V.S. Ramanan, former president of Sri Ramanasramam in Tiruvannamalai, passed away on Tuesday. He was 86.
Mr. Ramanan, who took over the president’s post in 1994, was one of the longest serving presidents of Sri Ramanasramam for nearly 26 years until he handed over the baton to his son Venkat Ramanan on June 17. Dr. Venkat Ramanan was a medical practitioner in the U.S. before he returned to Tiruvannamalai to take over the mantle of the asramam. Mr. Ramanan, the grand nephew of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi, steered the asramam through difficult times. He was helpful in providing rare insights of the Maharshi for bringing out the book titled Who Am I, Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharishi, 1879-1950, which was published by The Hindu Group of Publications in March.
According to asramam sources, he passed away due to age-related conditions and his last rites were performed in the asramam in Tiruvannamalai with devotees reciting Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi’s Aksharamanamalai. The asramam operates a number of spiritual and social activities including running a guest house, library, archive, Veda Patashala and annadhanam.
