For years, monks and devotees had waited with great patience for a big temple. The small shrine set up in 1917 in what is at present the oldest building in the Math campus is clearly too small to accommodate the growing number of devotees.

It was in 1992 that the Universal Temple-plan gradually started taking concrete shape. A major hurdle was to acquire the vacant lot facing the main road and adjacent to the southern boundary of the Math. Cutting through the inevitable bureaucratic red tape and overcoming the hurdles put up by forces that had other ideas about the land, took almost three years. Once the land was acquired, no time was lost in fixing the date for the cornerstone ceremony, after consulting Revered Swami Bhuteshanandaji Maharaj, the then President of the Ramakrishna Order.

The ground breaking ceremony was performed on 24 November, Thursday morning. It was a relatively low-key function. The Ganapati-homa began at 8:00 am in the porch outside the Math library. Monks and devotees attended.

After another small ritual at the northeast end of the inner square of the Garbhamandira, the ground was broken by a consecrated shovel. Monks and devotees took turns in the symbolic digging ceremony. A memorable event that took place at this juncture filled the hearts of all with joy. No sooner had the digging begun than there was a light shower, lasting just a minute or so, and then it cleared once again. `This is an extremely auspicious omen,' we were told.

Revered Swami Bhuteshanandaji Maharaj arrived in Chennai on 28 November for the Ceremony. Revered Swami Ranganathanandaji had arrived earlier, on 21 November.

A pandal (130 ft x 60 ft) was erected at the temple-site. A huge cutout of the front-view of the proposed temple was placed at the main entrance to the pandal. A Yajnashala enclosure for the homa-ritual, built to scriptural specifications was made ready at the southern side of the temple-site. At the northeast corner of the Garbhamandira a 10 x 10 feet pit was already dug, 10 feet deep, and provided with a ramp. This is where the first stone for the foundation would be laid by Revered Swami Bhuteshanandaji Maharaj.

On Wednesday, 30 November 1994, a series of rituals were performed in the Yajnashala by a team of priests. At 9:30 in the morning there was an elaborate Sankalpa-ritual done with the help of priests, by Swami Smaranananda, the then head of the Chennai Math. This was followed by Ganapati Homa.

At 6:30 in the evening there was another Homa—this time Navagraha Homa—and it was followed by Vastu Shanti and Vastu Purnahuti.

While these rituals were in progress in the Yajnashala, the rest of the pandal reverberated with devotional songs from 8 am to 8 pm—a twelve-hour Akhanda Nama Sankirtan, `Continuous Singing of God's Name.' Twelve bhajan groups—drawn from the Order's schools in the city as well as devotees—sang for an hour each. Such was the impact of these musical offerings soaked with devotion and love, that those who attended the entire programme hardly realized the passing of time.

On the D day, Thursday, 1 December 1994, at 6:30, a special worship was offered to Sri Ramakrishna at the temple-site. The altar was set up on the Brahmasthanam, the very spot where the marble image of Sri Ramakrishna would stand when the temple would be built.

At the time when puja was offered to Sri Ramakrishna, there were Purnahuti and Kalasha-Sthapanam in the Yajnashala. Five granite stones were ritualistically consecrated and carried to the foundation-site.

At 7:50 am Revered Swami Bhuteshanandaji Maharaj arrived, followed by Swami Ranganathanandaji and other monks. After offering arghyas to Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda, and Swami Ramakrishnananda, Revered Swami Bhuteshanandaji Maharaj proceeded to the foundation-site. After the chanting of appropriate mantras, at 8:00 am sharp, he placed the first stone in the foundation, amidst jubilant cries of `jai' from the assembled devotees and monks. Swami Ranganathanandaji placed the second stone in the foundation. The other three stones were placed by Swami Smaranananda, Swami Jnanadananda, Manager of the Chennai Math, and the chief architect.

The Navaratna (precious stones and jewels) and Navadhanya (varieties of grain) were then placed in the foundation by Revered Maharaj. He also poured holy waters in the foundation and put there the dust procured from Kamarpukur, Jayrambati, and other holy places. Then he performed Arati. With this the ceremony was concluded.

As all this took place in the pit dug for the foundation, there was no way everyone could see what was happening. So an internal circuit TV network was established in the pandal in order that all could witness the auspicious ceremony. And the arrangement worked wonderfully.

After Revered Swami Bhuteshanandaji Maharaj left the pandal, sadhus and brahmacharins offered flowers at the foundation site. They were followed by the nuns of Sri Sarada Math. Then the devotees took turns in visiting the holy spot and offering mental worship and prayer. While all these ceremonies were taking place at the temple site, a special worship and homa were performed in the shrine. Special worship to Sri Ramakrishna was also performed on this day at the Mother-Centre, Belur Math, to mark the occasion.

At 12 noon, the devotees were fed sumptuously in the Vivekananda Hall. In the Math dining hall, there was Yati Puja for the monastic members of the Ramakrishna Order. About 75 swamis and brahmacharins were present.

In the afternoon, at 3:30, there was devotional singing.

The public meeting began exactly at 5:30 pm. After Vedic invocation by the monks of the Order and an opening song by Swami Purushottamananda, the gathering was welcomed by Swami Smaranananda. Then Revered Swami Bhuteshanandaji Maharaj gave the benediction. Swami Ranganathanandaji, who presided over the meeting, then addressed the gathering.

The Sthapati read a paper on the philosophy behind this temple architecture. After short speeches made by a few well-wishers of the math and after a few announcements by Swami Jnanadananda, the meeting ended.

In 1997 the Madras Math completes the first hundred years of its service to the city of Chennai in particular, and to Tamil Nadu in general. It seems appropriate that the centenary is observed by honouring Sri Ramakrishna in a special way. And what better way can there be than to build a place where we can all collectively commune with him in the silence of our hearts; a place where we can pray, worship, meditate, and sing; a place where we can all gather together in a spirit of friendship and love, faith and understanding, help and cooperation; a place to renew ourselves, so we can become useful members of society; a place where life once again becomes meaningful, joyful, and fulfilling.