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Brahmananda (Rakhal) (January 21, 1863 – April 10, 1922) one of the direct disciples of Ramakrishna, a Hindu saint from Bengal in the late nineteenth century, was also known as Rakhal. He played a crucial role during the early years of Ramakrishna Mission: Swami Brahmananda, was appointed as the first president of the Ramakrishna Order, from 1901 to the end of his life in 1922.

Pre monastic days
Swami Brahmānanda (1863–1922), whose original name was Rakhal Chandra Ghosh, was the only son of Ananda Mohan Gosh, a zamindar, and Kailas Kamini, a Krishna devout. He was born on 21 January 1863 at Sikra Kulingram, 36 miles to the N.W. of Kolkata. Rakhal means "the shepherd boy". He was devoted to God and used to practice meditation even in boyhood. At the age of 12, after finishing primary school, he went to a Kolkata grammar school where he became friends for life with Naren, later called Vivekananda.

Long before Rahkal went to Dakshineswar to meet Sri Ramakrishna, the Master had a vision in which he saw the Divine Mother showing him a child who would be his son. When Rakhal came to visit him for the first time, Ramakrishna recognized him at once to be that child, and treated him like his own son.

Monastic life
After a few visits to Sri Ramakrishna, Rakhal came to Dakshineswar to live permanently with him. Under the Master's guidance, he practiced intense spiritual disciplines, and attained high levels of spiritual illumination. After the Master's death in 1886 when the new Monastic brotherhood was formed at Baranagar, Rakhal joined it. He underwent sannyasa ordination and assumed the name Brahmananda. Two years later he left Baranagar Math and was a wandering monk for some time, living an intensely contemplative life at Varanasi, Omkarnath, Vrindaban, Hardwar and other places. During this period he is said to have scaled the highest peak of non-dualistic experience and used to remain absorbed in Samadhi for days together. In 1890, he returned to the Math. When Swami Vivekananda, after his return to India in 1897, wanted to give a new turn to monastic life, Swami Brahmananda whole-heartedly supported him. There was deep love between these two monastic brothers.

When Ramakrishna Mission was formed as an Association on 1 May 1897, at Baghbazar in Kolkata, Swami Vivekananda was elected its General President and Swami Brahmananda was elected the first and only ever Calcutta President. After establishing Belur Math monastery when Swami Vivekananda got Ramakrishna Math registered as a Trust, Swami Brahmananda became its President. He held this post till the end of his life.

During his tenure as President, the Ramakrishna Order underwent great expansion, and several new branch centres were opened in India and abroad. The Ramakrishna Mission, which had been founded by Swami Vivekananda as an Association, was revived and registered during his time. His stress on contemplative life served to counterbalance the activities undertaken by the monks. During those difficult formative years, he gave great stability to the Sangha. For his kingly qualities of administration, Swami Vivekananda gave him the appellation ‘Raja’, and since then he was respectfully referred to as ‘Raja Maharaj’ by all. He was one of the six disciples of Sri Ramakrishna whom the Master regarded as ishvarakotis, or perfect beings.

He spent a good portion of his lifetime at Puri and Bhubaneswar. He was main instrument responsible for setting up of Ramakrishna Ashramas at Puri and Bhubaneswar.

He gave up his body, after a brief illness, on 10 April 1922. At the place where his body was cremated in Belur Math, a temple now stands in his memory.

Source : The Eternal Companion: Teachings of Swami Brahmananda by Swami Yatiswarananda and Swami Prabhavananda God Lived with Them by Swami Chetanananda.