Sridhar Rao, as Swami Chidananda was known before taking sanyasa, was born on September 24, 1916. After receiving his early education in Muthiah Chetty School, Sridhar Rao graduated from Loyala College, Madras, a Catholic institute from which he imbibed the spirit of service. His deep and abiding faith in service and welfare of mankind, crowned with the blessings of Gurudeva Sivananda, enabled him to set up a residential colony for lepers at Muni-ki-Reti in Rishikesh. He served these lepers as a true devotee serves his Lord. As a result of this Param-Seva Bhava he attained healing power in his hands and eyes. His soul became the epitome of kindness and he served thousands of sick people in Sivananda dispensary. With his blessings, Yvonne-Lebean, a spiritual seeker from France, who was confined to bed with paralysis, regained her physical strength. She left her country to serve and inspire mankind as a blessed disciple of Swami Chidananda. In her book, This Monk From India, she gives a vivid description of the guru’s role in man’s life. She describes a guru as a divine power that protects and shields a disciple from the sufferings of this world. She has narrated inspiring facts about the generosity and humility of Chidananda in this book.

Swami Chidananda, who has been striving to hold aloft the banner of dedicated service, spiritual ideals and peace on the Earth, is a blessing to countless truth-seekers throughout the world. A friend of the friendless and the forlorn he has been travelling extensively all over the world, disseminating the healing message of his master, Swami Sivananda. A linguist and orator, he is also the author of a number of books on spiritualism.