Quietly and earnestly, Self-Realised Master, Shri Ramakant Maharaj, shared with seekers the highest knowledge from a small, humble ashram in Nashik, Maharashtra, India. In 1962, he was initiated into the Inchegiri Navnath Sampradaya by the world-renowned Jnani, Shri Nisargadatta Maharaj. Shri Ramakant spent almost 20 years with him until September 8th 1981, when he attended the glorious occasion of his Beloved Master’s Mahasamadhi.

Ramakant Sawant (July 8th 1941-August 31st 2018) was brought up in rural Phondaghat, Gadgesakhal Wadi. In 1965, he was enrolled at the prestigious establishment of Elphinstone College, Bombay, at the behest of Shri Nisargadatta. Following this, he graduated from Bombay University in 1972 (M.A. in History and Politics). In 1976, he obtained his LLB qualification from Siddhartha Law College, Bombay. Subsequently, he took up a career in banking, working in the Legal Department from 1970 until his retirement as a bank manager in 2000. He was married to Anvita Sawant, also a long-standing disciple of Shri Nisargadatta Maharaj. They had two sons.

Shri Ramakant faced many challenges in life, including the devastating loss of his mother at age seven, poverty, educational struggles, unemployment, etc. About his life, he used to say, “I know my past and where I have come from. I am a miracle! All thanks to my Master, Shri Nisargadatta Maharaj”.

He had an inquisitive nature, and from the age of around eight or nine, he found himself asking the ultimate questions such as “Who am I?” “Where have I come from?”. Shri Nisargadatta took this young boy under his wing and became a father figure to him. Displaying a warm and caring touch, Nisargadatta bought him his first watch and opened a bank account for him.

From the age of twenty-one, Shri Ramakant faithfully attended his Master’s discourses. When he retired, he and his wife, Anvita, relocated to Nashik, accompanied by his ailing father-in-law. Some years later, Maharaj started guiding young seekers in the locality.