giridhara became blind in march 1950 when he was aged two months. when he got the eye disease trachoma, there was no medical care in his village. he was taken to a local woman who was known to cure trachoma. she dropped a hot medicine into his eyes to break the trachoma lumps, but his eyes started bleeding and he became blind. his family took him to many ayurvedic, homeopathic, allopathic and medical doctors in sitapur, lucknow and mumbai, but there was no help. he cannot read or write, as he does not use the braille system, but learns by listening and composes by dictating to secretaries.