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Ramakrishna Mission Vidyapith was established in 1922. It is the oldest residential educational institution of Ramakrishna Mission, and was visited by some of the brother disciples of Swami Vivekananda. Therefore, it bears the blessings as well as inspirations of many spiritual personalities behind its growth over the years. Now it has a residential Senior Secondary School, a well equipped charitable medical unit with modern diagnostic facilities, a centre for academic coaching to school going children from the surrounding poor families, vocational training courses for local school drop-outs under the auspices of National Open School, and occasional activities of relief and rehabilitation work.
The school is known all over the country for its persistent remarkable academic achievements. It has a cosmopolitan complexion in the composition of its inmates, having students from various states and communities of the nation. It is meant exclusively for boys and permanently affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education. Admission to its Secondary Section is restricted to standard VI alone. However, a few students from other schools are also admitted in class XI, in case the seats are available for them after giving entry to its own students who do well in class X Board examination. The school offers education in science stream only in its Senior Secondary Section. The boys are taken in it entirely on merit ascertained by dint of written, oral and other necessary tests.
Deoghar, being the holy abode of Lord Shiva affectionately addressed by all as Baba Vaidyanath, is one of the most significant places of pilgrimage in the country. It is an ancient city, which harbours in its bosom a body part (heart) of Sati the Divine Mother, for which it is being identified as one of the Puranic fifty two Sakti Pithas. Hence it has been perpetually drawing devotees from different corners of India for centuries. Sri Ramakrishna, his spiritual consort Sri Sarada Devi and his principal disciple Swami Vivekananda too came here on pilgrimage. Accordingly, Deoghar with Vidyapith occupies an important and special position in the history of Ramakrishna Movement.
1922
The idea of Ramakrishna Mission Vidyapith, Deoghar was first conceived by Swami Turiyananda, a disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, who inspired Brahmachari Vidyachaitanya to start a school in order to implement the man-making ideas of Swami Vivekananda. Accordingly, Br. Vidyachaitanya rented a small house at Mihijam in May 1922 and started a school with three day-scholars.
1923
Eight months later, in January 1923, he left Mihijam and came to Deoghar with twelve students. Staying initially in a house on Rohini Road for one and a half months, he subsequently shifted to another place on the Kachahari Road. Thereafter, in the middle of 1924, he once again shifted the school to the Khema Villa and the Bama Villa in Deoghar.
1925
Meanwhile, the work of procuring a plot of land for Vidyapith went on in full swing. On its accomplishment, the portion of the school located at Khema Villa was removed in 1925 to a couple of newly constructed houses, keeping the other portion at Bama Villa for a while more. Finally, when Vidyapith was totally shifted in its new premises, Swami Shivanandaji Maharaj, the then President of the Ramakrishna Order paid a visit and inaugurated the school ceremonially on January 19, 1926, the holy Saraswati Puja day. Shivanandaji Maharaj was deeply impressed by Vidyapith’s dedicated services and said: “I visualize a great future for Vidyapith. I am convinced that great work will be done through this institution.” His vision has indeed come true.
1964
The school was originally affiliated to the West Bengal boards of education. Much later, it was provisionally affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education, New Delhi in 1964. Thereafter, permanent affiliation of the school was sanctioned w.e.f. 1.5.1973 (vide letter no. CBSE/AI/03/8/618 dated 22 December 1973).
2018
Coming down to the present, the school has 513 students on its roll from classes VI to XII in current session. Its residential section is divided into 16 Dhams (houses) named after the direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna.