He remodelled the house adding circular verandahs and provided it with many windows to make it fit as residential quarters. He renamed the house as 'Castle Kernan,' as a tribute to his friend, the famous Justice Kernan of the Madras High Court. Apart from being his residential quarters, this house served as a shelter for poor and educationally backward students.
Castle Kernan acquired historical and cultural value because of Swami Vivekananda. Swami Vivekananda, after his appearance at the Chicago Parliament of Religions and successful preaching in the West returned to Chennai in February 1897. He was given a tumultuous welcome and Biligiri Iyengar being a disciple of the great Swami, offered Castle Kernan for his stay. Swami Vivekananda was taken there in a grand procession, he stayed there from February 6 to 14, 1897 and delivered seven electrifying lectures revealing his plan of campaign to restore India to her pristine glory. On the eve of his departure for Calcutta on 14 Feb 1897, Swami Vivekananda was requested by his devotees to have a permanent centre here. Swamji readily agreed and deputed his brother disciple Swami Ramakrishnananda to initiate the Ramakrishna Order's activities in South India.
Swami Ramakrishnananda, a great thinker and erudite scholar arrived in Chennai in the 3rd week of March 1897 with Swami Sadananda and after a short stay elsewhere, shifted to Ice House and established a shrine for Sri Ramakrishna there with the help extended by Sri Biligiri Iyengar, the owner of the house. Thus, the first branch of the Ramakrishna Math, which is now flourishing as an international spiritual organization, was started in Chennai. Biligiri Iyengar passed away in 1902 and Swami Ramakrishnananda continued his work here till 1906. In 1906 this property was brought to sale by auction by the mortgagee.
Later, the Government of Madras acquired the Ice House in 1917 as part of their social welfare scheme for Government Secondary Training School for Women. It also bore the name of Marine Mansion for a short period and has acted as Elementary & Secondary Grade Teacher's Trainees' Hostel and B.Ed. Trainees' Hostel.
The Ice House was named Vivekanandar Illam by the Govt. of Tamil Nadu during 1963, the Centenary year of Swami Vivekananda. Subsequently on 6 February 1997 the Government of Tamil Nadu celebrating the 'home coming centenary of Swami Vivekananda,' gave Vivekanandar Illam to Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, on lease to set up a permanent exhibition on Swami Vivekananda and the Indian Cultural Heritage. The Math has developed three sections.
Section 1 : Cultural Heritage of India
This section has a Colourful and vibrant exhibition of paintings, which echoes the cultural & spiritual history of India.
Section 2 : Photo gallery
The photo gallery is set in a large circular verandah with 120 rare photos of Swami Vivekananda. These photos donated by the Vedanta Society of St. Louis, USA are remarkable for its clarity and sharpness even as they were taken a century ago. Some relics of Swami Vivekananda are also displayed here.
Section 3 : Swami Vivekananda's Room
On the 2nd floor is the room where Swami Vivekananda stayed and it is from here that he proclaimed his Mission and inspired thousands of men and women to consecrate their lives for the emancipation of our motherland and mankind in general. The room commands a breath-taking view of the beach/ocean.
Ice house to Vivekanandar illam, it became a silent spectator of a series of diverse historical events, some of which have lifted this building to a status of an outstanding historical and cultural monument.
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