Narendra Modi takes spiritual break, bonds with monks as 'ghar ka ladka'

BELUR/KOLKATA: Taking a brief spiritual break, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today visited two famous shrines of West Bengal -- Belurmath, with which he has an emotional connect as he had tried in vain to join its order thrice, and Dakshineswar Kali temple-- where he offered prayers and meditated.

Upon arrival this morning at Belurmath, the Ramakrishna Mission headquarters, the Prime Minister walked down barefoot from his car and spent around an hour praying in all the temples in the complex while bonding with the monks.

Modi looked visibly emotional after reaching the room where Swami Vivekananda had spent his last days. He sat down near the slippers of 19th century philosopher-saint to meditate for around 15 minutes.

Visitors are allowed to glance in the room through the window but the doors were opened for the Prime Minister.

He mixed freely with the monks saying he considers himself a 'ghar ka ladka' (one of the family).

"'Ghar la ladka agar ghar aaya hai to uska swagat kiya jata hai kya?' (If a boy comes to his house do you welcome him?)," Swami Subirananda, assistant secretary of the 'Math', quoted the PM as having told them last evening when he went to meet Swami Atmasthananda, president of the order, at a Kolkata hospital.

Modi also stood among the monks for photographs amidst chanting of Vedic 'shanti mantras'.

He was gifted 'dhoti', shawl and books by the 'Math' authorities who also gave him 'prasad' made of 'Payesh' (Bengali sweet dish) and fruits.

At the Dakshineswar Kali temple, located across the Ganga in Kolkata, where Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa used to live and worship Goddess Kali, Modi offered floral tributes and performed 'aarti' to the presiding deity.