The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has declared the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture as a Grade-I heritage structure and put a blue plaque as a mark of recognition.
The huge structure at Gol Park was constructed by Martin Burn Company and inaugurated in 1963 during the birth centenary of Swami Vivekananda. The building was inaugurated by Dr Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, the then President of India and a scholar in philosophy.
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Swami Nityaswarupananda, a disciple of the Holy Mother took the initiative to set up an international centre to discuss different thoughts and views on important issues in the world. It was one of the earliest centre in Kolkata where several foreign languages were taught.
The Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture has one of the finest libraries in the city. The readers get all the modern day benefits to read books and carry out research. It has a children’s library, research and publication wings and a wing to hold youth conference to propagate the message of Swami Vivekananda. RKMIC has a museum, a prayer hall and meditation room.
The RMIC has a book counter and the institute reached a different height when Swami Lokeswarananda became the secretary. Scholars across the globe including Nobel Laureates used to come to deliver speeches and take part in seminars. Scholars like Professor Bimal Krishna Matilal, Spaulding Professor Philosophy at the University of Oxford, internationally famous historian Professor Tapan Rai Chaudhuri, Professor J N Mohanty used to come and stay at the institute.
When Swami Prabhananda became the secretary of the institute he took the initiative to set up a separate building to teach foreign languages.
