Swami Chidananda

Swami Chidananda joined the Ramakrishna Order in 1956 at the Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama, Bangalore, Karnataka, India, after completing his university education.

He was initiated by Revered Swami Yatishwarananda Maharaj, Vice President of the Ramakrishna Order. During the formative years of his monastic career, he had the privilege of receiving direct guidance from the Revered Maharaj, the author of Meditation and Spiritual Life. He took Sanyasa at the Belur Math from Revered Swami Vireshvarananda Maharaj in the year 1966.

Swami Chidananda was appointed the President of the Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama, Bangalore, in November 1983. Some of his most noteworthy achievements in this capacity include the adoption of 14 impoverished villages for development, a far-reaching, visionary project involving construction of homes for villagers; introduction of modern agricultural technologies to dramatically increase food production; practical training in manual arts and traditional folk culture to upgrade village economy; establishment of a fair-price depot for village trade; and founding of the Sri Ramakrishna Vidya Kendra school for 350 boys and girls in Shivanahalli.

In addition, the Swami instituted a mobile dispensary which brought modern medical care to 70 villages on a weekly basis.

In May 1989 he was named Assistant Secretary of the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Calcutta.

In May 1991 Swami Chidananda was appointed Assistant Minister of the Vivekananda Vedanta Society in Chicago, Illinois, and the Vivekananda Vedanta Monastery in Ganges Township, Michigan. In August 1993, he became the Minister of the Society and the Monastery.

The Swami has recorded numerous cassettes including devotional songs, Vedic chanting, the Bhagavad Gita, a series of lectures for practical living, and an on-going series of weekly lectures on the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna.