Rao Bahadur Conjeevaram Hayavadana Rao (10 July 1865 – 27 January 1946) was an Indian historian, museologist, anthropologist, economist and polyglot. He was a member of the Royal Anthropological Institute, Indian Historical Records Commission and a fellow of the Royal Society of Economics. A road near Ashram Citcle ( Basavanagudi ) , Bengaluru " Sri Hayavadana Rao Road " named in his honour.

Hayavadana Rao was born on 10 July 1865 in the town of Hosur in the then Salem district of Madras Presidency in a Kannada-speaking family.^{[1][need quotation to verify]} After graduating in history, Rao studied law and economics and joined the Government Museum, Madras as a curator. Rao worked as a curator till his retirement and compiled "The Indian Biographical Dictionary". Rao was a polyglot and was fluent in English, Latin, French, German, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi and Sanskrit.^{[citation needed]}

In 1924, Rao was appointed the head of a committee formed to revise the Mysore Gazetteer written by B. L. Rice. The revised version comprising seven volumes was published in 1927. Rao followed this with a three-volume History of Mysore (1399-1799) chronicling the Wodeyar Dynasty.

Rao died on 27 January 1946 in Bangalore.^[2]

• Rao, C. Hayavadana (1910). New Indian tales: nineteen amusing and instructive tales. G. A. Natesan.
• Rao, C. Hayavadana (1915). The Indian Biographical Dictionary .
• Rao, C. Hayavadana (1931). Indian caste system: A study.
• Rao, C. Hayavadana (1936). The Dasara in Mysore: Its Origin and Significance.
• Rao, C. Hayavadana (1948). History of Mysore (1399-1799 A.D.). Government Press.