Coordinates	40°37′29″N73°57′8″N
title	Order of the British Empire
awarded by	the Sovereign, on the advice of the Government
type	Award
motto	For God and the Empire
day	NA
eligibility	British citizens
for	A national order of merit
status	Currently constituted
head title	Sovereign
head	Queen Elizabeth II
head2 title	Grand Master
head2	Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
commander	Sovereign
grades	Knight/Dame Grand Cross (GBE)Knight/Dame Commander (KBE/DBE)Commander (CBE)Officer (OBE)Member (MBE)
former grades	NA
date	1917
first induction	ND
last induction	ND
total	ND
recipients	ND
individual	ND
higher	Royal Victorian Order
lower	Varies, depending on rank
image2
caption2	Ribbons: civil (upper), military (lower) }}

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions. In descending order of seniority, these are: ''Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire'' (GBE) or ''Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire'' (GBE)

''Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire'' (KBE) or ''Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire'' (DBE)

''Commander of the Order of the British Empire'' (CBE)

''Officer of the Order of the British Empire'' (OBE)

''Member of the Order of the British Empire'' (MBE)

Only the highest two ranks automatically cause an individual to become a knight or dame, an honour allowing the recipient to use the title "Sir" (male) or "Dame" (female) before their first name (though men can be knighted separately from this and other Orders of Chivalry). Honorary knighthoods, given to individuals who are not nationals of a realm where Queen Elizabeth II is Head of State, permit use of the honour as a post-nominal but not as a title before their name. Awards in the Order of the British Empire in the Commonwealth Realms were discontinued with the establishment of national systems of honours and awards such as the Order of Canada, the Order of Australia and the New Zealand Order of Merit. Foreign recipients are classified as honorary members of the Order they receive, and do not contribute to the numbers restricted to that Order as full members do.

There is also a related British Empire Medal, whose recipients are not members of the Order, but who are nonetheless affiliated with the Order. The British Empire Medal has not been used in the United Kingdom or its dependencies since 1993, but is still used by the Cook Islands and by some other Commonwealth nations.

The Order's motto is ''For God and the Empire''. It is the most junior of the British orders of chivalry, and the largest, with over 100,000 living members worldwide.

History

King George V founded the order to fill gaps in the British honours system:

the Most Honourable Order of the Bath honoured only senior military officers and civil servants;

the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George honoured diplomats; and

the Royal Victorian Order honoured those who had personally served the Royal Family.

In particular, King George V wished to honour the many thousands of people who had served in numerous non-combatant capacities during the First World War. Originally, the Order included only one division; however, in 1918, soon after its foundation, it was formally divided into Military and Civil Divisions.

This order has a more democratic character than the Order of the Bath or the Order of St Michael and St George, and in its early days was not held in high esteem. However, this has changed over the years.

Several past American statesmen and diplomats who have performed service for, or on behalf of, the United Kingdom have been given the designation of Knight Commander of the order. However, since membership requires swearing allegiance to a foreign head of state (currently Queen Elizabeth II), the title is officially considered "honorary", and the person is not entitled to be referred to as Sir or Dame. Occasionally the media incorrectly refer to foreign recipients with the prefix title, an example being Bob Geldof KBE, an Irish citizen.

Composition

The British monarch is Sovereign of the Order, and appoints all other members of the Order (by convention, on the advice of the Government). The next most senior member is the Grand Master, of which there have been three: Edward, Prince of Wales (1917–1936), Queen Mary (1936–1953), and the current Grand Master, The Duke of Edinburgh (1953–present).

The Order is limited to 300 Knights and Dames Grand Cross, 845 Knights and Dames Commander, and 8960 Commanders. There are no limits applied to the total number of members of the fourth and fifth classes, but no more than 858 Officers and 1464 Members may be appointed per year. Appointments are made on the advice of the governments of the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth realms. By convention, female judges of the High Court of Justice are created Dames Commander after appointment, while male judges become Knights Bachelor.

Although the Order of the British Empire has by far the highest number of members of the British Orders of Chivalry, there are fewer appointments to knighthoods than in other orders. Most Knights Commander are honorary members or British citizens living abroad, with only a handful being residents of the United Kingdom. The grade of Dame Commander, on the other hand, is the most common grade of dame in the British honours system, and is awarded in circumstances in which men would be created Knights Bachelor.

