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Swami Vandananandaji
Served
as secretary from Jan. 1970 to 11th May 1976
Swami Vandananandaji was born as M. A. Narayana
Iyengar to Sri M. Narasimha Iyengar and Ranganayaki Amma, a devoted
brahmin couple, on 5th Nov' 1915 at Bangalore. His grandfather Sri
Narayana Iyengar was a devoted disciple of Holy Mother; took to sannyasa
in later life to be known as Swami Srivasananda.
Vandananandaji was
a Bachelor of Arts from Madras University. He was initiated by Swami
Vijnananandaji Maharaj in 1937 and joined the Ramakrishna Order at
Mayavati Ashrama in 1938. Swami Virajanandaji Maharaj initiated him into
Sannyasa in 1947.
He was the Editor of Prabuddha Bharata from 1950
to 1954. In 1955 he was posted to the Vedanta Society of Southern
California, Hollywood, USA, where he served as an Assistant Minister till
1969. He was appointed the head of New Delhi Centre in 1970 and a
Truste of the Ramakrishna Math and Member of the Governing Body of
Ramakrishna Mission In 1973, and also served as the head of the Mayavati
Ashrama for one year from 1976.
In 1977, Vandananandaji Maharaj was
made an Assistant Secretary of Ramakrishna Math and Mission at Belur Math
and then as General Secretary in 1979, in which post he continued till
1985. The Swami's erudition and intellecutal abilities, combinied
with excellent communication skills and affable manners, won him the love
and respect of many. He was a forceful speaker and was also known
for being punctilious in the discharge of his duties.
After
relinquishing that post of General Secretary, the Swami spent a few years
at Kankhal, Dehra Dun, etc. and then returned to Belur Math, where he
stayed till the end. Vandananandaji Maharaj passed away on 22nd Feb'
2007 at the age of 91 at Seva Pratisthan.
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