PM Narendra Modi meets ailing guru in hospital

KOLKATA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today met Swami Atmasthanand Maharaj, president of Ramakrishna Math and Mission Order whom he considers his guru.

Modi visited Ramakrishna Mission Seva Pratishthan in the city, where the nonagenarian monk is recovering.

Modi touched his feet and was blessed by the senior monk who gifted him a holy shawl and dhoti from the Belurmath temple.

The two spoke in Gujarati, asked about each other's well-being and recalled old days.

Modi used to get spiritual guidance from Swami Atmasthanand when both of them were in Rajkot.

After the meeting, Modi was treated with 'payesh' (Bengali variant of kheer) and 'sandesh' (Bengali sweet) from Belurmath, hospital's secretary Bijen Maharaj told PTI.

Swami Atmasthanand, president of the order started by Swami Vivekananda, is 97 years old and is suffering from age-related illness. Doctors said his condition is stable.

Modi is scheduled to visit Belurmath, the global headquarters of the organization, tomorrow morning. He is also expected to visit the famous Dakshineswar Kali temple where Sri Ramakrishna lived.

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.