagore Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama High School

  • Swami Umananda
  • Swami Ramananda
  • Swami Jayananda
  • Swami Girutmananda
  • Swami Biswanathananda
  • Swami Bidhanananda
  • Swami Sukhananda 2003–2010
  • Swami Gyanalokananda, 2010–2011
  • Swami Kalyaneshananda, 2011–2014
  • Swami Dharmapriyananda, 2014–Present
Swami Tathagatananda was the head during the period 1975–February 1977.

Student life

Academic

Students are highly influenced by the faith and philosophy of Ramakrishna at this school. Former student Shiboprosad Mukherjee said:

Activities

BRKMAHS arranged an intensive cleaning programme Swachh Bharat Mission in the neighbouring locality on June 30, 2016 in accordance with the instruction given by the headquarters Belur Math. More than 600 students of standards VIII, IX and X actively participated in the programme under the guidance of monastic members and brahmacharies of the Ashrama and almost all the teaching and non-teaching staff of the High School.

Cultural activities

Following cultural festivals and activities are held at school premises & Nivedita Krirangan in a befitting manner by the students of school in every year:
Devotees’ Conference is also once held in every year during annual festival of school.

Alumni association

Baranagore Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama High School Ex-students Reunion Celebration Committee is the name of alumi association committee of BRKMAHS. This committee every year celebrates reunion ceremony for ex-students of school. They are connected with many social activities throughout the year.
Baranagore Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama Praktan Chhatra Samsad under the guidance of Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Baranagore, organised a “Voluntary Blood Donation Camp” on 15 September 2019, in association with blood bank of Ramakrishna Mission Seva Pratishthan, Kolkata, as a part of the concluding – 125th Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda’s Chicago Addresses at Sarada Bhawan. Total 51 units of blood were donated by ex-students of the ashrama high school, teachers, monastic members of different branch centres of the Ramakrishna Mission, Ashrama staff, volunteers and devotees. Baranagore Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama Praktan Chhatra Samsad Charitable Trust felicitated all the doctors who have been dedicatedly serving the poor & distressed patients throughout the year in the ashrama’s medical unit & also in medical camps at various remote places.

Notable alumni