Sitaramdas Omkarnath

Sitaramdas Omkarnath (1892–1982) was Bengal’s great modern naam-sadhak — the saint who preached the Name (the Naam, especially the Hare Krishna-Krishna Hare mantra’s kirtan) as the Kali-yuga’s dharma, drawing millions across Bengal’s rivers and villages.

Background

Born Prabodh Chatterjee in East Bengal; a householder-seeker (with family) whose yogic and bhakti maturation led to the Naam’s 1924 revelation (the Atmasiddhi experience at Tarakeswar’s orbit? — the tradition records the Ramnaam initiation and the vision of the Name as all); from the 1930s the Naam Yajna campaigns swept Bengal.

Spiritual Contribution

The Naam-propagation movement (the Naam Yajna — mass chanting campaigns, the akhanda naam kirtans); the Akhanda Naam mandalis (continuous chanting circles) across villages; his works (the Naam-Kathamrita and the Gita-Yoga expositions); the healing and pilgrimage reputation (the Guru-samadhi at Dutta-pukur, the Naam-tirtha sites).

Legacy and Impact

Bengal’s great continuation of the Chaitanya naam-culture into the 20th century; his disciples’ institutions (the Omkarnath Mission and the Naam-tirthas) continue; he is remembered as “the Namavatar.”

Verification notes

• Dates and the movement’s history are documented in Bengali hagiography; the tradition’s claims are presented as such.
• Audited against Wikipedia (September 2026).