PM Modi meets ailing Swami Atmasthananda Maharaj

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday met the ailing Swami Atmasthananda Maharaj, president of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission Order, whom he considers his 'guru'.

This was his second visit after May 9, last year to the Ramakrishna Mission Seva Pratisthan in the city, where the 98-year-old monk is recovering from age-related illness. "The PM spent about 15 minutes in the hospital. He went to the Maharaj's room, touched his feet and was blessed by the senior monk," the RKM Seva Pratisthan Secretary Swami Satyadevananda Maharaj told PTI.

The two spoke in Gujarati and asked about each other's well-being during the short exchange, as the senior monk was not in a condition to talk much. Modi used to get spiritual guidance from Swami Atmasthanand when both of them were in Rajkot.

After the meeting, the general secretary of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission, Swami Suhitananda Maharaj, gifted the PM a holy shawl from the Belurmath temple and exchanged wishes.
"The PM was treated with prasadam 'payesh' (Bengali variant of kheer) and 'sandesh' (Bengali sweet) from Belurmath," said Swami Satyadevananda Maharaj.

As a young boy, Modi had visited Belurmath to join the Order but his request was turned down and was told that his calling lay elsewhere.