Swami Vivekananda on his triumphal return from the West was requested by the devotees in Chennai to start a centre here. To fulfil their earnest desire Swamiji sent his brother-disciple Swami Ramakrishnananda to Chennai in March 1897 and thus Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai, came into existence.

After reaching Chennai, Swami Ramakrishnananda set up a small shrine for Sri Ramakrishna at a rented house. Then he shifted to Ice House (Present Vivekanandar Illam) and started preaching and teaching Vedanta. Slowly he built up the present Sri Ramakrishna Math which is a hub of multipronged service activities, physical, intellectual and spiritual. This is the very first centre of the Ramakrishna Order in the South.

Sri Ramakrishna Math completed 100 years of its service in 1997. The shrine of Sri Ramakrishna set up in 1917 in the present Math building has become too small to accommodate the growing number of devotees. Therefore the monks and devotees were anxious for long that a spacious grand temple should be built to meet the need. The collective wish of so many people and years of silent prayer have led to the launching of the present Universal Temple project.

Swami Vivekananda's vision, Swami Ramakrishnananda's austerity and efforts, and the earnest prayers of devotees combined with the social need have all contributed toward the transformation of a dream into a reality. The first step was taken when late Srimat Swami Bhuteshanandaji Maharaj, the then President of the Ramakrishna Order, laid the foundation-stone for this Universal Temple on 1st December 1994 in a grand solemn function.

It took 7 years for the completion of the Universal Temple.

For details read Swami Anananyanadaji Maharaj 'From a small shrine to the Universal temple'

Foundation Laying Ceremony - 1 December 1994

Growth of the Universal Temple