With deep sorrow we announce the passing away of Swami Gahananandaji, President of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, on 4 November 2007 at 5.35 p.m. at Ramakrishna Mission Seva Pratishthan Hospital, Kolkata. He was 91. He had been admitted to the Seva Pratishthan Hospital on 4 September for diagnosis and treatment, after a sudden setback in his health owing to several old-age problems. In spite of the best medical attention, his condition grew worse and he passed away at 5.35 p.m. on 4 November. The cremation took place on Monday, 5 November 2007, at about 12.30 p.m., at Belur Math. The gates of Belur Math remained open all through the night of the 4th and the morning of the 5th till the last rites were completed. Born in the village of Paharpur in Sylhet district (now in Bangladesh) in October 1916,Swami Gahananandaji joined the Ramakrishna Order at its centre in Bhubaneswar in January 1939 at the age of 22. He received spiritual initiation from Swami Virajanandaji Maharaj, the then President of the Order, in 1939 and Sannyasa from him in 1948. He served at Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata, from 1942 to 1952 and at Shillong Centre from 1953 to 1958. Keenly interested in service to sick and suffering people, he was posted to the Mission's hospital centre, Ramakrishna Mission Seva Pratishthan, Kolkata, in 1958. There he worked during the first 5 years as its Assistant Secretary and then as its Head for 22 years. He worked tirelessly to develop the services of Seva Pratishthan to cater for the medical needs of more and more people belonging to poor and low-income sections of society and converted the original small maternity hospital into the huge 550-bed, modern, well-equipped hospital that it is today.

Swami Gahananandaji (1916 - 2007)

He was appointed a Trustee of the Ramakrishna Math and Member of the Governing Body of the Ramakrishna Mission in 1965. In 1979, he was elected an Assistant Secretary of the twin organizations. He became the General Secretary of the Math and Mission in 1989 and continued in that post for 3 years till 1992 when he became a Vice-President of the Order. From that time he was also simultaneously the head of Ramakrishna Math (Yogodyan) at Kankurgachhi, Kolkata. He was elected President of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission on 25 May 2005. Swami Gahananandaji travelled extensively in various parts of the country and visited many Branches of the Order. He also visited, at different times, various places in USA, Canada, England, France, Switzerland, Holland, Russia, Australia, Japan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Singapore, Malaysia and Mauritius. In all these places, he spread the message of Vedanta and Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda. A memorial service was held at the Durban Centre on Saturday 17 November 2007 in which some highlights of Maharaj's life and spiritual advice were recalled to the assembled devotees. On the morning of the same day, there was special puja and the feeding of over 1,500 indigent persons.

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