https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Swami_Ghanananda_%28Ghana%29Swami Ghanananda (Ghana) - Revision history2026-09-07T23:12:49ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Swami_Ghanananda_(Ghana)&diff=50625&oldid=prev>AadyaSingh10 at 16:18, 28 April 20212021-04-28T16:18:00Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Infobox person<br />
|image =<br />
|name = Swami Ghanananda<br />
|birth_place = Senya Beraku, [[Central Region, Ghana|Central Region]], [[Ghana]]<br />
|birth_date = {{birth date|1937|9|12|df=yes}}<br />
|death_date = {{Death date and age|2016|1|18|1937|9|12|df=yes}}<br />
|death_place = <br />
|occupation = [[Swami]]<br /> [[Guru-shishya tradition|Śishya]] of [[Swami Krishnananda]]<br />
}}<br />
'''Swami Ghanananda''' ({{Lang-ta|சாமி கானானந்தா}}; 12 September 1937 – 18 January 2016) is a prominent swami of the indigenous [[Hinduism in Ghana|Hindu community in Ghana]], and is the first Hindu swami of African ancestry.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.myjoyonline.com/news/2016/february-2nd/guide-kwesi-essel-first-african-hindu-monk-dies.php|title=Ghana News - Swami Saraswati, first African Hindu monk from Ghana, dies|last=Myjoyonline.com|website=www.myjoyonline.com|access-date=2016-06-16}}</ref> He was initiated as a [[swami]] by the late [[Swami Krishnananda]] of India in 1975, and was head the Hindu Monastery of Africa in [[Accra]], Ghana.<ref name="Ghana's unique African-Hindu">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/10401741.stm Ghana's unique African-Hindu temple - BBC News] By [[Rajesh Joshi]]</ref><br />
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==Biography==<br />
===Early life===<br />
Swami Ghanananda was born in a Senya Beraku village, [[Central Region, Ghana|central region]] of Ghana on 12 September into a native Ghanaian faith, but his parents converted to Christianity. From a very early age he thought about the mysteries of the universe and tried to find the answers in religious texts.<ref name="Ghana's unique African-Hindu"/><br />
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===Journey to India===<br />
Swami Ghanananda then read some books on the Hindu faith and embarked upon a new journey which took him to [[Rishikesh]] in the [[India]]n [[States and territories of India|state]] of [[Uttarakhand]] in northern India. He spent some time there with a spiritual guru who suggested him to open the monastery in Accra.<ref name="Ghana's unique African-Hindu"/><br />
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===First meeting with Swami Krishnananda===<br />
In 1962, Swami Ghanananda moved to Accra and on 24 November, he formed the Divine Mystic Path Society. He then started correspondence courses on the Hindu way of life ([[Sanatana Dharma#Dharma|Sanatana Dharma]]) with the Divine Life Society of Rishikesh, located in the foothills of the [[Himalaya]]s in northern India, where he first met [[Swami Krishnananda]] of India and became his [[Guru-shishya tradition|śishya]] (disciple), and then in 1975 Swami Krishnananda initiated Swami Ghanananda as a [[swami]].<ref name="Ghana's unique African-Hindu"/><br />
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==References==<br />
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== External links ==<br />
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/south_asia/10401741.stm Ghana's unique African-Hindu temple] at [[BBC News]]<br />
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[[Category:Hindu monks|Ghanananda, Swami]]<br />
[[Category:Converts to Hinduism|Ghanananda, Swami]]<br />
[[Category:Hindu missionaries]]<br />
[[Category:Hinduism in Ghana]]<br />
[[Category:Ghanaian Hindus]]<br />
[[Category:1937 births]]<br />
[[Category:Ghanaian monks]]<br />
[[Category:Ghanaian missionaries]]<br />
[[Category:2016 deaths]]<br />
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