Ramakrishna Institute of Moral and Spiritual Education, popularly known as RIMSE, is a unit of Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama, Mysuru, which is one of the branch centres of Sri Ramakrishna Math and Sri Ramakrishna Mission
Every Education Commission of independent India has pointed out that our education system with its examination-oriented training is forcing children to spend too much time and energy in collecting and memorizing facts and figures and other people’s ideas and opinions. What students truly need is an education that encourages them to develop their own capacity for original thinking and discover their roots in our ancient value system. Speaking of such an education system that can shape an integrated personality, Swami Vivekananda says, “What we want are Western science coupled with Vedanta, Brahmacharya as the guiding motto, and also shraddha and faith in one’s own self.”
Way back in 1965, Swami Shambhavananda made a special attempt to complement our western-based formal education with Indian traditional values and spirituality. The swami was a pioneer in education and head of Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama, Mysuru – a branch centre of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, the international monastic organisation established by Swami Vivekananda.
Swami Shambhavanandaji conducted 2-week ‘retreats” or character-building interventions for college students during May summer vacation, and 3-day retreats in August for the high school students of Sri Ramakrishna Vidyashala, a residential High School for boys, run by Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama, Mysuru.
Encouraged by the widespread appreciation from academicians and public figures, Swami Shambhavanandaji decided to establish an institution dedicated to conduct such moral and spiritual education retreats for high school and college students and teachers. Thus was born Ramakrishna Institute of Moral and Spiritual Education.
With the assistance of the Mysore City Improvement Trust Board, a plot of land adjacent to Sri Ramakrishna Vidyashala was acquired and a magnificent building raised at a cost of nearly ₹ 30 lakhs. The designer was Sri D. R .Chowdhari of the ‘Gregson, Batley and King’, well-known architects from Bombay. The foundation stone was laid by the then Deputy Prime Minister of India Sri Morarji Desai on 21 January 1968 at 9.30 am. Sri S. Nijalingappa, the then Chief Minister of Mysore presided over the function. Generous grants were received from the Govt. of India (₹ 12,35,095), Govt. of Karnataka (₹ 7,35,095), Govt. of Andhra Pradesh (₹ 1,00,000), Govt. of Maharashtra (₹ 25,000) and Govt. of Gujarat (₹ 25,000). The rest of the money was raised from the public.
The building (except for the gopuram over the temple) was ready and consecrated by Srimat Swami Vireswaranandaji, the then President of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission on 23 May 1974 at 6 am. This was followed by a public function spread over two days.
The simple and elegant prayer hall has a beautiful marble murti of Sri Ramakrishna with a marble murti of Swami Vivekananda at the temple entrance, both sculpted by Messrs. G. Paul and Sons of Kolkata. Fourteen symbols chosen from all the major religions of the world hang in niches on the wall.
Construction of the gopuram over the prayer hall started in November 1979 and the expenditure of about ₹ 6 lakhs was met by grants of ₹ 1.075 lakhs each by the governments of India and Karnataka, and donations from devotees. Srimat Swami Vireswaranandaji performed the gopuram’s kumbhabhisheka on 21 January 1983. Later, as suggested by devotees, a marble murti of Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi was installed in the dining hall on 31 January 1985.
After the completion of the building, RIMSE placed before various State Governments the proposal to conduct:
a: 9-months Post-Graduate Diploma Course for Secondary School teachers;
b: 3-weeks condensed course for those unable to attend the 9-months course;
c: 2-weeks retreat for college boys during summer vacation;
d: 4 to 7 days retreat for the general public.
However, except for the Govt of Karnataka other states expressed their inability to depute their teachers, since moral education was not taught in the schools in their states.
Hence, as an alternative, in 1974 RIMSE started a fully residential one year B.Ed course (for men) affiliated to the University of Mysore with the special subject on Moral and Value Education which later came to be known as RIMSE Scheme. The purpose was to give young men a strong grounding in moral and spiritual values, besides their subject domain knowledge, and send them out as great teachers contributing to nation-building. The course was in great demand with an intake of 100 students every year from Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Pondicherry. This B.Ed course continued until 2019 when it was closed for various reasons. RIMSE produced thousands of efficient, motivated teachers who are serving across South India.
RIMSE conducted 1-month/2-months course for in-service teachers of high schools and junior colleges deputed by the Govt. of Karnataka. The teachers were trained in value education, highlighting our cultural heritage and national integration.
The 2-weeks retreat for college boys that was conducted at Sri Ramakrishna Vidyashala from May 1965 was continued down the years.
Beginning from May 1965, Sri Ramakrishna Vidyashala was conducting the annual summer vacation 2-week retreat for college boys. This retreat was continued in RIMSE from May-June 1974. For many years the Govt. of India supported these retreats.
The first retreat for general public was conducted at Sri Ramakrishna Vidyashala in May 1973 and then onwards at RIMSE premises. From 1978, owing to huge public demand these retreats were conducted twice a year in January and May.
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