Ramakrishna

Sri Ramakrishna was born on 18 February, 1836 in the village of Kamarpukur about sixty miles northwest of Kolkata. His parents, Khudiram Chattopadhyaya and Chandramani Devi, were poor but very pious and virtuous. As a child, Ramakrishna (his childhood name was Gadadhar) was dearly loved by the villagers. From early days, he was disinclined towards formal education and worldly affairs. He was, however, a talented boy, and could sing and paint well. He was fond of serving holy men and listening to their discourses. He was also very often found to be absorbed in spiritual moods. At the age of six, he experienced the first ecstasy while watching a flight of white cranes moving against the background of black clouds. This tendency to enter into ecstasy intensified with age. Deeply saddened by the loss of his father's at an early age of seven, his detachment from the world grew, intensifying his introspection and spiritual thrist