Sri Sridhar Rao

Hari Om,

In 1944 or 1945, Sri Kashiram Gupta, a Marwadi devotee of Swami Sivananda and father of Sri Ram Niwas Gupta, who was very close to Sri Gurudev, came to the Ashram on a visit. Swami Sivananda called him to his Ganga bank Kutir. When Sri Kashiram Gupta entered the Kutir, Gurudev told him to be seated and enquired whether he was well-accommodated and comfortable. After Sri Kashiramji, an elderly person, assured him that he was perfectly at home, Gurudev suddenly looked at him and told him: "O jee! My successor has already come!" Sri Guptaji was somewhat surprised and asked Swami Sivanandji who that successor was. At that time Sri Sridhar Rao (later Swami Chidananda) had gone to the river bank and taken his dip and was drying himself, with a towel around his waist. Swami Sivananda pointed a finger in the direction of Sridhar Rao and told Sri Gupta: "Look there! See that young man on the riverbank? That is my successor." So, it seemed that already Swami Sivananda had made up his mind about his successor. It was indeed Pujya Swamiji's sankalpa which inspired student Sridhar Rao on the spiritual path and later drew him irresistibly to Rishikesh, to the feet of the Master. Sridhar Rao was conferred Sannyas by Gurudev six years after he arrived in Sivananda Ashram, in 1948, on Guru Purnima day, and thus was born Swami Chidananda Maharaj.

Source : Autobiography of Swami Chidananda 

Om Namoh Bhagavathe Sivanandaya !

Om Namoh Bhagavathe Chidanandaya !