Swami Atmasthanandaji Maharaj RK Mission Prez passes on, PM Narendra Modi says personal loss

Mangalore Today News Network

KOLKATA, June 19, 2017: President of Ramakrishna Math and Mission Swami Atmasthanandaji Maharaj passed away at a city hospital today after a prolonged illness.  The 98-year-old monk had been undergoing treatment for age-related ailments since February, 2015.

A statement released by the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, Belur Math, said, "Despite the best medical attention, his condition deteriorated over the last few days and he passed away around 5.30 PM today at Ramakrishna Mission Seva Pratishthan hospital."  The cremation will take place at Belur Math on June 19, Monday about 9.30 pm and the gates of Belur Math would remain open. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the death of Swami Atmasthananda, terming it as a "personal loss".  As a young boy, Modi had visited the Belur Math to join the Order, but his request was turned down and he was told that his calling was elsewhere.  Later, he got spiritual guidance from Swami Atmasthananda in Rajkot, Gujarat.  West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also condoled the demise of the monk.


A brief on Swamijis life :

Atmasthanandaji, born in May, 1919, at Sabajpur, near Dhaka, now in Bangladesh, had received "mantra diksha" from Swami Vijnananandaji Maharaj (a monastic disciple of Ramakrishna) in 1938 and joined the Ramakrishna Order at Belur Math in January, 1941 at the age of 22.

In 1945, Swami Virajanandaji Maharaj, the sixth president of the Order, gave him ’brahmacharya’ vows, and in 1949, ’sanyasa’ vows and the name Swami Atmasthananda.  After serving the Order at Belur Math and the branches at Deoghar (Vidyapith) and Mayavati (Advaita Ashrama), Atmasthanandaji got the opportunity to serve Swami Virajanandaji Maharaj, the then president of the Order, for a long time.    He spent several years in his holy company in the solitude of Shyamla Tal in the Himalayas.   In 1952, he was posted to Ranchi TB Sanatorium branch as an Assistant Secretary. He worked hard to expand the Sanatorium’s services in many ways.  He was sent to Rangoon (Yangon) Sevashrama as its Secretary in 1958.  He developed the Sevashrama hospital and it soon became the best hospital of Burma (Myanmar) at that time. When military rulers took over Rangoon Sevashrama, he returned to India in 1965.  He was posted to Rajkot branch as its head in 1966.  The beautiful temple of Sri Ramakrishna at Rajkot Ashrama was built during his tenure on his initiative.


He was elected a Trustee of the Ramakrishna Math and Member of the Governing Body of  the  Ramakrishna  Mission  in  1973.    In  1975,  he  was  appointed  an Assistant  (General) Secretary of the twin organizations.  Under his stewardship as Relief Secretary, the Math and Mission conducted massive relief and rehabilitation operations in various parts of India, Nepal and Bangladesh.  He became the General Secretary of the Math and Mission in 1992 and continued to be in that post for five years till 1997 when he became a Vice-President of the Order.   He was elected President of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission on 3 December 2007.


Swami Atmasthanandaji travelled extensively in various parts of the country and visited many branches of the Order and some unaffiliated centres.  In 1998, he visited various places in the USA, Canada, Japan and Singapore.   He also went to Malaysia, Fiji, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh at different times.  In all those places, he spread the message of Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda and  Vedanta and also gave  mantra  diksha to  many spiritual seekers.


He was one of the key persons to organize Pallimangal (integrated rural development) activities in Kamarpukur and Jayrambati, a youth training centre at Saradapitha (Belur) and many other social service programmes.