Most members are citizens of the United Kingdom or the limited number of Commonwealth realms without their own national system of honours and awards. Citizens of other countries, however, may be admitted as "honorary members". They do not count towards the aforementioned numerical limits, and are not formally addressed as "Sir" or "Dame". They may be made full members if they subsequently become citizens of Commonwealth realms. See List of honorary British Knights.

At the foundation of the Order, the "Medal of the Order of the British Empire" was instituted. In 1922, it was renamed the "British Empire Medal". Recipients, who are not members of the Order itself, are grouped into the Civil and Military Divisions. Only junior government and military officials are awarded the medal; senior officials are directly appointed to the Order of the British Empire. The United Kingdom's Government has not recommended the awarding of the medal since 1992, although some Commonwealth realms continue the practice.

The Order has six officials: the Prelate, the Dean, the Secretary, the Registrar, the King of Arms, and the Usher. The Bishop of London, a senior bishop in the Church of England, serves as the Order's Prelate. The Dean of St Paul's is ''ex officio'' the Dean of the Order. The Order's King of Arms is not a member of the College of Arms, as are many other heraldic officers. The Usher of the Order is known as the Gentleman Usher of the Purple Rod; he does not – unlike his Order of the Garter equivalent, the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod – perform any duties related to the House of Lords.

If one is appointed to a higher class within the order, one must return one's existing insignia in exchange for the more senior one, and cease using the junior post-nominal letters. Some people, however, have been appointed to both divisions, such as Dame Kelly Holmes, who has been appointed an MBE in the military division and a DBE in the civil division, and is therefore known as "Dame Kelly Holmes, DBE, MBE (Mil.)".

Gallantry

From 1940, a person could be appointed a Commander, Officer or Member of the Order of the British Empire for gallantry, for acts of bravery (not in the face of the enemy) which were below the level required for the George Medal, with the grade being determined by the same criteria as usual and not by the level of gallantry (and with more junior people instead receiving the British Empire Medal). Oddly, this meant that it was awarded for lesser acts of gallantry than the George Medal, but, as an Order, was worn before it and listed before it in post-nominal initials. From 14 January 1958 these awards were designated the Order of the British Empire for Gallantry. Any individual made a member of the Order for gallantry could wear an emblem of two crossed silver oak leaves on the same riband, ribbon or bow as the badge. It could not be awarded posthumously and was effectively replaced in 1974 with the Queen's Gallantry Medal. If a recipient of the Order of the British Empire for Gallantry was promoted within the Order, whether for gallantry or otherwise, they continued to also wear the insignia of the lower grade with the oak leaves. However, they only used the post-nominal letters of the higher grade.

Vestments and accoutrements

Members of the Order wear elaborate costumes on important occasions (such as quadrennial services and coronations), which vary by rank (the designs underwent major changes in 1937):

The ''mantle'', worn only by Knights and Dames Grand Cross, was originally made of yellow satin lined with blue silk, but is now made of purple satin lined with pearl-grey silk. On the left side is a representation of the cross (see below).

The ''collar'', also worn only by Knights and Dames Grand Cross, is made of gold. It consists of six medallions depicting the Royal Arms, alternating with six medallions depicting the Royal and Imperial Cypher of George V ("GRI", which stands for "Georgius Rex Imperator"). The medallions are linked with gold cables depicting lions and crowns.

On certain "collar days" designated by the Sovereign, members attending formal events may wear the Order's collar over their military uniform, formal day dress, or evening wear. When collars are worn (either on collar days or on formal occasions such as coronations), the badge is suspended from the collar. Collars are returned upon the death of their owners, but other insignia may be retained.

At less important occasions, simpler insignia are used:

The ''star'' is an eight-pointed silver star used only by Knights and Dames Grand Cross and Knights and Dames Commander. It is worn pinned to the left breast. Varying in size depending on class, it bears a crimson ring with the motto of the Order inscribed. Within the ring, a figure of Britannia was originally shown. Since 1937, however, the effigies of George V and his wife Queen Mary have been shown instead.

