Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai

Sri Ramakrishna Math ஸ்ரீராமகிருஷ்ண மடம்
Ramakrishna Mutt, Chennai
Geography
Coordinates	13°1′51″N 80°16′2″E / 13.03083°N 80.26722°E / 13.03083; 80.26722Coordinates: 13°1′51″N 80°16′2″E / 13.03083°N 80.26722°E / 13.03083; 80.26722
Country	India
State	Tamil Nadu
District	Chennai
Location	Mylapore, Chennai
Culture
Primary deity	Sri Ramakrishna
Architecture
Architectural styles	Fusion of Hindu, Islamic, Buddhist, Rajput, Christian styles
History and governance
Date built	1994
Creator	Ramakrishna Mission
Website	www.chennaimath.org

Ramakrishna Math is a monastic organisation for men brought into existence by Ramakrishna (1836–1886), a 19th-century saint of Bengal. The motto of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission is: "For one's own salvation, and for the welfare of the world".Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai is the first branch center of the Ramakrishna Order in Southern India. It was started in the year 1897 by Swami Ramakrishnananda, one of the direct disciples of Ramakrishna. Besides Swami Ramakrishnananda, the Math was visited by Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi, Swami Brahmananda, Swami Nirmalananda,Swami Shivananda, Swami Abhedananda, Swami Premananda, Swami Niranjanananda, Swami Trigunatitananda, and Swami Vijnanananda.

In February 1897, Swami Vivekananda returned to Calcutta from the West. At Madras, when devotees requested Swamiji to start a permanent center, Swamiji had said, 'I shall send you one who is more orthodox than the most orthodox Brahmins of the South and who is at the same time incomparable in performing worship, scriptural knowledge and meditation on God.' He meant Swami Ramakrishnananda, who was sent in March 1897.

The Ice House (now Vivekanandar Illam), otherwise known as Castle Kernan and situated in the Triplicane sea-beach, is a three-storeyed structure owned then by a prosperous advocate, Sri Biligiri Iyengar. It was there that Swami Vivekananda had stayed on his return from the West when he was given a historic reception by the citizens of Madras. Sri Iyengar who was a good devotee, now placed the ground floor at the Swami's disposal. Swami Ramakrishnananda moved to Ice House and started his activities. He set up a shrine for Sri Ramakrishna and would do regular worship there. While at the Ice House, Swami Ramakrishnananda started an orphanage for the destitute children which has now grown into a large institution called Ramakrishna Mission Students Home, Mylapore. The Ice House served as the first monastery of the Ramakrishna Movement in South India for 9 years.