Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Cultural Centre, Shillong.
In 1892 some prominent citizens of Shillong got together and set their efforts and constructed a Hall whereby they could showcase their cultural pursuits. This Hall was the Hall where present day RKMVCC stands. The beginning met with adversities as the Hall was destroyed by an earthquake in 1897. It was rebuilt in 1899 but was again gutted in a fire in 1900 after which it was rebuilt in 1901.
Swami Vivekananda, on his visit to Shillong, in 1901, delivered a speech on Indian Civilization in this very Hall and graced the same. Amidst dignitaries of Assam (Shillong being the capital of Assam then) was present Sir Henry Cotton, the Chief Commissioner of Assam, who had great reverence and appreciation for Swami Vivekananda. Therafter, the hall has been solemnised by eminent personalities like Rabindranath Tagore, Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray and Dr. Annie Besant who had enthralled the Shillongites with their eloquence. The hall committee had subsequently reconstituted itself as "Quinton Memorial Hall Committee" named after J.W.Quinton, the Governor of Assam. The hall came to be known locally as "Quinton Hall". Later on the Committee changed into a Trust.
Over the years
This Hall has also played its part during World War II, when it was taken over by the Government for defence purposes and continued to be under its possession much after the war. Thereafter, it was leased out to a mobile cinema owner who took over the hall on rent and did not vacate even after long persuasion resulting in filing of a suit of ejectment in 1956. The litigation travelled from the lowest court to the Supreme Court of India and after a period of 33 years, the possession was handed over to the Trust. The Trust, at this point of time, decided to hand over the property forever to Ramakrishna Mission for carrying out social, cultural and philanthropic activities.
Ramakrishna Mission cordially accepted the offer and prepared a scheme for utilization of the premises for establishing a cultural institute in the lines of the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Kolkata, with particular preference to the North East and Meghalaya. The Hall was renamed Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Cultural Centre and was reconstructed to its present shape and a Library and Meditation hall set up.