The ''badge'' is the only insignia used by all members of the Order. Until 1937, it was suspended on a purple ribbon, with a red central stripe for the military division; since then, the ribbon has been rose-pink with pearl-grey edges, with the addition of a pearl-grey central stripe for the military division. Knights and Dames Grand Cross wear it on a riband or sash, passing from the right shoulder to the left hip. Knights Commander and male Commanders wear the badge from a ribbon around the neck; male Officers and Members wear the badge from a ribbon on the left chest; all females other than Dames Grand Cross wear it from a bow on the left shoulder. The badge is in the form of a cross patonce (having the arms growing broader and floriated toward the end), the obverse of which bears the same field as the star (that is, either Britannia or George V and Queen Mary); the reverse bears George V's Royal and Imperial Cypher. Both are within a ring bearing the motto of the Order. The size of the badges varies according to rank: the higher classes have slightly larger badges. The badges of Knights and Dames Grand Cross, Knights and Dames Commander and Commanders are enamelled with pale blue crosses and crimson rings; those of Officers are plain gold; those of Members are plain silver.

The ''British Empire Medal'' is made of silver. On the obverse is an image of Britannia surrounded by the motto, with the words "For Meritorious Service" at the bottom; on the reverse is George V's Imperial and Royal Cypher, with the words "Instituted by King George V" at the bottom. The name of the recipient is engraved on the rim. This medal is nicknamed "the Gong", and comes in both a full-sized and miniature versions – the latter for formal white-tie and informal black-tie occasions.

A lapel pin for everyday wear was first announced at the end of December 2006, and will soon become available to recipients of all levels of the Order, as well as to holders of the British Empire Medal. The pin design is not unique to any level. The pin features the badge of the Order, enclosed in a circle of ribbon of its colours of pink and grey. Lapel pins must be purchased separately by a member of the Order at the fixed price of £15.00. The creation of such a pin was recommended in Sir Hayden Phillips' review of the honours system in 2004, not unlike many other countries.

{|align=center class=wikitable width=55% !colspan=4|Order of the British Empire ribbon bars |- !width=15% valign=center align=center| !width=20% valign=center align=center|civil !width=20% valign=center align=center|military |- !width=15% valign=center align=center|1917–1935 |width=20% valign=center align=center| |width=20% valign=center align=center| |- !width=15% valign=center align=center|since 1936 |width=20% valign=center align=center| |width=20% valign=center align=center| |- |}

Chapel

The chapel of the order is in the far eastern end of the crypt of St Paul's Cathedral, but it holds its great services upstairs in the main body of the cathedral. (The Cathedral also serves as the home of the chapel of The Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George.) Religious services for the whole Order are held every four years; new Knights and Dames Grand Cross are installed at these services. The chapel was dedicated in 1960.

Precedence and privileges

Members of all classes of the Order are assigned positions in the order of precedence. Wives of male members of all classes also feature on the order of precedence, as do sons, daughters and daughters-in-law of Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commander; relatives of Ladies of the Order, however, are not assigned any special precedence. As a general rule, individuals can derive precedence from their fathers or husbands, but not from their mothers or wives (see order of precedence in England and Wales for the exact positions).

Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commander prefix "Sir", and Dames Grand Cross and Dames Commander prefix "Dame", to their forenames (never surnames – thus Sir Antony Sher may be shortened to Sir Antony, but not to Sir Sher). Wives of Knights may prefix "Lady" to their surnames, but no equivalent privilege exists for husbands of Dames. Such forms are not used by peers and princes, except when the names of the former are written out in their fullest forms. Male clergy of the Church of England or the established Church of Scotland do not use the title "Sir" as they do not receive the accolade (i.e., they are not dubbed "knight" with a sword), although they do append the post-nominal letters.

Knights and Dames Grand Cross use the post-nominal "GBE", Knights Commander "KBE", Dames Commander "DBE", Commanders "CBE", Officers "OBE" and Members "MBE". The post-nominal for the British Empire Medal is "BEM".

Knights and Dames Grand Cross and Knights and Dames Commander who are not citizens of Commonwealth realms can be awarded honorary titles but do not receive the accolade and are not entitled to the prefix "Sir" or "Dame", but may still use the post-nominal abbreviations. For example, American Bill Gates was made a Knight Commander, but is not entitled "Sir Bill" or "Sir Bill Gates", although he may use the title "Bill Gates, KBE". Bob Geldof, KBE received a knighthood in 1986 and although he is often referred to as "Sir Bob", he is not a citizen of a Commonwealth realm and he is not entitled to use the prefix "Sir". If recipients later become citizens of Commonwealth realms, then they are usually made substantive members of the Order, and are entitled to begin using the Sir prefix. For example, Irish broadcaster Terry Wogan was appointed an honorary KBE in 2005. He subsequently took dual British and Irish nationality, was made a substantive member, and is now entitled to use the name "Sir Terry Wogan".

