He was the 16th President of Ramakrishna Mutt and Mission

MysoreMysuru: Swami Smaranananda, the 16th President of the Ramakrishna Mutt and Ramakrishna Mission, passed away at Ramakrishna Mission Seva Pratishthan Hospital in Kolkata yesterday. He was 94.

Born in Andami village of Thanjavur district in Tamil Nadu in the year 1929, Swami Smaranananda came in contact with the Mumbai branch of the Ramakrishna Order when he was about 20 years of age.

Inspired by the ideals of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda, he joined the Mumbai Ashram in 1952 at the age of 22 and embraced monastic life.

Swami Shankarananda, the seventh President of the Ramakrishna Order, gave him spiritual initiation in the same year. He also received brahmacharya vows in 1956 and sanyasa vows and the name ‘Swami Smaranananda’ in 1960 from Swami Shankarananda.

He was transferred in 1958 to the Kolkata branch of Advaita Ashrama, the well-known publication centre of the Ramakrishna Math. He served at both Mayavati and Kolkata centres of the Advaita Ashrama for 18 long years.

He was posted to Ramakrishna Mission Saradapitha, an educational complex near Belur Mutt, as its Secretary in 1976 and was posted to Ramakrishna Mutt in Chennai as its Head in December 1991.

He was appointed as a Trustee of the Ramakrishna Mutt and Member of the Governing Body of the Ramakrishna Mission in 1983. In April 1995, he joined the Headquarters as an Assistant Secretary and took charge as the General Secretary of the twin organisations after two years.

Swami Smaranananda has contributed a number of articles to various journals of the Ramakrishna Order. Collating his articles and talks, a few books have been brought out, of which ‘Smriti-Smaran-Anudhyan’ and ‘Chintan-Manan-Anushilan’ are in Bengali and ‘Musings of a Monk’ in English.

Last rites were held at Belur Mutt this morning.