Revered President Maharaj Passes Away

By Peter Kowalke on June 19, 2017

With great sorrow we have learned that our revered President of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission, Revered Swami Atmasthanandaji Maharaj, passed away on 18 June 2017. He was 98 years old. He had been hospitalized since February, 2015.

Revered President Maharaj was born in what was then East Bengal, now Bangladesh, in 1919. A disciple of Swami Vijnanananda, he received his brahmacharya and sannyasa vows from Swami Virajananda. He joined the Order at the age of 22, and had a long career in hospital administration and development, both at Ranchi and Rangoon (Yangon), before being named head of the Rajkot ashrama in 1966. In 1973 he was named a Trustee of the Ramakrishna Math and Member of the Governing Body of the Ramakrishna Mission. Subsequently he became General Secretary, then a Vice President, before being elected President on 3 December 2007. Among his other accomplishments as President, he traveled widely, both in India and abroad, gave mantra diksha to many devotees, and was instrumental in developing the Pallimangal (rural development) project, as well as youth training and many other social service projects.

We pray that Sri Ramakrishna will welcome him into the Ramakrishna Loka and bless him forever.

Peter Kowalke

Peter is an assistant secretary for RVAT, and he lives in Bangkok.