Every obstacle is an opportunity, says Eknath Ranade

“Every problem has a solution, every obstacle is an opportunity,” said Eknath Ranade, who built the famous Vivekananda Rock Memorial at Kanyakumari and started Vivekananda Kendra- the nation vide service organisation.

He was born on November 19, 1914 and his birthday is has been named ‘Sadhana diwas’. His life was full of problems and obstacles, but he found opportunities in all of them and made his work and life successful.

It is not an easy task to take up the construction of a Grand Memorial at an age of fifty, he had no experience of construction or fund raising, his health was not very supportive and yet he did it.

Getting the support of 30 lakh Indians from almost all the states of India, including far off Nagaland, Meghalaya, Andaman and Kashmir, travelling throughout the country, he finally completed the grand Vivekananda Rock Memorial at Kanyakumari the southernmost tip of India, on the rock where Swami Vivekananda had meditated to realise the mission of his life.

During the last 46 years, over 5 crore visitors from world over have visited this memorial. The unstoppable Eknath then started Vivekananda Kendra - a spiritually oriented service organisation. Today this organisation is serving in all the states of India. It has 68 schools, four hospitals and over 800 activity centers. In Hyderabad, there are four activity centers where Yoga, value based education and many charitable activities happen.