Knights and Dames Grand Cross are also entitled to be granted heraldic supporters. They may, furthermore, encircle their arms with a depiction of the circlet (a circle bearing the motto) and the collar; the former is shown either outside or on top of the latter. Knights and Dames Commander and Commanders may display the circlet, but not the collar, surrounding their arms. The badge is depicted suspended from the collar or circlet.

Criticism

The order has attracted some criticism for its connection with the idea of the British Empire. Benjamin Zephaniah, a British Jamaican poet, publicly rejected an OBE in 2003 because, he said, it reminded him of "thousands of years of brutality". He went on to say, "It reminds me of how my foremothers were raped and my forefathers brutalised".

Others have declined honours, but, at the request of the Prime Minister's office, did not reveal the fact until some years later. In 2004, a House of Commons Select Committee recommended changing the name of the award to the "Order of British Excellence" and changing the rank of "Commander" to "Companion", as the former was said to have a "militaristic ring".

A notable person to decline the offer of an Order of the British Empire was the author C. S. Lewis (1898–1963), who had been named on the last list of honours by George VI in December 1951.

The members of The Beatles were made MBEs in 1965. John Lennon justified the comparative merits of his investiture by comparing military membership in the order, saying "Lots of people who complained about us receiving the MBE received theirs for heroism in the war – for killing people... [W]e received ours for entertaining other people. I'd say we deserve ours more." Later, Lennon returned his MBE on 25 November 1969 as part of his ongoing peace protests. Other criticism centres on the claim that many recipients of the Order are being rewarded with honours for simply doing their jobs. The civil service and judiciary receive far more Orders of the British Empire than leaders of other professions and charity workers.

Chin Peng, long-time leader of the Malayan Communist Party, was granted the OBE for his share in fighting against the Japanese during the Second World War, in close cooperation with the British commando Force 136. It was withdrawn by the British government (and became undesirable for Chin Peng himself) when the Communist leader headed his party's guerrilla insurgency against the British in the Malayan Emergency.

See also

British honours system

Knight Bachelor

List of celebrities appointed to the Order of the British Empire

List of Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire

List of Dames Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire

List of honorary British Knights

List of Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire

United Kingdom order of precedence

References

External links

Honours, Decorations & Awards UK Government

The London Gazette lists recipients of honours

Cambridge University Heraldic and Genealogical Society, (2002), "The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire"

"Knighthood and Chivalry" (1911). ''Encyclopædia Britannica'', 11th ed. London: Cambridge University Press

Velde, F. R. (2003). "Order of Precedence in England and Wales

'' The Chapel of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire'' by Frederic Hood, with a foreword by Prince Philip

Search recommendations for the Order of the British Empire on The UK National Archives' website

The Chapel of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire – OBE Chapel Exterior detail

Category:Article Feedback Pilot Category:Orders of knighthood of the United Kingdom Category:1917 establishments in the United Kingdom

ar:رتبة الإمبراطورية البريطانية bg:Орден на Британската империя ca:Orde de l'Imperi Britànic cs:Řád britského impéria cy:Urdd yr Ymerodraeth Brydeinig da:Order of the British Empire de:Order of the British Empire et:Briti impeeriumi ordu es:Orden del Imperio Británico eo:Ordeno de Brita imperio fa:رتبه امپراتوری بریتانیا fr:Ordre de l'Empire britannique gl:Orde do Imperio Británico ko:대영 제국 훈장 id:Ordo Imperium Britania it:Ordine dell'Impero Britannico he:מסדר האימפריה הבריטית hu:A Brit Birodalom Érdemrendje mk:Ред на Британската Империја ms:Order of the British Empire nl:Orde van het Britse Rijk ja:大英帝国勲章 no:Order of the British Empire nn:Den britiske imperieordenen pl:Order Imperium Brytyjskiego pt:Ordem do Império Britânico ro:Ordinul Imperiului Britanic ru:Орден Британской империи sq:Order of the British Empire simple:Order of the British Empire sk:Rad britského impéria sl:Red britanskega imperija fi:Brittiläisen imperiumin ritarikunta sv:Brittiska imperieorden tr:Britanya İmparatorluğu Nişanı uk:Орден Британської імперії zh:大英帝國勳章

