Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Saturday said Swami Satyarupanand Maharaj along with Swami Atmanand was instrumental in setting up the Vivekananda Ashram in Raipur as well as ashrams in Bhilai, Bilaspur, Amarkantak and Narayanpur.
He was paying homage to Swami Satyarupanand at a function held at Vivekananda Vidyapeeth here. The Chief Minister offered floral tributes and prayed at the Ramakrishna Prarthana Mandir located in the premises.
He said these ashrams became the focal point of social service. The ashrams also laid emphasis on education, health and sports activities. They carried out relief work during the famine.
Vivekananda Ashram had a major contribution in settling the refugees from the Bangladesh war in Raipur and in Pakhanjur (Bastar).
Swami Satyarupanand was the last link in the chain of those great men who worked to connect Chhattisgarh with Ramakrishna ‘Bhavadhara’. His death is the end of an era, the Chief Minister said.
Baghel also interacted with students of Vidyapeeth.