🕉️ Life Sketch of Sri Annada Thakur (1891–1929)

Early Life and Background

Sri Annada Thakur, born as Annada Charan Bhattacharya on October 12, 1891, in Raujan (Noapara), Chittagong district (present-day Bangladesh), hailed from a devout Brahmin family. His mother, Tilottama Devi, reportedly had a dream in which the goddess Chandi presented her with a divine fruit, symbolizing the birth of a blessed child. His father, Abhoy Charan Bhattacharya, was a respected scholar. Annada was the second of five children .​

Education and Early Career

Annada received his early education at a local village school and later pursued Sanskrit studies in Kashi (Varanasi). Subsequently, he moved to Calcutta (now Kolkata) to study Ayurvedic medicine, where he developed several patent medicines and gained renown as a physician across Bengal. 

Spiritual Awakening and Visions

In 1915, Annada began experiencing profound spiritual visions. He saw four girls carrying an image of the Divine Mother Kali, invisible to others, and had dreams of Sri Ramkrishna Paramahamsa, who instructed him to shave his head, bathe in the Ganges, and retrieve a murti (idol) of the Divine Mother from a pond in Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Following these visions, he and his companions discovered the idol, which became central to his spiritual mission .​

Establishment of Adyapeath

In 1921, Annada Thakur founded the Dakshineswar Ramkrishna Sangha Adyapeath near Kolkata. The temple complex was designed with three altars: the lower for Sri Ramkrishna, the middle for Adya Ma (Divine Mother Kali), and the upper for Radha-Krishna, symbolizing a synthesis of spiritual paths .​

The Sangha expanded its services to include orphanages, schools, homes for the elderly, ashrams, and charitable dispensaries, embodying Annada Thakur’s vision of universal brotherhood and service to humanity .​

Personal Life

Annada Thakur was married to Manikuntala Devi, affectionately known as Mamami. She was both a householder and a yogini, deeply involved in his spiritual endeavors. Devotees often regard her as an embodiment of the Divine Mother, and she is venerated alongside Annada Thakur at Adyapeath .

Passing and Legacy

Annada Thakur passed away in January 1929 at the age of 38 due to a lung infection . Before his death, he authored his spiritual experiences in the Bengali book Swapna-Jeevana, later translated into English as A Life of Visions.​

His legacy continues through the ongoing activities of the Dakshineswar Ramkrishna Sangha Adyapeath, which remains a significant spiritual and charitable institution in West Bengal.