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PM Modi to stay at Advaita Ashram where Swami Vivekananda stayed in 1901: Official
The Advaita Ashram was founded in 1899 under the inspiration of Swami Vivekananda. The swami visited the ashram in 1901 and stayed there for a fortnight
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be staying at the main ashram of the Advaita Ashram in the Lohaghat area of Uttarakhand’s Champawat district where Swami Vivekananda had stayed in 1901, people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.
PM Modi will spend a night here on October 12 during his two-day visit to the state on October 11-12.
Advaita Ashram, commonly known as Mayawati Ashram, was founded in 1899 under the inspiration of Swami Vivekananda for the practice and preaching of Advaita Vedanta. Situated around 25 km from the Champawat district headquarters, the ashram is located at a height of 6,400 feet and is surrounded by lush green forests. Swami Vivekananda visited here in 1901 and stayed here for a fortnight (January 3-January 18, 1901).
According to officials, PM Modi will go to Pithoragarh district for two days from October 11. According to his tentative programme, he will reach Narayan Ashram near the China border on the first day in Pithoragarh district. He will stay overnight in the Ashram and the next day he will visit the Jolingkong area in Pithoragarh to have darshan (glimpse) of Mount Kailash. After Kailash darshan, he will address a public meeting in Pithoragarh town. After Pithoragarh, he will visit Mayawati Ashram in Champawat district and stay there for the night on October 12.
District magistrate Navneet Pande has visited Ashram twice with various departmental officers for the preparations for PM Modi’s visit.
Swami Shuddhidananda from Mayawati Ashram said, “Modi will stay in our main ashram during his visit. He is the first VVIP or VIP we will host in our main ashram building, where Swami Vivekananda stayed in 1901. He is the first PM to visit our ashram therefore he has been given this honour by the ashram management.”
“Every arrangement and protocol will be maintained by the administration. Only night stay facility for PM Modi will be facilitated by the ashram. VIPs and people visit Mayawati ashram and ashram management provides them stay facilities in rooms constructed some metres away on the way to the ashram, but no one is provided a stay facility in the main ashram building, where swami Vivekananda stayed,” the swami added.
Local Congress MLA Khushal Singh Adhikari while expressing happiness regarding Modi’s visit, said, “It is our good luck that PM Modi is visiting our area. We will give him a warm welcome because he is the PM of the country. If Modi comes here, he will surely give us gifts regarding the development of our area”.
Deep Pathak, former district president BJP, Champawat said, “We are eager to welcome a political stalwart like PM Modi. Modi is the leader of the nation, and it is our fortune he is visiting here. We hope for some major announcements regarding developments in our area.”
According to the website of Advaita Ashram (advaitaashrama.org), “Swami Vivekananda Swamiji had always been attracted by the Himalayas. During his tour of the Swiss Alps, the idea to set up an ashrama in similar conditions in India took shape. After he returned from the West in 1897, in Almora, he inspired Captain Sevier and Mrs. Sevier along with Swami Swarupananda, his disciple, to commence looking for a place to house an ashrama dedicated to Advaita. They found it in Mayavati, surrounded by mountains on three sides, one side opening to a breathtaking view of the snow-capped Himalayan range.”
“Advaita Ashram is a branch of the Ramakrishna Math founded on March 19, 1899 at the behest of Swami Vivekananda. Belur Math, established earlier, approved of its objects and principles and recognised Advaita Ashram as its branch. Swamiji paid the Ashrama a visit in January 1901 and stayed for a fortnight. The Ashram had a press of its own and the first editions of Swami Vivekananda’s work were published from Mayavati Ashram,” the website says.
