Swami Gautamanandaji elected president of the Ramakrishna Order

Kolkata: Swami Gautamanandaji Maharaj was elected the president of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission at the meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Math and the governing body of the Mission held at Belur Math on April 24, 2024.

He is the 17th President of the twin organisations. He succeeds Swami Smarananandaji Maharaj who passed away on March 2 this year.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee conveyed her regards. On her social media page, Banerjee wrote: “My pranam to the Most Revered Swami Gautamanandaji Maharaj, who has been elected the President of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission at the meeting of the Board of

Trustees of the Math and the Governing Body of the Mission held at Belur Math today. He is the 17th President of the twin organisations.” Swami Gautamanandaji was born in Bengaluru in 1929. As a youth, he came in contact with the Bengaluru branch of the Ramakrishna Order, headed by Swami Yatishwarananda Maharaj (1889–1966). He received Mantra Diksha (spiritual initiation) from Swami Yatishwaranandaji in 1955. The following year, he embraced monastic life by joining the New Delhi branch of the Ramakrishna Mission.

He spent six years in Delhi centre getting introduced to monastic life and then went on to serve in different departments.

In 2017, he was elected a vice-president of the Order.