Coordinates	40°37′29″N73°57′8″N
name	Sarada Deviসারদা দেবী
birth date	December 22, 1853
birth place	Jayrambati, West Bengal, India
birth name	Saradamani Mukhopadhyaya
death date	July 20, 1920
death place	Udbodhan office, Calcutta.
guru	Ramakrishna
quote	"I am the mother of the wicked, as I am the mother of the virtuous. Never fear. Whenever you are in distress, just say to yourself 'I have a mother.'"
footnotes	}}

Sarada Devi () (22 December 1853 – 20 July 1920), born Saradamani Mukhopadhyaya (), was the wife and spiritual counterpart of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, a nineteenth century mystic of Bengal. Sarada Devi is also reverentially addressed as the Holy Mother (''Sri Maa'' or শ্রীমা) by the followers of the Ramakrishna monastic order. Sarada Devi played an important role in the growth of the Ramakrishna Movement.

Sarada Devi was born in Jayrambati. At the age of five she was betrothed to Ramakrishna, whom she joined at Dakshineswar when she was in her late teens. According to her traditional biographers, both lived lives of unbroken continence, showing the ideals of a householder and of the monastic ways of life. After Ramakrishna's death, Sarada Devi stayed most of the time either at Jayrambati or at the Udbodhan office, Calcutta. The disciples of Ramakrishna regarded her as their own mother, and after their guru's passing looked to her for advice and encouragement. The followers of the Ramakrishna movement regard Sarada Devi as an incarnation of the Divine Mother.

Biography

Birth and parentage

Saradamani Devi, was born of Brahmin parents as the eldest daughter on December 22, 1853, in the quiet village of Jayrambati in present day West Bengal, India. Her parents, Ramchandra Mukhopadhyaya and Syamasundari Devi, were poor but pious. Her father Ramchandra earned his living as a farmer and through the performance of priestly duties. According to traditional accounts, Ramachandra and Syamasundari had visions and supernatural events foretelling the birth of a divine being as their daughter.

Sarada lived the simple life of an Indian village girl. As a child Sarada—then known as Saradamani—was fascinated by traditional Hindu folklore and narratives. As in the case of most girls of rural upbringing, she did not receive any formal education but learned to serve others as she helped her mother run a large household and looked after her younger brothers. During the terrible famine of 1864, Sarada worked ceaselessly as her family served food to hungry people. She was interested in the clay models of goddesses Kali and Lakshmi, which she worshiped regularly. She is said to have started meditating from her childhood and traditional accounts recount her mystic visions and experiences. According to Sarada Devi, she used to see a bevy of eight girls of her age coming from an unknown place, and escorted her in the chores during her childhood.

Betrothal

Ramakrishna—then known as Gadadhar Chattopadhaya and a priest of the Dakshineswar Kali Temple since 1855—was practicing spiritual austerities. His mother and brother thought that a marriage would be a good steadying effect on him, by diverting his attention away from spiritual austerities and visions. It is reported that Ramakrishna himself indicated Saradamani as the bride. In May 1859, Sarada was betrothed to Ramakrishna. Sarada was 5 years old and Ramakrishna was 23 then, but the age difference was typical for 19th century rural Bengal.

After the betrothal, Sarada was left to the care of her parents and Ramakrishna returned to Dakshineswar. Sarada next met Ramakrishna when she was fourteen years old, and she spent three months with him at Kamarpukur. There, Ramakrishna imparted Sarada instructions on meditation, spiritual life. Ramakrishna's frequent ''samadhi'' (ecstasy) and unorthodox ways of worship led some onlookers to doubt his mental stability, while others regarded him as a great saint. Sarada joined Ramakrishna at Dakshineswar in 1872 on her own accord when she was eighteen, after hearing these rumors about his mental health. She found Ramakrishna to be a kind and caring person. Sarada Devi stayed at Dakshineswar until 1885, except for short periods when she visited her village Jayrambati. By this time Ramakrishna had already embraced the monastic life of a sannyasin; as a result, the marriage was never consummated. As a priest, Ramakrishna performed the ritual ceremony—the ''Shodashi Puja'' where Sarada Devi was made to sit in the seat of goddess Kali, and worshiped as the Divine mother. According to Saradananda a direct disciple of Ramakrishna, Ramakrishna married in order to show the world an ideal of a sexless marriage. Ramakrishna regarded Sarada as the incarnation of Divine Mother, addressing her as ''Sree Maa'' (Holy Mother) and it was by this name that she was known to Ramakrishna's disciples.

