PM- LD BELUR MATH

PM Modi likely to spend Saturday night at Belur Math
(Eds: adding detail)
    Kolkata, Jan 11 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi is
likely to spend Saturday night at Belur Math, the headquarters
of Ramakrishna Mission, in the neighbouring Howrah district,
officials of the Mission said.
    If Modi spends the night at the Math, probably he will
be the first PM of the country to do so.
    Former PM Indira Gandhi and a number of other prime
ministers had paid a visit to the Math several times, but
never stayed overnight there.
    As per the earlier itinerary, Modi was scheduled to
spend Saturday night at the Raj Bhavan here.
    "There is a slight change in the schedule. Earlier,
the PM was not scheduled to stay here. But now we have been
told by the Special Protection Group (SPG) in-charge of his
security that the PM may spend the night in our Math.
"If he stays here he will be hosted at the
International Guest House inside the Math premises," a senior
official of the Mission told PTI.
    The decision of the PM's spending the night there at
the Math could have been taken considering the fact that the
birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, founder of the
Ramkrishna Mission, falls on Sunday, the official said.
    "As told by the SPG, the PM may meditate probably at
the Swamiji's temple here at the Math tomorrow in the morning
before leaving for his pre-scheduled programme," he said.
A prayer meeting is also being organised at the Math
on Sunday morning and the PM may attend it, the official said.
    During his visit to the Math, the PM is scheduled to
meet president Swami Smaranananda after paying his respect to
Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Saradha Devi and Swami Vivekananda, he
said.
    "The PM will be given prasad when he arrives here. And
if he stays at night he will be given bhog. There will be no
special treatment. The bhog and prasad will be the same we
serve to other bhakts (devotees)," the official said.
    The enitre Math will be taken over by the SPG group
and no common visitor will be allowed to get inside the
premises, he said.
    "From this evening, the SPG will be in total command
of the Math. They will be taking all the decisions whether to
allow any visitor inside the premises or not," the Mission
official said.
    The camaraderie and mutual respect between Modi and
the Ramkrishna Mission order, founded by Swami Vivekananda in
1897, goes back to mid sixties when a teenager Modi inspired
by the teachings of Vivekananda had arrived at the Mission
Ashram, Rajkot branch in Gujarat and expressed desire to join
the order.
    Swami Atmasthananda, who later went on to become
fifteenth president of the Ramakrishna Math and the
Ramakrishna Mission, then heading the Rajkot branch in 1966,
had advised him that sanyas was not for him and he should work
among people and not in seclusion.
    During those days, Modi used to regularly meet
Athmasthanandaji Maharaj and sought his spiritual guidance.
    Although Modi after spending some time there went
back, but the relationship with Swami Atmasthananda and the
Ramkrishna Mission remained intact.
    Whenever Modi used to visit Kolkata, even during his
days as Gujarat chief minister, he would travel to the
Ramkrishna Mission.
    In 2013, during his tour to Belur Math, he went to
Ramkrishna Mission and had sought blessings from
Athmasthananda.
    In 2015, during his trip to the city as Prime
Minister, Modi had called on ailing Swami Atmasthananda at
Ramakrishna Mission Seva Pratisthan, a hospital run by the
Mission in south Kolkata and enquired about his health.
    After Atmasthananda's death in 2017, Prime Minister
Modi had termed it as a "personal loss". PTI SCH PNT
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(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)