Swami Abhedananda

Born as Kaliprasad Chandra in 1866, Swami Abhedananda became one of the direct monastic disciples of Ramakrishna. After Ramakrishna's death, he joined the early brotherhood that also included Swami Vivekananda, taking part in the formative years of the Ramakrishna movement.

In 1897, Vivekananda sent him to the West, where he led the Vedanta Society of New York and spent years lecturing in the United States and Europe. He became well known for presenting Vedanta and yoga in a reasoned, accessible style, and he also wrote a number of books based on his talks and studies.

Later, he returned to India and founded the Ramakrishna Vedanta Math in Kolkata. Remembered as a teacher, traveler, and writer, he helped introduce Indian spiritual thought to a broad international audience during a period of major cultural exchange.