SWAMI BRAHMANANDA
Swami Brahmananda visited and stayed at the Ashrama many times beginning right from 1903 and helped organizing celebrations like Durga puja, Kali puja and Jagaddhatri puja on several occasions.
After the construction of the first floor of the Ashrama building he visited the Ashrama on 23rd January, 1921 and stayed in westernmost corner room, built with the money provided by a 'Bangal-mai' (a lady hailing from eastern part of Bengal) still then incomplete. For the first time it is he who stayed in that room. While so staying there he encountered a spirit several times. Swami Vishuddhanandaji also had similar experience. Swami Saradanandaji had arranged to bring Swami Brahmanandaji for resolving some differences that cropped up between the workers of the two Ashramas located side by side at Kashi as he failed to resolve the same himself when he came with the same mission earlier. Reaching the Ashrama and staying there Swami Brahmanandaji got the monastics absorbed in japa, meditation, religious discourses, kirtans (devotional songs) etc. and thus with the spiritual wave so created resolved all the problems.
On the auspicious day of Swami Vivekananda's birth anniversary, falling on 30th January the same year, he administered the vow for Celibacy and inducted to monasticism 35 persons in all. On the 10th February following, his birth anniversary was also celebrated in a grand manner and at night a Kalipuja in image was performed. During his stay he went to Sankata Mochana temple on 4th March along with the monastics and brahmacharins for singing the Ramanama samkirtana and had the holy darshan of Sri Mahavira there in the guise of an old Brahmin. The 11th March following is especially memorable for the Advaita Ashrama when, on account of the birth anniversary of Bhagwan Sri Ramakrishna, Special pujas were performed and the old Lithograph of Sri Ramakrishna so long worshipped was replaced by a new photograph and the Lithograph was placed in the hall. Along with Swami Brahmanandaji, Swami Saradananda, Swami Turiyananda and Swami Subodhananda were also present on the occasion. All present danced and sang the tune Esseche nutan manus.......' (A new one has arrived) on the pavilion with great excitement. Swami Brahmanandaji performed the offerings and aratrikam. At that moment some sannyasins noticed in him an ecstatic mood. On that day he initiated five novice into Brahmacharya and initiated nine others into sannyasa. This was his last visit to Kashi. On the 15th March following he left the holy Kashi for Belur Math.