Sarada Devi's day began at 3 am. After finishing her ablutions in the Ganges, she would practice ''japa'' and meditation until daybreak. Ramakrishna taught her the sacred ''mantras'', and instructed her how to initiate people and guide them in spiritual life. Sarada Devi is regarded as Ramakrishna's first disciple. Except for her hours of meditation, most of her time was spent in cooking for Ramakrishna and the growing number of his devotees. While Sarada Devi remained completely in the background, her unassuming but warm personality attracted some female devotees to become her lifelong companions.

During Ramakrishna's last days, during which he suffered from throat cancer, Sarada Devi played an important role in nursing him and preparing suitable food for him and his disciples. It is reported that after Ramakrishna's passing away in August 1886, when Sarada Devi tried to remove her bracelets as the customs dictated for a widow, she had a vision of Ramakrishna in which he said, "I have not passed away, I have gone from one room to another." According to her, whenever she thought of dressing like a widow, she had a vision of Ramakrishna asking her not to do so. After Ramakrishna's death, Sarada Devi continued to play an important role in the nascent religious movement. She remained the spiritual guide of the movement for the next thirty four years.

Pilgrimage

After Ramakrishna's death, Sarada Devi began her pilgrimage through North India, accompanied by a party of women disciples including Lakshmi Didi, Gopal Ma, and Ramakrishna's householder and monastic disciples. The party visited the Vishwanath Temple of god Shiva at Banaras and the city of Ayodhya, which is associated with life of god Rama. Later, she visited Vrindavan which is associated with god Krishna. According to traditional accounts, at Vrindavan, she experienced ''nirvikalpa samadhi'' and began her role as ''guru''. She initiated several of the Ramakrishna's disciples including Mahendranath Gupta, Yogen with a ''mantra''. According to her traditional biographers and disciples, to call her "Mother" was no mere expression of respect and all those who met her became aware of a maternal quality in her.

At Calcutta

After the pilgrimage, Sarada Devi stayed alone in Kamarpukur, Ramakrishna's native village. There, she endured poverty, verging on starvation for a year. In 1888, when the news reached the lay and monastic disciples of Ramakrishna that she needed their care and attention, they invited her to Calcutta and arranged for her stay. Swami Saradananda built a permanent house for Sarada Devi in Calcutta. The house was named the Udbodhan House, after the Bengali monthly magazine conducted by the Ramakrishna Math. It is also called ''Mayerbati'' ("Holy Mother's House"), where she spent the longest period of her life outside Jayrambati.

Sarada Devi came to Calcutta because she had many hardships in Kamarpukur. She had no financial resources and about no one could take care of her. She tried to hide her situation, but it leaked out. When the devotees at Calcutta heard this, they persuaded Sarada Devi to come to Calcutta.

At Udbodhan House, Sarada Devi was accompanied by other women disciples of Ramakrishna, Golap Ma, Yogin Ma, Lakshmi Didi and Gauri Ma being the best known. An increasing number of people began to flock for guidance, instructions and spiritual initiation. Other Western women followers of Ramakrishna Order including Sister Nivedita and Sister Devamata formed close relationship with her. According to her biographers, her innate motherliness put visitors at ease. Swami Nikhilananda, her direct disciple writes, "Though she had no children of the flesh, she had many of the spirit." She regarded all her disciples as her own children.

Sarada Devi received the highest reverence from the Ramakrishna Order and its devotees. Ramakrishna had bade her continue his mission after his passing away and wanted his disciples not to make any distinction between himself and her. According to her devotees and traditional biographers, the hospitality of Sarada Devi was unique and was characterized by motherly care and solicitude. Traditional accounts recount the mystical experiences of her devotees. Some dreamt of her as a goddess in human form though they had never seen her picture before. Others reportedly received their initiation from her in their dream. One such example is of Girish Chandra Ghosh, the father of Bengali drama, who reportedly saw Sarada Devi in a dream when he was nineteen years old and received a ''mantra'', and when he met her many years later, to his astonishment it was the same person in the dream.

