The President of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission

Although known simply as the President, he is in fact the President General of the whole Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, and is respectfully referred to as President Maharaj by the monks and devotees.  He functions chiefly as the spiritual head of the Order.

One of the unique features of Ramakrishna Order, known as Ramakrishna Math, is that it traces its origin and source to the Avatar of the present age, Sri Ramakrishna.  As a matter of fact, this monastic order serves as the main channel for the dissemination of the Avatar’s shakti and kripa, Power and Grace, for the welfare of humanity.  The flow of Divine Power and Grace is maintained by an unbroken lineage of Gurus, the guru-parampara.  It is this unbroken spiritual tradition that is behind the succession of the Presidents of Ramakrishna Sangha.

President Maharaj maintains this spiritual tradition through the process of mantra-diksha or Initiation.  Through Initiation the original spiritual Power and Grace of the Avatar flows into the hearts of aspirants and awakens the dormant spiritual potential in them. At present the Vice-Presidents are also empowered to give spiritual initiation in India and outside India. In countries outside India some of the heads of the centres in those countries have been empowered to give spiritual initiation.

All authority in Ramakrishna Math is vested in a Board of Trustees.  It is by virtue of being the President of this Board of Trustees that President Maharaj becomes the head of the whole Ramakrishna Math.  Since the members of the Board of Trustees also constitute the Governing Body of Ramakrishna Mission, President Maharaj is also the President of Ramakrishna Mission.  Thus President Maharaj is the Head of both Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission with all their branch centres and their headquarters at Belur Math.

Swami Gautamanandaji Maharaj was elected the President of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission at the meetings of the Board of Trustees of the Math and the Governing Body of the Mission held at Belur Math on 24 April 2024. He is the 17th President of the twin organizations. He succeeds Swami Smarananandaji Maharaj who passed away on 26 March 2024.

Swami Gautamanandaji was born in Bengaluru in 1929 to a pious family who hailed from Kethandapatty, Tamil Nadu. As a boy of 5 or 6 years, he saw Mahatma Gandhi in Bengaluru. He studied at Sheshadripuram High School and Government Central College in Bengaluru.

In his youth, he came in contact with the Bengaluru branch of the Ramakrishna Math in 1951. This contact became intimate in 1954-55 under the spiritual guidance of Swami Yatiswaranandaji Maharaj (later, a Vice-President of the Math and Mission) who was the head of that branch. He received mantra diksha (spiritual initiation) from Swami Yatishwaranandaji in 1955. The following year, he joined the New Delhi branch of the Ramakrishna Mission as a novice as per the advice of his guru. The Delhi branch was then headed by Swami Ranganathanandaji Maharaj (later, the 13th President of the twin organizations), who guided this young novice in the ways of monastic life. A new temple of Sri Ramakrishna was under construction then. It was consecrated in November 1957. Swami Yatishwaranandaji came to Delhi to take part in the temple opening ceremony. Swami Gautamanandaji got an opportunity to serve his guru during those joyous days. He also served as the first pujari in this new temple.

He left Delhi in 1960 to join the Probationers’ Training Centre at Belur Math. At the end of two-year training, he received brahmacharya diksha and the name Brahmachari Atmachaitanya from Swami Vishuddhanandaji Maharaj in 1962. From Belur Math he went back to Delhi centre which was now headed by Swami Swahanandaji (later, the head of Hollywood centre, USA). Atmachaitanya assisted Swami Swahanandaji for two years before he the Headquarters asked him to move to the Mission’s branch in Sohra (known as Cherrapunjee then) in 1964. Coming to know about his posting to Sohra, Swami Yatishwaranandaji blessed him: “You will do very well.” At another time he wrote, “I have strongly felt that you are destined to do more useful work for the Mission.”

Located in the remote Meghalaya region, Sohra centre had taken up the challenging task of promoting all-round development of the tribal population there, especially in getting their children to learn reading and writing. Atmachaitanya threw himself to the work along with the senior monks Swami Shuddhabodhanandaji (Ponnappan Maharaj, a disciple of Swami Virajanandaji Maharaj) and Swami Niramayanandaji (Vibhuti Maharaj, a disciple of Swami Akhandanandji Maharaj).

Atmachaitanya came to Belur Math in 1966 to receive sannyasa ordination. Swami Vireshwaranandaji Maharaj, the 10th President of the twin organizations, gave him sannyasa diksha and the name ‘Swami Gautamananda’. After the ceremony, he made pilgrimages to Kedarnath, Badrinath, Amarnath, Gangotri, Gomukh and Yamunotri, and returned to Sohra.

Swami Gautamanandaji had the privilege of meeting many senior swamis of the order. In addition to those already mentioned, he met Swami Abhayanandaji (Bharat Maharaj, a long-time manager of Belur Math), Swami Nirvananandaji (Surji Maharaj, sevak of Sri Raja Maharaj), Swami Shankaranandaji (the 7th President of the twin organizations), Swami Vishuddhanandaji (the 8th President), Swami Shantanandaji (a disciple of the Holy Mother) and Swami Madhavanandaji (9th President), to name a few.

