Year 1995 His Divine Holiness At Age 17

Photos

Photos Of The Year

A group photo at the Ramakrishna Mutt where The Avatār (first row, extreme left) practised intense brahmacarya (monasticism) for 4 years (1995 - 1999).

1995, 26 Aug | The Avatār is seen with a group of co-brahmacāris (peer group of monks) at the Sri Ramakrishna Mutt where He spent four years in intense brahmacharya (monkhood). The group is sitting around Ranganathanandaji, the dīkṣa Guru of The Avatār, from whom The Avatār received mantra initiation. This photograph, The Avatār pasted on the rear of the mantra dīkṣa initiation registration slip!

This is the "Devi Māhātmyam" chant book. The Avatār used to chant these verses extolling the glory of Parashakti (Universal Cosmic Mother) when He was in the Ramakrishna mutt where He lived the austere life of a brahmāchari (Hindu monk) from 1995 to 1999.

In The Avatār's own words,

"This is the book used for Durga puja during the Dusshera festival. I would chant this so often. I would go to the magazine department in the morning at around 10’o clock. After attending to the files and everything, if I have time, I will just take out this book and go on chanting. I would have a small bell and go on ringing it and chanting. I personally bound this book.

Once I took the vow that I will chant the Chandi (another name for Devi Māhātmyam) 108 times. In three months I finished: 700 verses 108 times! I would go on reading and ringing the bell. When the staff brings in some work, I will attend to it and resume reading."

1995, 26 Aug | This is the official registration slip showing the exact date when The Avatār received the mantra dīkṣa from Ranganathanandaji Maharaj at the Sri Ramakrishna Mutt, Chennai. He lived an intense life of a brahmacāri for four years here (1995 - 1999).

The Avatār is seated in His room in the Sri Ramakrishna Mutt in Chennai where He stayed for four years practising intense brahmacarya (monkhood). With Him are two senior monks - Suseendran maharaj (left) and Duraipandi maharaj (right).

The Avatār carried this laminated photograph of Sri Ramakrishna with Him during this period and thereafter. This is still part of the biological archives of the National archives of ShriKailasa.

The Avatār held extraordinary love for the Trinity of Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi (Sri Ramakrishna’s consort) and Swami Vivekananda (monastic disciple of Sri Ramakrishna and one of the greatest saints of Mother India).

He joined the Sri Ramakrishna Mutt and lived a 4-year period of extraordinary intensity, austerity and service as a brahmacāri (monk).

This water bottle, The young Avatār carried with Him from the time He joined Ramakrishna mutt in 1995. He recalls receiving it as a gift from His maternal uncle (mother's younger sister's husband - Anbazhagan). He kept it with Him throughout the period of spiritual wandering from Chennai to Calcutta to the Himalayan ghats and back to South India. It is today part of the biographical archives of the National archives of ShriKailasa.

A Devi (Goddess) deity in brass which was part of the deity collection in The Avatār's worship altar.