The monk who changed Narendra Modi’s life

Narendra Modi with Swami Atmasthananda during his last visit to Belur Math in 2013, when he was still Gujarat CM. (TOI file photo by Subhojyoti Kanjilal)

Modi and the swami go back a long way. Modi had a flower in his jacket pocket as prasadam from Monk ,when he took oath as Prime Minister on May 26, 2014.
Before 1966, young Narendra was inspired by Swami Vivekanad and wandered to get training in to spiritual life. In 1966, Young Narendra came and met Swami Atmasthananda who was in  Rajkot in Gujarat to head the city's RKM ashram.Modi ji wanted to become a Monk but he was denied by Ramkrishna Ashram in RAJKOT as well as by  refuge at the ashram.
Swami Atmasthananda, 95 year old head monk of the Ramkrishna Mission at the Belur Math near Kolkata, told him that his place is among people not a aggregation.

The Belur Math near Kolkata. (Getty Images photo) 
After spending some time at the ashram under Atmasthananda's tutelage, Modi told him he wanted to become a monk. But the head monk replied that sanyas (renunciation) was not for him. The Rajkot ashram anyway could not confer monkship and Modi would have to go to the RKM headquarters in Belur to pursue his wish. 

Not many know that Narendra Modi had a "prasadi" flower from Swami Atmasthananda in his jacket pocket when he took oath as Prime Minister on May 26, 2014. (Getty Images photo) 






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