Ramakrishna Paramahansa was an Indian mystic and yogi of the 19th century. From a young age, Ramakrishna was given to spiritual ecstasies. He was influenced by several religious traditions, including devotion toward the goddess Kali, Tantra, Vaishnava bhakti, and Advaita Vedanta. There is considerable reverence and admiration for him amongst Bengali elites. This led to the formation of the Ramakrishna Mission by his chief disciple, Swami Vivekananda. There are many places in the Baghbazaar area that have been visited by him and are related to him and his disciples.
Ramakrishna Paramahansa influenced many women with his simple philosophies of life. This included his wife, Sarada Devi, who spread his teachings in a simple manner. Even simple women like Golaap Maa and Yogin Maa were influenced by his teachings and rose to achieve greater heights. Even though Ramakrishna died long before Sister Nivedita arrived in India, she was very influenced by Sarada Devi’s philosophy of life. Also, stage actors like Nati Binodini, who was closely associated with the dramatist Girish Ghosh of Baghbazaar, achieved solace after her association with Ramakrishna.
In this walk, we will highlight the places where these noble women resided or frequented and narrate the stories of their life. Most of these sites are simple and non-glamorous, without even a plaque to symbolise their significance.
This guided tour is free.
