The disciples of Ramakrishna gathered round Narendranath, their leader, and settled into their first monastery at Baranagar in a dilapidated haunted house. There they engaged in extreme austerity and passed their days in blissful contemplation of the Divine amidst grinding poverty, hunger and material distress. But with Shashi Maharaj (Swami Ramakrishnananda) as the immobile axis of the monastery and Narendranath their luminous leader, they soon formed into the nucleus of the Ramakrishna Order of monks.
The brothers took their formal vows of sannyas at Baranagar Math in January, 1887 after taking informal vows of renunciation a few days earlier on Christmas Eve at Antpur at Baburam Maharaj's (Swami Premananda's) house. Now they set off on pilgrimage as wandering monks through the vast landmass of India.
Written by Sugata Bose
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