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Sri Ramakrishna Vidyashala, Yadavagiri, Mysore, is celebrating its Golden Jubilee. The three - day celebrations were inaugurated on Friday January 9, 2003.

This article traces the birth and growth of the Vidyashala.

Providing food to the needy is an act of great service. But educating the unlettered is a greater service. Food facilitates short-term satisfaction but that of education is life-long. Knowledge through education is considered sacred. Attributes of disarming nature, goodness towards others and humility are all the results of education. It is a means of enabling an individual to work as a worthy citizen for the country's progress and grow as a good human being. Parents, proper ambience and the system of education at Sri Ramakrishna Vidyashala are all very important for laying a strong foundation for the students to develop.

Gandhi held the view that education was indeed the child's as well as the adult's physical, mental and spiritual blossoming. But, does this get reflected in today's education? In how many schools do the above features of education figure?

Sri Ramakrishna Vidyashala, Yadavagiri, is a model of a residential school, which facilitates the all-round development of students - physical, mental and spiritual - apart from academic training.

Historical sketch:
The Vidyashala was founded in 1953 by the then President of Sri Ramakrishna Ashram late Swami Shambhavanandaji. It reflects the thoughts of Swami Vivekananda. The headquarters of Sri Ramakrishna Mission is in Kolkata. The Vidyashala is the only residential school managed by the Karnataka Wing of the Mission. It has classes from 8th standard to second year Pre-University.

Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama was established in Mysore in 1925. The students' hostel came into existence in 1935. It was shifted to its present premises in 1950. The institution was expanded upto 10th standard in 1953. The Pre-University classes were started in 1979. Training in the Vidyashala includes not just academics but the all-round development of the students.

The impressive six and half foot statue of Swami Vivekananda greets the visitor to the Vidyashala on entering its premises. It has been sculpted using marble from abroad. It was originally at the Sri Ramakrishna Mission in Rangoon, Myanmar (formerly Burma). The atmosphere in the Vidyashala brings in relaxation to both body and mind as it brings with it a sense of peace and well being, with greenery all around.

Student strength:
The student strength of the Vidyashala is 393. There are 25 teachers and 15 non-teaching staff. The campus has an area of 69 acres. The 22 different kinds of facilities include open grounds, an auditorium, a swimming pool of good standard, an indoor sports arena, gymnasium, a mechanized laundry, computerized telescope and also a water treatment facility.

Milk supply is met by cattle strength of 35 in the Vidyashala. It has its own bakery and a well- equipped health centre, which consists of a dental clinic and physiotherapy facility. Medical specialists visit the Vidyashala regularly and check up the students' health. The food catered to the students is wholly vegetarian and nutritious. The special features of the Vidyashala are prayer, yoga and meditation. Even the teaching faculty wears prescribed dresses only.

Infrastructure:
A fairly large library is at the entrance of the Vidyashala building. It has more than 16,000 books. There is also an audio library here, apart from a big lounge for visitors and parents. After climbing up the wooden staircase, one comes to the well ventilated nine spacious classrooms. Chemistry, Physics and Biology laboratories are well equipped. All the students have full access to these, with every student getting close attention by the teachers.

The Vidyashala's biology laboratory has many uncommon plants, including some exotic ones.

An important attraction of the Vidyashala is its Prayer Hall. It can accommodate 400 persons. It has a large life-size statue of Swami Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. Pictures of Mary-Jesus, Shiva, Shankaracharya, Madhwacharya, Ramanujacharya, Allah, Akbar and many others adorn the walls of the Prayer Hall. The students live in well kept spacious hostel rooms. The classrooms and dining hall are closeby.

Physical training also is given its due importance in the Vidyashala. The gymnasium measuring 30m x 15m is well equipped. Facilities include a badminton court and are in charge of well-trained professionals. Experts supervise NCC training. There are fields for the students to play football, hockey, volleyball, basketball, kho-kho and ball badminton apart from facilities for indoor games such as carrom, shuttle badminton, table tennis and chess.

The swimming pool is in the midst of greenery. It is compulsory for the students to learn swimming. The pool measures 33mx15m and has water-cleaning facility apart from a fiberglass diving board. It was inaugurated in 1957 by India's first Prime Minister late Jawaharlal Nehru.

The Vidyashala has facilities of tape recording, projector, microscopes, 200-mm telescope and many other modern aids of teaching.

The sprawling garden, approachable by well-paved roads comprises mango, coconut, rosewood, teak, sapota, coffee, and many spice plants including pepper all numbering hundreds. There is a cottage in its midst for the monks to meditate. Nearly 100 kinds of birds are known to nestle in the garden.

B.Ed College:
The campus has also a B.Ed College. It has a Prayer Hall too, well designed like the one in the Vidyashala. Below it is a separate hall for meditation. The atmosphere in the hall, which has soft lighting and pictures of different religious leaders, strongly induces the visitor to take to a few minutes of meditation.

Computer education and typing have been made compulsory to the students. The distinct merit of the Vidyashala is the discipline of its students and the self-reliant attitude in keeping their living space clean and tidy. They attend to all their daily chores, including cleaning of the toilets and bathrooms. All their activities proceed like clockwork everyday.

Their training includes visits to slums with the teachers, in order to become aware of the importance of living hygienically.

There is provision in the Vidyashala to educate children belonging to the economically weaker sections of society, offering them scholarships and charging concessional rates. A three-day camp is conducted for the students every year for building their personality. Monks, scientists and distinguished personalities address the students in the camp.

The Golden Jubilee commemoration building was inaugurated yesterday by Union Minister for Human Resource Development Dr. Murali Manohar Joshi.

A value-based education is necessary to realise oneself and develop self-confidence. Many ways of acquiring wealth have been worked out in the present days. But, that will not provide sustained peace and tranquillity to human beings. It is the inner feeling of stability along with devotion, commitment, dedication and surrender to the Almighty that yields gratification and a sense of fulfillment in life. The Vidyashala has successfully guided its students to imbibe this outlook. It has indeed dedicated itself to train students to blossom themselves into building a vibrant society upholding moral values.

Courtesy: Star of Mysore