Mother Durga Comes to Belur Math

Mother Durga  Comes to Belur Math:

The Ramakrishna monastery was moved from Nilambar's  house to Belur Math on 2 January 1899.

In 1901, a few days before Durga Puja, Swamiji (Swami Vivekananda)  was coming from Calcutta to Belur Math by boat when he had a vision of a luminous form of Mother Durga in the Math.  When the boat landed, he told Brahmananda about his vision and asked him to arrange the worship with an image. Brahmananda told Swamiji of a similar vision. "I was seated on this bench watching the Ganges,"  he said. "I saw Mother Durga come from Dakshineswar over the Ganges and reach that bel tree." Swamiji was excited. Fortunately an image was available in Kumartuli and it was brought to Belur Math on 17 October 1901.

On 18 October Holy Mother and her attendants came to attend Durga Puja and stayed at Nilambar's house. Brahmachari Krishnalal was the worshipper,  and  Ishwara Chandra Chakrabarty was the prompter of the mantras. According to Swamiji's direction the worship was performed in the name of Holy Mother,  who offered 25 rupees to Ishwara Chakrabarty as dakshina,  a gift for performing the worship. Swamijj also invited brahmin pandits from neighbouring Belur,  Bali, and Uttarpara to attend the worship.  They came and partook of the prasad and cleared uptheir misunderstandings about Belur Math.

On 21 October after the vesper service Swamijj sang some devotional songs that the Master used to sing, thus entertaining Holy Mother and others gathered there. When the immersion ceremony was held on 22 October,  Swami Brahmananda danced on the boat in ecstasy. 

-Sri Sarada Devi and Her Divine Playa