President Droupadi Murmu visited Belur Math in Howrah on Tuesday morning and spent a better part of her time at Swami Vivekananda’s room and the balcony adjoining it, senior monks accompanying her said.
The President reached the Math around 8.40am and was received by Swami Suvirananda, general secretary of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission.
The President was accompanied by her daughter and Governor C.V. Ananda Bose and two ministers of the state government, Birbaha Hansda and Arup Roy.
This was the President’s second visit to the global headquarters of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission. She had earlier visited the Math as the Governor of Jharkhand.
After reaching Belur Math, the President first visited the Sri Ramakrishna temple, which was originally conceived by Swami Vivekananda and dedicated on January 14, 1938.
The sanctum has a marble statue of Sri Ramakrishna seated on a lotus in full bloom.
Inside the temple, monks gave the President a lotus which she offered to Sri Ramakrishna’s feet. After visiting Sri Ramakrishna’s temple, the President headed for Swami Vivekananda’s room, in the southeast corner of the Math compound, on a battery-driven cart.
“She took a keen interest in seeing everything inside the room, including different items that Swami Vivekananda had used. The President sought flowers which she later offered at Swamiji’s feet,” said Swami Bodhasarananda, assistant general secretary of the order.
Swami Vivekananda’s clothes, footwear, turbans, and musical instruments like pakhawaj and tanpura along with a large cot remain preserved inside the room.
Swami Vivekananda preferred lying on a mat on the floor or a canvas cot that is kept beside the large cot. Senior monks said his disciples from the West had gifted the large cot.
“The President then visited the balcony adjoining the room overseeing the Ganges. She spent some time as we explained how Swamiji would spend nights sitting on this balcony, singing songs,” Swami Bodhasarananda, who accompanied the President, said.
The President then visited two other temples, including Sri Sarada Devi and Swami Bramhananda. The Temple of Sri Sarada Devi, the holy mother of the order, stands overlooking a bathing ghat in the east. The temple stands on the spot where her mortal remains were consigned to flames in 1920.
The President wrapped up her visit to the temple, where Swami Vivekananda’s mortal remains were cremated in 1902.
The Math and Mission gifted the President books along with a prasadi sari and shawl that had been offered to Sri Sarada Devi.