Belur (WB) July 06: Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani today visited Belur Math, the Ramakrishna Mission's Global Headquarters in this semi-industrial town, paying homage to the protagonists of modern Vedanta movement Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda, besides renewing old ties with Mission President Swami Ranganathananda. Advani, who arrived at the Math from the airport at 10.00 am was received by mission assistant general secretaries, Swamis Suhitananda and Bhajanananda and office manager Swami Paritushtananda.

Advani, visiting Belur Math for the first time after his elevation as Deputy Prime Minister, was taken to the sanctum sanctorum of the Ramakrishna Temple, where he placed offertories and prostrated himself before the statue of Sri Ramakrishna. He also bowed his head before an adjoining niche where a marble casket containing dust from the feet of Sri Sarada Devi is kept. The Deputy Prime Minister took 'Charanamrita' (holy water) and a garland from temple sacristan Swami Vaidyanathananda.

He subsequently visited Swami Vivekananda's bedroom, besides the temples dedicated to Sri Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekanda and mission's first president Swami Brahmananda.

The high point of the visit was Advani's meeting with mission president Swami Ranganathananda who are acquainted with one another for nearly 50 years now. "When Advani was a student in Karachi, Swamiji was the then secretary of Karachi Centre of the Ramakrishna Mission. He came here to renew old ties," Swami Achyutananda a senior monk of the mission, told newsmen later.

Bureau Report