By Rajiv Malik, HPI Correspondent, India/South Asia
NEW DELHI, INDIA, January 31, 2009: Sri Swami Padmanabhanandaji Maharaj has been appointed as the new General Secretary of The Divine Life Society by the Board of Trustees of The Divine Life Trust Society in their meeting held on the 4th January, 2009. His Holiness Sri Swami Vimalananda, 76, a senior monk of the Sivananda Ashram, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, was elected last September as the Chairman of the Divine Life Trust Society and ex-officio President of the Divine Life Society.
Through a message published in the latest issue of The Divine Life, a monthly magazine published by the Divine Life Society, Shri Swami Vimalananda Ji and Shri Padmanabhananda Ji Maharaj conveyed their warm greetings to all and offered their prayers to Lord Viswanath, Sri Swami Sivananda Ji Maharaj and Sri Swami Chidananda Ji Maharaj. “May the choicest blessings and benedictions of Satgurudev be upon one and all,” they stated. They explained that they seek the good wishes of all devotees worldwide so that they may continue to serve the holy institution founded by Swami Sivananda.
Sri Swami Vimalananda was born to pious Brahmin parents in Chamarajanagar, near Mysore, Karnataka in the year 1932. As a spiritual aspirant he offered himself at the holy feet of Swami Sivananda in the year 1953. He served the Holy Master for almost 10 years. After Swami Sivananda attained mahasamadhi, Swami served under Sri Swami Chidananda as his personal attendant and secretary. He was initiated into the holy orders of Sannyasa on the Sacred Guru Purnima, 26th July, 1972. Swami was appointed as General Secretary of the Divine Life Society on 28th June 2004 and was serving the Society in that capacity till he was elected President.