A Report

On the Mahasamadhi of Revered Swami Gokulanandaji Maharaj

            It was an agonizing 11 days of deep anxiety to one and all who were incessantly praying for the recovery of Revered Swami Gokulanandaji Maharaj.  However divine will prevailed and Revered Maharaj passed away at 10:25 am on March 31, 2007.

            Daily medical bulletins, consequent to his brain surgery at Sir Ganga Ram hospital on Tuesday March 20, 2007, had recorded the seriousness of his condition and he did not recover from the coma caused by an intracranial hemorrhage. He was on life support system and life saving drugs after the surgery and doctors foresaw the extreme criticality of the situation by the evening of Friday, March 30, 2007. There was a last glimmer of faint hope in the night of Friday and early hours of Saturday 31, 07 but that remained a false hope. He breathed his last at 10:25 am.

            After due declaration and certification by concerned doctors immediate preparations were set in motion to receive his mortal remains in the Mission centre at Pahargunj and for performing the obsequies. His mortal remains were received at the mission at about 12: 00 noon and after the ritualistic prayer by the monks, the body was placed on a decorated platform between 12:30 pm and 05: 45 pm to enable all the devotees to pay their homage. Countless devotees started pouring in and by late after noon, the Ashrama compound seemed to overflow with grieving devotees.

            Immediate action was taken to inform Head Quarters at Belur Math, all the Mission and Math centres and all those intimately concerned.  Also the Website was updated for the ease of foreign Devotees and admirers and also for News agencies enquiries.

            Revered Maharaj was so intimately connected with practically every important section of society such as the Cultural and spiritual organizations, administrative authorities of the government, Social leaders and everyone who had an important role in society and therefore several of these leading personalities were also informed by phone and wherever feasible, Fax messages were sent.

            Heads of some centres and monastic members from various centres had arrived in the mission. Along with Revered Swami Prameyanandaji,, Raghunathanandaji, Suprakashanandaji, Atmanishthanandaji many Swamis and Brahmacharins were also present.

             A press hand out along with a brief life sketch was prepared and sent out to all the media. Several representatives of the Visual and printed media personally came and obtained these hand outs and sought more information. The Doordarshan representatives came and recorded the event for telecast in their national news. Few of these Newspaper Cuttings are updated in our website.

              A wreath with a handwritten message from the Most Revered President Maharaj and another from the sevaks of the Most Revered President Maharaj were personally brought by Swami Atmanisthananda from Mumbai were placed by him.  Many leaders of society and members of government and corporate sectors personally came to the mission to offer their last respect and they placed wreaths on the mortal remains. These included Smt. Sonia Gandhi M P and Chairperson UPA, Sri Pranab Mukherji Union Minister for Defense, and many important members of government and corporate sectors besides the other institutions mentioned above. Some of these were Sri Sarada Math, Sarada Sangha, Chinmaya mission, Society for Human values and Universal responsibilities; represented by Dr Sarat Chandra, Alumini for Ramakrishna Mission Educational institutions, Sri Sri Mohanananda Ashram, Puri, C. R. Park Kali Mandir Society, New Delhi, Chinmay Mission, New Delhi, Matri Mandir Society, New Delhi etc.   

              Wreaths were placed on behalf of Dr. Manmohan Singh the Prime Minister of India, Smt Shiela Dixit the Chief Minister Delhi and Sri Priyaranjan Das Munshi, Union Minister for information and Broadcasting and Sri D.C. Dey, I G , Police.

               Sri Lal Krishna Advani, former Deputy Prime Minister of India and Sri Jagmohan, former Union Minister for Culture paid their homage at the crematorium.  

               Throughout this period on this day monastic members chanted all the 18 chapters of Bhagavad Gita and sang bhajans.  By 5:45 pm the mortal remains were taken in front of the temple for Guru Maharaj’s grace on the departed noble soul and taken to the Lodi road electric crematorium for final rites. S.H.O. Paharganj Police Station,  Shri Ashwini Jaiswal and his assistants helped us to clear the way on the roads for the Ashrama vehicles proceeding towards crematorium. Countless devotees and all monastic members had gathered at the crematorium. The mortal remains were consigned to fire at about 06:45 pm. The asthi were collected by about 08:45 pm and had been kept at the T B clinic, Arya Samaj Road, Delhi.

               The immersion of relics was done on 2nd April, 2007 at Haridwar.  After immersion monks from Delhi returned back to Ashrama on 3rd April, 2007.

               The Special Puja Bhandara and Memorial Meeting will be held on 12th April, 2007.  Special Puja will start at 8:00 AM. Prasad will be served at around 12 noon and Memorial Meeting will be held at 3:30 PM.  All are invited to pay their homage by partaking the prasad and attending  the Meeting.

                                                                                                                                                             Swami  Ganadevananda

                                                                                                                                                             Ramakrishna Mission

                                                                                                                                                             New Delhi

 Photographs on last rites are separately updated in our website