PM Modi to visit Ramakrishna Mission to mark Swami Vivekananda's birth anniversary

Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is on a two-day visit to West Bengal is also scheduled to visit Ramakrishna Mission to mark Swami Vivekananda's birth anniversary on January 12. Taking to Twitter, PM Modi expressed his excitement to visit the place which is special to him.

After preaching Vedanta widely in America and Europe, Swami Vivekananda had established the Ramakrishna Mission in 1897 with the twin ideals of "Atmano Mokshartham Jagad hitaya cha", meaning, "for the freedom of the self and for the good of the world". The first monastery of Ramakrishna Mission was built in a small rented house near Kolkata.

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PM Modi wishes Swami Atmasthananda's presence

PM Modi lamented the fact that late Swami Atmasthananda, who was the 15th president of the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission, will not be present during his visit. In a subsequent tweet, he said it is unimaginable to be at the Ramkrishna Mission without his presence. 

Swami Atmasthananda, who passed away in 2017, had encouraged PM Modi to enter politics. In his youth, Modi reportedly aspired to become a monk, but Atmasthananda advised him otherwise. PM Modi had expressed grief when he died. 

Following his demise, PM Modi had said: "The demise of Swami Atmasthananda Ji is a personal loss for me. I lived with him during a very important period of my life."

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PM Modi in Kolkata

Prime Minister Modi will be inaugurating a light and sound show in Kolkata at the Millennium Park on Saturday evening.

He will also unveil a plaque of 150 years of commemorative installation at the site of original Port Jetties and will inaugurate the upgraded ship repair facility of Cochin Kolkata Ship Repair Unit at Netaji Subhas Dry Dock along with other inaugurations on Saturday.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is at loggerheads with the Centre over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act  (CAA) and has targeted Prime Minister Modi over it, is likely to share the stage with him at an event on Saturday.

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(With inputs from ANI)