dated April 15, 1950: Sri Ramana attains Mahasamadhi

Tha Sage of Tiruvannamalai passed away in the Ashram there at 8- 47 p.m. on April 14. News of his Mukthi was conveyed to thousands of devotees even while they were reciting verses from the ``Arunachala Malai,'' composed by the Maharishi himself. A continuous recitation of devotionals and Veda chants had been started forthwith. A meteor of unusually big size and brilliance was seen in the sky exactly at the time Sri Bhagawan shed his mortal coil. The thousands at the Ashram were thrilled by the phenomenal occurrence.

The Maharishi had ailed from a cancerous growth in his left arm for 14 months and underwent four major operations.

The passing away of the Maharishi removes from the midst of his fellowmen a figure of the first magnitude in the sphere of Hindu religion and spirituality. Born on 30th December, 1879, at Tiruchuzhi (near Madurai), Venkataraman (former name of the Bhagavan) was inconspicuous at school, his mind dwelling by instinct on higher things. Once, when he was 15, he heard somebody mention the name ``Arunachala,'' which thrilled him and gave point to his spiritual longing. Five months later, reading the Periyapuranam, he was overcome with admiration for the saints of the past. Neglecting school, he haunted lonely spots in the corridors of the Meenakshi temple in Madurai and sat in unfrequented corners lost to himself and the world. Obsessed with a need to examine closely its true significance of death, through contemplation he realised the deathlessness of the spirit, and the oneness of his own spirit with the universal spirit.

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