Vivekananda House (Vivekanandar Illam in Tamil)

Vivekananda House is an important place for the Ramakrishna Movement in South India. It was earlier known as Ice House or Castle Kernan. It was in February 1897, the celebrated philosophical saint of India, Swami Vivekananda, stayed here for some 9 days. He delivered a lot of freedom provoking lectures during his stay here. The place was later occupied by Ramakrishna Math (Monastery), founded by Swami Ramakrishnananda, a disciple of Vivekananda. The Math functioned here for 10 years and later moved to Mylapore.

In 1963, during the Birth Centenary of Vivekananda, the Government of Tamil Nadu honoured him by renaming this place as ‘Vivekananda House’. The two-storey building reflects the Victorian architecture with its standout designs. The bedroom that Vivekananda used here is a place for devotees for meditation. Kitchen, Parlour and the garden where Vivekananda used are open for the public to visit. It also houses some of the rare select photographs of Vivekananda. It brings the tourists a glimpse of the way he lived and as an inspiration for the youth for the healthy way of life. With its location near Marina beach, the place is rarely missed in anyone’s itinerary.