Background
He was born as Rabindranath Bhattacharya in the hamlet of Habibpur, on the bank of the river Ganges, in the district of Nadia, West Bengal, 65 km from Kolkata.
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Hariharananda Giri
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According to the Times of India, Hariharananda was a direct disciple of Yukteswar Giri. Hariharananda Giri, affectionately known as "Baba" to his students, was known as a Kriya Yogi in the lineage of Mahavatar Babaji, Lahiri Mahasaya, Yukteswar Giri, and Paramahansa Yogananda. Yukteshwar Giri taught him cosmic astrology, and entreated him to come and live in his Karar Ashram at Puri, in Odisha.
In 1935, he met Paramahansa Yogananda, and received the second Kriya initiation from him.
In 1938, he renounced the material life and entered his guru"s ashram in Puri, starting the life of an ascetic monk as Brahmachari Rabinarayan. In the period of 1943–1945 he received fourth, fifth and sixth Kriya initiations from Shri Bhupendranath Sanyal Mahasaya, a direct disciple of Shri Lahiri Mahasaya.
He also was empowered by Shri Bhupendranath Sanyal Mahasaya to give dikshas (Kriya initiations). On 27 May 1959 he took formal monastic vows from the Shankaracharya of Puri Srimad Swami Bharati Krishna Tirtha and was named Swami Hariharananda Giri.
In 1971 he became the fourth president (sadhusabhapati) of Karar Ashram and succeeded Satyananda Giri.
Hariharananda resided at the ashram he founded at Homestead, Florida, for several years prior to his death in Miami in December 2002 and was buried at Balighai, in Orissa, that same month. Notable disciples are Paramahansa Atmananda, Paramahansa Prajnananda, Swami Sarveshwarananda, Swami Premananda Giri, Branch Swarupananda Giri, Sarveshwar Ananda Giri, and Swami Vidyadhishananda Giri.
