Sri Ramakrishna passed away on 16 August 1886, at the Cossipore garden house. Some of his young disciples had to return to their homes against their wishes, while others had no place to go. They were like orphans. One evening, early in September, while Surendra was meditating in His shrine, Sri Ramakrishna appeared before him and said: ‘What are you doing here? My boys are roaming about without a place to live. Attend to that before anything else.’ Immediately Surendra rushed to Swami Vivekananda’s house and said to some of the disciples: ‘Brothers, where will you go? Let us rent a house. You will live there. Make it our Master’s shrine; and we, householders shall come there for consolation. How can we pass all our days and nights with our wives and children in the world? I used to spend a sum of money for the Master at Cossipore. I shall gladly give it now for your expenses.’
Accordingly, a house was rented at Baranagore, near the Ganga. M. mentioned in the Gospel: ‘Surendra was indeed a blessed soul. It was he who laid the foundation of the great order later associated with Sri Ramakrishna’s name. His devotion and sacrifice made it possible for those earnest souls to renounce the world for the realization of God. Through him, Sri Ramakrishna made it possible for them to live in the world as embodiments of his teaching, the renunciation of “women and gold” and the realization of God.’