Chennai: Swami Somanandaji Maharaj, the senior most monk of the Ramakrishna Order in the Math here, attained mahasamadhi on Saturday. He was 98.
His mortal remains were kept at the old shrine to enable the devotees to have darshan and pay homage, Swami Gautamananda, Adhyaksha of Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, said in a release.
Swami Somanandaji Maharaj had mantra diksha, and sannyasa in 1948, from Swami Virajanandaji Maharaj, the sixth president of the Ramakrishna Order.
The Maharaj served along with former Minister of Education Avinashilingam in Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya for several years.
Serving in the field of education, he was a guiding light to several students for 40 years. He had served as the head of Ramakrishna Ashram, Salem, for many years. Since then he had been staying in Ramakrishna Math, Chennai.
Simple and easily approachable, the Maharaj blessed several devotees with his guidance during his long holy life. Self-reliant and strong-willed, the Maharaj, till his last moment, took the name of Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna and lived in a blissful state.
His demise was a great loss to all monks and devotees, who were deriving inspiration from his holy life. ‘We pay our most respectful homage to him,’ Swami Gautamananda said.