Monastic Name: Swami Vijnananda

Pre-Monastic Name: Hari Prasanna Chatopadhyay

October 1868
Born on 30 October 1868 in Etawah, Uttar Pradesh. His father worked for the British government and had a transferable job. Therefore he and his 5 siblings lived with their mother at Varanasi. In 1879, they moved to their ancestral home at Belgharia near Dakshineswar.

Around 1875
Met Sri Ramakrishna for the first time at the age of 7 when he was visiting a devotees house in Belgharia. He later saw him in samadhi once at another devotees house, and in November 1883 went from college with a friend - Sharat to visit him. This time his mother scolded him for visiting the 'deranged brahmin'. He visited the master very often after this.

1887
Graduated from Patna College and went to Poona College of science to study civil engineering.

1892
Graduated in 1892 and took up the job of district engineer at Gazipur in Uttar Pradesh (UP). He worked on various projects in UP, sent Rs.60/- every month to the Ramakrishna Monastery and kept close contact with his brother disciples who would come and stay with him when they were sick, and he served them with loving care.

1896
Joined the Ramakrishan Monastery at Alambazar after becoming disgusted with repeated attempts of his uncle to get him married. (He had agreed to work only until his family was financially secure, since his father had expired when he was very young). Here he lived humbly and spent most of his time in japam and meditation.

1897
Went on the western and northern (Indian) travels with Swami Vivekananda (Swamiji) after his return from America. During the travels Swamiji discussed his plans for the Belur Temple with Hari Prasanna, who later drew a sketch of the Ramakrishna Temple using Swamiji's ideas as a guide, and got them approved by Swamiji.

February 1898 onwards
Single handedly drew up the site plan and building plans for Belur, prepared estimates, as well as supervised the construction. Vivekananda consecrated the Ramakrishna Math on 9th December 1898 at Belur after the construction was completed. (the temple as we see it today, was not yet built)

9 May 1899
Took formal sannayasa and monastic vows with the traditional Viraja Homa ceremony, in Sri Ramakrishna's shrine. Vivekananda told him: "Do as we have done. Take your sanyasa directly from the Master".

Fall of 1900
After the construction of the monastery at Belur, Swamiji advised him to start a centre at Allahabad. The Brahmavadin Club there rented two rooms on the upper floor of a two-storey building and he set up the centre there. He spent his time on Japa, meditation, cooking, study in the shrine room. Conducted a vesper service in the evening and he gave classes on the Gita to the club members. In Allahabad, he did not make any effort to preach the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna. In fact, preaching was against his nature. He led a life according to the ideals of Sri Ramakrishna and other learnt from it.

1904
Translated Sri Ramakrishna's Life and Teachings from Bengali into Hindi and published it as Paramahamsa-Charitra. During his 38 year stay at Allahabad he published a number of important books. Towards the end of his life, he was translating Valmiki's Ramayana from Sanskrit into English, but this was left unfinished. He said about his experience: "When I sit down to translate the Ramayana, I forget the world. I see Rama, Lakshmana, Sita and Mahavirji in front of me."

1910
Bought a house and vacant plot in Allahabad, turned the house into the Ramakrishna Monastery and built another house for a charitable homeopathic dispensary.

1909 onwards
As he was an engineer, he was consulted for the construction of all construction of the Ramakrishna Mission's hospitals or temples. For this he travelled to many centres, and also went on pilgrimages to nearby places. In the later part of his life, he visited Kanchipuram, Madurai, and other places in the south, Chittrakut, Sri, Lanka, Delhi, Lahore, Shillong, Bhubaneswar, and many other places in India and also Burma.

1934
Became the Vice-President of the Ramakrishna Ramakrishna Math and Mission worldwide, and the President in 1937 after the passing away of Swami Akhandananda. On Friday, 14 January 1938, he consecrated the Ramakrishna Temple at Belur.

25 April 1938
Face beaming with joy, he passed away at Allahabad.

On the day of the consecration of the Ramakrishna Temple, he got up early, put on a new ochre cloth, and sitting quietly in his chair waiting for the auspicious moment, he said to his attendant: "When I install the Master in the new temple, I shall say to Swamiji: 'Your consecrated deity has now been installed in the temple you planned. You said that you would watch from high. Please see now that the Master is seated in the new temple.'"

After the consecration he told his attendant "… I vividly saw Swamiji, Rakhal Maharaj, Mahapurush Maharaj, Sharat Maharaj, Hari Maharaj, Gangadhar Maharaj, and others standing in the southwest corner watching the consecration ceremony." After a while the swami said: "Now my work is over. Today I am relieved of the responsibility that Swamiji entrusted to me."

Compiled from various sources

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