The president of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, Swami Atmasthanandaji, 98, who passed away on Sunday evening due to age-related aliments, was cremated on Monday.
“In spite of the best medical attention, his condition grew worse over the last few days and he passed away around 5.30 p.m. on June 18,” stated a release issued by the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission.
Born in May 1919 at Sabajpur near Dhaka, he received “ mantra diksha ” (spiritual initiation) in 1938 and joined the Ramakrishna Order at the Belur Math in Howrah district on January 3,1941 when he was 22 years old.
He was sent to Rangoon (Yangon) Sevashrama in Myanmar in 1958 as its secretary and played a key role in setting up the Sevashrama hospital there. However, he returned to India in 1965 when the military rulers of Myanmar took over the Rangoon Sevashrama.
Swami Atmasthanandaji was elected president of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission on December 3, 2007.
