Swami Ishatmananda is a revered monk of the Ramakrishna Mission who commenced his spiritual life with the holy Order at the Ramakrishna Mission, Cherrapunji, Meghalaya, India. He received spiritual initiation from the 10th President of the Ramakrishna Order, Srimat Swami Vireshwaranandaji Maharaj, a direct disciple of Sri Maa Sarada Devi. In 1986, he was formally ordained into the monastic order of Sannyasa by Srimat Swami Gambhiranandaji Maharaj.

 

Throughout his monastic life, Swami Ishatmananda has rendered dedicated service to the Ramakrishna Order in diverse and responsible capacities. He served in the esteemed publication department of Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata, one of the foremost centers of Vedantic literature of the Ramakrishna Mission. He later became the Founding Secretary of the Ramakrishna Mission, Port Blair, Andaman Islands, contributing significantly to the establishment and growth of the Mission’s activities in the region. He also served as Principal-cum-Secretary of the Ramakrishna Mission School at Narottam Nagar, Tirap, Arunachal Pradesh. Additionally, he held the office of Vice-President of the Uttar-Purbanchal Ramakrishna Vivekananda Bhava Prachar Parishad, an organization comprising fifty-nine centers dedicated to the dissemination of Vedantic and cultural values.

 

Since early 2013, Swami Ishatmananda has been serving as the President of the Vivekananda Vedanta Society of Chicago. Under his thoughtful and visionary leadership, the Society observed the 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda with remarkable depth and grandeur. In recognition of his contributions to interfaith dialogue and spiritual education, he was appointed Religious Adviser at the University of Chicago in December 2014. In January 2020, he was further entrusted with the responsibility of Trustee of the Parliament of the World’s Religions.

 

Under his able guidance, the Vivekananda Vedanta Society of Chicago inaugurated the “Home of Harmony” in Irving Park, Chicago—an institution dedicated to fostering mutual respect and harmony among world religions. The center houses a monumental statue of Sri Ramakrishna, among the tallest of its kind, standing as a profound symbol of the harmony of religions.

 

Swami Ishatmananda also serves as a Trustee of the Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago. A respected scholar and spiritual teacher, he is the author of several books and numerous articles on Vedanta, spirituality, and religious harmony.

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As Religious Adviser at the University of Chicago, Swami Ishatmananda has, since December 2014, been delivering weekly lectures on essential Vedantic texts, including the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, the Ramayana, and classical teachings on Yoga. Beyond formal instruction, he maintains close engagement with devotees and spiritual seekers throughout Illinois, conducts retreats, and is regularly invited by various institutions and organizations to participate in spiritual, cultural, and interfaith programs across the United States.

 

Recordings of his lectures and discourses are available through the official online channels of the Vivekananda Vedanta Society of Chicago.