AkhandanandaBholanath DidimaGurupriya Didi Paramananda
HaribabaBhaijiGopinath Kaviraj
Br TanmayanandaBr PanudaSwami KeshavanandaNarayan-Swami
Swami Nirvanananda
Swamiji was born on 31st March 1922, in Allahabad He was the second son of Shrimati Nonibala Devi and Shri Shirish Chandra Banerjee, who had five children – four sons, Sailesh, Kusum, Subodh, and Bhupen and one daughter Kumari Lakshmi.
His mother passed away in around 1929, when he was only about 7. His father and eldest brother Shailesh took care of the other children. He took his B.Sc, degree from Allahabad University and later completed his M.Sc. at Stephens College, Delhi, and then joined the same college.
He had had darshan of Sri Ma right from his childhood, when Sri Ma visited Allahabad. Finally Kusum and his elder brother Shailesh (later Sw Sivananda) join Sri Ma’s Ashram and were named Brahmachari Kusum and Brahmachari Shailesh.
From 1947 to 1950, during 3-year Savitri Yagna held in Kashi Ashram, Br Kusum was one of the hota’s (person pouring special offerings into the Yagna). In 1952 when Sri Ma went with Hari Baba on a South-Indian tour, Br Kusum joined the group.
Br Kusum became the assistant of Pandit Shri Agnishvat Shastri (Batuda) in all the major rituals of the Ashram. He quickly learned the religious rites. In 1956, during the diamond jubilee celebration of Sri Ma’s Janmotsav, Br. Kusum conducted the various pujas to Sri Ma.
From 1956 onwards till 1982, Br Nirvananandji was responsible for conducting the religious rites on Sri Ma’s body
In 1962, during the Purna-Kumbh at Haridwar, the Kankhal Ashram was not yet constructed. Hence Sri Ma was residing in Bhagat House, a palatial house of Raja Durga Singh, at Hardwar. At Sri Ma’s kheyal Br Kusum, Br Bharat and Br Tapan were given the diksha of Naishtik Brahmacharis. They were asked to follow a strict and arduous life in that secluded place for three years. The daily routine was very strenuous. A daily bath in the River Ganga three times (summer and winter) followed by the daily rituals (trisandhya), keeping maun throughout the day, completing a specific number of Gayatri-japa, (Gayatri Purascharan) cooking their own food once a day, etc. After that strenuous and strict life-style, they became Naishtik Brahmacharis and were were given the names Br Nirvananandji, Br Bhaskaranandji, and Br Nirmalanandji respectively.
After Bholanath passed away, Sri Ma’s mother, Swami Muktanand Giriji (Didima) used to give diksha to the devotees. After Didima left her body in 1970, at Sri
Ma’s behest, the three new Naishtik Brahmacharis were authorised to conduct diksha, as acharyas, not gurus. Br. Nirvananandji received the sannyas mantra from Shri 1008 Giridhar Narain Puriji, the Mahant of Nirvani Akhara, Kankhal, and was then known as Swami Nirvananandji.
In 2012, Swamiji became the sixtieth President of the Sangha until his passing at Kankhal Ashram.
He attained the lotus feet of Sri Ma at 1.30 am on 5th January, 2021.
