Ramakrishna Paramhansa, a priest at a temple in Dakshineshwar near Calcutta emphasized that there are many roads to God and salvation and that service of man was service of God, for man was the embodiment of God. His great disciple, Swami Vivekananda popularized his religious message. However he also called for social action to remove poverty. In 1896 Vivekananda founded the Ramakrishna Mission to carry on humanitarian relief and social work. The mission had many branches in different parts of the country. Vivekananda condemned the caste system and the current Hindu emphasis on rituals, ceremonies and superstitions and urged the people to imbibe the spirit of liberty, equality and free thinking.