Last days

Sarada Devi spent her final years moving back and forth between Jayrambati and Calcutta. In January 1919, Sarada Devi went to Jayrambati and stayed there for over a year. During the last three months of her stay, her health seriously declined. Her strength was greatly impaired and she was brought back to Calcutta on February 27, 1920. For the next five months she continued to suffer. Before her death, she gave the last advice to the grief stricken devotees, "But I tell you one thing—if you want peace of mind, do not find fault with others. Rather see your own faults. Learn to make the whole world your own. No one is a stranger my child: this whole world is your own!". This is considered as her last message to the world. She died at 1.30 am on July 20, 1920. Her body was cremated at the Belur Math.

Teachings and quotes

Sarada Devi did not write any books; her utterances and reminiscences have been recorded by her disciples including Swami Nikhilananda, Swami Tapasyananda. Though uneducated Sarada Devi's spiritual insight and utterances are highly regarded by scholars like Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, who writes, "We have bits and pieces of her exquisite remarks as testimony." The mind is everything. It is in the mind alone that one feels pure and impure. A man, first of all, must make his own mind guilty and then alone can he see another man's guilt. "I tell you one thing. If you want peace of mind, do not find fault with others. Rather see your own faults. Learn to make the whole world your own. No one is a stranger, my child; the whole world is your own."

Impact and legacy

Sarada Devi played an important role as the advisory head of an nascent organization that became a monastic order devoted to social work—the Ramakrishna Mission. Gayatri Spivak writes that Sarada Devi "performed her role with tact and wisdom, always remaining in the background." accepted Sarada Devi as his ''guru'' and joined the Ramakrishna Order. He eventually founded the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center in New York. Though uneducated herself, Sarada Devi advocated education for women. She entrusted Devamata with the implementation of her dream—a girl's school on the Ganges, where Eastern and Western pupils could study together.

Notes

References

Further reading

External links

Official Website of Sri Sarada Math

saradadevi.info, ''Gospel of Holy Mother'', Teachings.

Category:Hindu religious figures Category:Indian religious leaders Category:1853 births Category:1920 deaths Category:People from Bankura district Category:Ramakrishna Category:Ramakrishna Mission Category:Indian women religious leaders Category:People associated with the Bengal Renaissance

bn:সারদা দেবী kn:ಶಾರದಾದೇವಿ ml:ശാരദാദേവി ja:サーラダー・デーヴィー

Coordinates	40°37′29″N73°57′8″N
name	Gonzalo Lira
birth date	February 29, 1968
birth place	Burbank, California
occupation	Novelist, Film Director
nationality	Chilean American
period	1998 to present
genre	Action thriller }}

Gonzalo Lira (born February 29, 1968) is an American novelist, filmmaker and economic blogger born in Burbank, California

He is the son of Gonzalo Lira Valdés and María Isabel López Hess; he is a descendant of José Miguel Carrera,. He grew up in the San Fernando Valley, New York City, and Miami, as well as Guayaquil, Ecuador. He completed high school at St. George’s College in Santiago, Chile, in 1985. He attended Dartmouth College in 1991, graduating with honors in 1995, with a degree in history and philosophy.

His first novel was ''Counterparts'', a commercial thriller published in 1997. His first Spanish language novel was ''Tomáh Errázurih'', a highly experimental coming-of-age story published in 1998.

After moving to lower Manhattan in 1998, Lira wrote, produced, and directed a comic short film, ''So Kinky''. He worked developing video games such as Soldier of Fortune. He wrote his next novel, ''Acrobat'', in 2002. The novel was subsequently purchased by Miramax to be turned into a motion picture. In 2002, he moved to Chile. He began writing and producing Spanish language feature films. He co-wrote, produced and directed the film ''Catalina’s Kidnapping'', a Spanish language thriller in 2006.

Starting in 2010, Lira began contributing economic analysis to Zero Hedge, Naked Capitalism, Seeking Alpha and Business Insider; in Zero Hedge, one of his posts was the second most read of 2010.

His eponymous blog is the tenth most visited economic blog.

Novels

''Counterparts'' (G.P. Putnam Sons, New York, NY: 1998. ISBN 978-0-399-14312-0.)

''Tomáh Errázurih'' (Grijalbo Mondadori, Santiago, Chile: 1997. ISBN 978-956-258-057-1.)

''Acrobat'' (St. Martin's Press, New York, NY: 2002. ISBN 978-0-312-28694-1.)

References

Category:1968 births Category:Dartmouth College alumni Category:Living people Category:American people of Chilean descent

es:Gonzalo Lira ru:Лира, Гонзало