Within hours of his first visit to Kolkata after assuming the office of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi on Saturday visited his ailing guru Swami Atmasthananda Maharaj, the president of Ramakrishna Math and Mission Order, at a city hospital.
“The Prime Minister and Swamiji spoke in Gujarati. Swami Atmasthananda Maharaj also gave a small piece of chocolate to the Prime Minister,” Swami Satyadevananda, secretary of Ramakrishna Mission Seva Pratisthan said.
He said that the 96-year-old blessed Mr. Modi putting his hand on his forehead. “It was a very informal meeting, the two met like guru-shishya. It did not seem as if he was the Prime Minister,” Swami Subhakarananda Maharaj told The Hindu .
Mr. Modi urged Swami Subhakarananda Maharaj to sing a song for Swami Atmasthananda Maharaj.
The monks at the Ramakrishna Mission also say that it was Swami Atmasthananda Maharaj who had advised him against becoming a monk and said that he was destined for other works.