In all, Swami Gautamanandaji was in Sohra for four years. In 1968, the Headquarters asked him to move to Mumbai branch. A new chapter began in the life of Swami Gautamanandaji in Mumbai centre under the loving care of Swami Hiranmayanandaji (who later served as the General Secretary from 1985 to 1989). Swami Gautamanandaji was in Mumbai for about 8 years.

Subsequently, he was appointed the head of the Mission’s centre in the remote tribal village Aalo (formerly Along) in Arunachal Pradesh in 1976. He served there for 13 long years, bringing the light of education to tribal children. During his leadership, the centre in Aalo attained national stature and reached new heights. When Swami Gautamanandaji took charge of the centre, the school there admitted students only up to class 8. He started secondary and higher secondary sections in the coming years. The school received ‘National Award for Best Work in Child Welfare’ in 1985. The school’s football team finished runners-up in Subroto Mukherjee Cup Football Tournament twice, in 1986 and 1988. He introduced television in the school at a time when, interestingly, there was no television in the entire Arunachal Pradesh!

Towards the end of 1989, Swami Gautamanandaji was appointed the head of the Raipur branch of the Mission. This was, however, a short-term assignment since after just six months or so he moved to Narainpur to take charge of the centre there. Located in a remote and tribal-dominated Abujmarh area of Chhattisgarh, this centre was engaged in pioneering work under very tough conditions. Swami Gautamanandaji was in Narainpur only for about two years before he was asked to take charge of Saradapitha centre (adjacent to Belur Math) in December 1991.

While serving in Raipur, he became a Trustee of the Ramakrishna Math and a Member of the Governing Body of the Ramakrishna Mission in March 1990.

It is worth noting that Swami Gautamanandaji spent many years working among the tribal people. First in Sohra, then in Aalo and finally in Narainpur. He gained valuable experience in these remote areas. He cherishes fond memories of these places and feels a deep love for the people there.

As stated above, Swami Gautamanandaji took over the reins of Saradapitha centre in December 1991. For the next three years, he efficiently managed this centre which runs several educational institutions under its umbrella.

He became the head of Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, in 1995—a responsibility that he shouldered for almost three decades. He received the charge of Chennai Math from Swami Smarananandaji. Interestingly, he had succeeded Swami Smarananandaji as the head of the centre in his previous place Saradapitha as well.

Chennai Math is the first centre of the Ramakrishna Math in the entire South India, and its importance is next only to Belur Math. Now, a huge responsibility fell on the able shoulders of Swami Gautamanandaji. Under his stewardship, the activities and influence of this important branch expanded significantly. A magnificent temple of Sri Ramakrishna was consecrated in 2000. The ‘Ice House’ sanctified by the stay of Swamiji and Swami Ramakrishnanandaji was acquired and converted into a beautiful memorial. It is now famous as ‘Vivekananda House’. The school started by Swami Ramakrishnanandaji for the children of backward classes was upgraded to a modern higher secondary school. In the wake of the tsunami disaster in 2004, relief work on a massive scale was undertaken. The centenary of Swami Vivekananda’s return from the West was celebrated in 1997 by taking a statue of Swamiji, mounted on a decorated chariot, from Rameshwaram to Chennai. The 150th birth anniversary of the Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi was celebrated in 2003 in a grand manner. A procession with a statue of the Holy Mother traversed the entire Tamil Nadu in 28 days spreading Her name and message. Also, the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda was celebrated befittingly in 2013.

Swami Gautamanandaji also lent his support to the starting of new branches of the Math and Mission in the following places in South India: Puducherry (a union territory), Kadapa & Tirupati (in Andhra Pradesh), Chengam, Thanjavur, Thirumukkudal & Villupuram (in Tamil Nadu). He nurtured nearly 200 unaffiliated centres in Tamil Nadu, thus infusing strength to the Bhava Prachar Movement in the state. Meyyur village in Thiruvallur district, inhabited by backward Irula tribal people, was adopted. Skill development, modern agriculture, a computer institute, Sunday classes and other activities were introduced there with great success.

Being authorized by the Trustees to give spiritual initiation to devotees, he started his spiritual ministry in 2012. A few years later, in 2017, he was elected a Vice-President of the twin organizations.

As a Diksha Guru and Vice-President, he travelled extensively in India and different parts of the world visiting the branches of the Math and Mission and also unaffiliated centres in those places. Through those visits, he endeavoured to spread the message of Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda and Vedanta among a vast number of people and gave mantra diksha to many spiritual seekers.

He has contributed several articles to various periodicals of the Math and Mission. His physical fitness, mental alertness and jovial nature even at this advanced age are an inspiration to the younger generation.

Swami Gautamanandaji received blessings from many senior monks in great measure. Swami Nirvananandaji blessed him that he would have “a long, healthy life”. On the same lines, Swami Yatishwaranandaji showered his blessings, “Have a healthy body and peaceful mind’. Swami Gautamanandaji is convinced that the blessings of the Holy Trio and great monks are the only strength that has carried him all through his monastic life in the holy order, and it will continue to carry him in the coming years.