Suvendu Adhikari paid obeisance to Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda during a visit to Belur Math on Thursday, his first since being sworn in as Bengal chief minister.

During his hour-long visit, Suvendu visited the main temple of Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda’s room and Ma Sarada’s temple.

He met Swami Gautamananda, president of the order, and Swami Suvirananda, the general secretary, and interacted with senior monks.

The chief minister was offered prasad, a sari, a dhuti and books on Swami Vivekananda.

“The chief minister spoke about Swami Vivekananda’s four guiding principles — education, health, spirituality and service — and said the new government in Bengal would strive towards achieving them,” a senior monk present at the meeting said.

While interacting with the monks, Suvendu recalled how he would visit the Math with his father in a ramshackle Ambassador car, spend time there and sit by the Hooghly watching the river flow.

“The chief minister said he has been visiting the Tamluk Math of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission (in East Midnapore) since his early days. He was earnest in seeking the blessings of the monks to run the government,” the monk added.

After entering through the Math’s main gate, Suvendu stopped his convoy and walked a stretch to the old office building opposite the main temple, where monks were waiting to receive him.

“He did a sashtanga pranam to all the monks before beginning his tour of the Math,” another monk said.

Belur Math has hosted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior BJP leaders.

After leaving Belur Math, Suvendu headed to an administrative meeting with senior state government and railway officials in Howrah.