22 Facts About Akhandananda

Swami Akhandananda was a swami and direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, a 19th-century mystic.

Akhandananda was born as Gangadhar Ghatak on 30 September 1864, in Ahiritola area of western Kolkata, to Srimanta Gangopadhyay and Vamasundari Devi.

Akhandananda was orthodox in nature and was dubbed as "oldish" by Ramakrishna.

Akhandananda was a strong moralist and always helped his wayward friends.

Akhandananda visited Ramakrishna for the first time in the company of his friend Harinath.

Akhandananda had first seen Ramakrishna in the house of Dinanath Bose at a very young age.

Akhandananda travelled hundreds of miles in the mountains of the Himalayas without carrying any money or extra clothing.

Accordingly, Akhandananda came to Baranagore monastery, and after spending a few happy months with his brother-disciples, sharing his experiences with them, he set out in July 1890, with Vivekananda on a pilgrimage to the Himalayas.

Akhandananda was an ardent follower of Vivekananda, who called him lovingly as Ganges.

Akhandananda became the vice president of Ramakrishna Math and Mission in 1925 and the third president after the demise of Swami Shivananda in 1934.

Akhandananda initiated Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar, the second sarsanghachalak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

Akhandananda participated in the celebration of the Birth Centenary of Ramakrishna in 1936 in Calcutta.

Akhandananda practised till the very end of his life his Master's call: Worship jiva as Shiva.

Akhandananda was one of the pillars of the Ramakrishna Movement's service activities.

Akhandananda arranged for the publication of a newspaper on agriculture in order to educate the farmers of that area.

Akhandananda contacted renowned landlords in the numerous village of Khetri, inspiring them to take some concrete steps towards removing the miseries of their poor labourers.

Akhandananda left Rajputana in 1895 and returned to the Alambazar Math, the new monastery of the Ramakrishna disciples.

Akhandananda first came in contact with widespread famine during his travel in the Murshidabad district of Bengal.

Akhandananda sought help from his brother disciples in 1897 and Vivekananda, who had returned to India by then, sent two monks with money.

On 1 May 1897 Vivekananda inaugurated the Ramakrishna Mission, and Akhandananda opened a relief centre on 15 May in the temple premises of Mrityunjay Bhattacharya of Kedar-Mahula in Murshidabad to save people from an all-devouring famine.

Akhandananda started an orphanage in Mahula, near Berhampore, on 31 August 1897, and then established the first Rural Branch Centre of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission in Mahula.

Akhandananda led in relief activities in the Bhagalpur district of Bihar and during the Munger earthquake in Bihar.