Shambhavananda
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Swami Shambhavananda (1894, Halugunda village of Kodagu, Karnataka - 1972) was an Indian Hindu leader. His original and given name was Chengappa. He joined the Ramakrishna Order at its Bangalore centre in 1917. He was an initiated disciple of Swami Brahmananda and was ordained into Sannyas in 1924. He was the first president of Ramakrishna Saradashrama, Ponnampet in Kodagu. He became the president of Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama, Mysore in 1941 and continued till his death.
He is known for his efforts in the eradication of malaria. Singing Solle paata in Kodava Takk, he moved from village to village, educating the masses about the cause of malaria and ways to eradicate it. He initiated modern beekeeping in the area in 1928. He saw that the industry could be eminently suitable to Kodagu and would contribute to the economic strength of the local people. Due to his untiring efforts and active interest by the government, the district witnessed rapid progress in modern beekeeping from 1931 to 1941. The country's first beekeepers' co-operative society was formed in Virajpet in 1936.
An efficient administrator, strict disciplinarian and a great educationist, he was a man with kind heart. He founded the Shri Ramakrishna Vidyashala, a residential school for boys in Mysore. He also founded the Vedanta College or the Ramakrishna Institute of Moral and Spiritual Education (RIMSE). He was also a trustee of the Ramakrishna Math and a member of the governing body of the Ramakrishna Mission.
