Spiritual Leader

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Born 13 May 1956 · Andhra Pradesh

Founded the Art of Living Foundation in 1981 to promote stress relief and meditation worldwide.

📖Modern 🏛️Spirituality 📍Andhra Pradesh 🌐South India

Ravi Shankar is an Indian guru and spiritual leader. He is also referred to by the honorifics Sri Sri and Gurudev. From the mid-1970s, he worked as an apprentice under Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the founder of Transcendental Meditation, before founding the Art of Living Foundation in 1981.

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A detail that
surprised us

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Sri Sri Ravi Shankar conceived the now-famous Sudarshan Kriya breathing technique spontaneously during a ten-day silent retreat by the Bhadra River in 1982, describing it as 'like a poem, an inspiration.'

The Story

<p>1. 🌅 Born on a Sunday in 1956 in Papanasam, Tamil Nadu, Ravi Shankar( @Gurudev ) was named after the sun and the legendary 8th-century saint Adi Shankara, sharing the same birthday; this cosmic coincidence marked the start of a life intertwined with spirituality.

By age four, he was already reciting the Bhagavad Gita, guided by Sudhakar Chaturvedi, a Vedic scholar and close associate of Mahatma Gandhi, who shaped his early spiritual outlook.

3🎓 In 1973, he graduated in Physics from St. Joseph's College, Bangalore, blending scientific curiosity with ancient wisdom, a duality that would define his teachings.

4In the mid-1970s, he apprenticed under Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the pioneer of Transcendental Meditation, traveling globally to set up centers and spread Vedic science, laying the groundwork for his future endeavors.

🏅 Awards & Honours

2016

Padma Vibhushan

🔍 One thing most people don't know

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At just four years old, Ravi Shankar could recite sections of the Bhagavad Gita, showing early spiritual depth under his first teacher Sudhakar Chaturvedi, a Vedic scholar linked to Mahatma Gandhi.

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Through the Years

2 photographs from the archives

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar with Mauricio Macri at the Fe Vida conference in Buenos Aires (2012)

2012

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015

🗓️ A Life in Moments

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Birth

Birth in Papanasam, Tamil Nadu

Ravi Shankar was born on a Sunday, named after the sun and the saint Adi Shankara sharing the same birth date.

1956

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Career

Apprenticeship under Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

Traveled globally as an apprentice to the founder of Transcendental Meditation, setting centers and promoting Vedic science.

c.1970

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Education

Graduated in Physics, Bangalore

Completed a B.Sc. in Physics from St. Joseph's College, Bangalore, blending scientific inquiry with spiritual studies.

1973

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Career

Founded the Art of Living Foundation

Established the foundation in Bengaluru to teach stress-relief and spiritual practices to a global audience.

1981

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Career

Discovery of Sudarshan Kriya

During a silent retreat by the Bhadra River, he developed the rhythmic breathing technique that became central to his teachings.

1982

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Career

First Art of Living course in Switzerland

Expanded the reach of his teachings to Europe, marking the beginning of the foundation's international presence.

1983

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Career

First North America course in California

Conducted Art of Living's inaugural course in Apple Valley, California, extending the movement’s footprint to the US.

1986

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Award

Awarded Padma Vibhushan

Received India's second-highest civilian award recognizing his contributions to spirituality and peace efforts.

2016

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🗝️Discoveries

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01 / 05

🏆ACHIEVEMENT

Sudarshan Kriya, the signature breathing technique taught worldwide, emerged spontaneously in 1982 after a silent retreat by the Bhadra River in Karnataka, described by Sri Sri as 'like a poem, an inspiration.'

Wikipedia

02 / 05

🌍HISTORICAL IMPACT

By 1983, the Art of Living Foundation had already crossed Indian borders, hosting its inaugural course in Switzerland, marking the beginning of its international expansion.

Wikipedia

03 / 05

🏆ACHIEVEMENT

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian honor, in 2016 for his contributions to spirituality and peace efforts.

Wikipedia

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"The Art of Living is more of a principle, a philosophy of living life to its fullest. It is more a movement than an organization. Its core value is to find peace within oneself and to unite people in our society – of different cultures, traditions, religions, nationalities; and thus reminding us all that we have one goal to uplift human life everywhere." - Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

— Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

🎙️ Speeches & Recordings

These recordings preserve the legacy of Bharat's icons

Setting The Bharat Narrative With Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar | The Right Stand W| News18

·YouTube

🌱 What changed because of them

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar revolutionized global approaches to stress relief and peacebuilding by founding the Art of Living Foundation in 1981, which now operates in over 150 countries and has reached more than 300 million people. His development of Sudarshan Kriya introduced a unique breathing practice that has been integrated into wellness programs worldwide, influencing both spiritual seekers and mainstream health initiatives. Additionally, his involvement in international peace processes left tangible impacts on conflict resolution efforts in Colombia and India.

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Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

A detail thatsurprised us

The Story

🏅 Awards & Honours

🔍 One thing most people don't know

Through the Years

🗓️ A Life in Moments

🗝️Discoveries

🎙️ Speeches & Recordings

🌱 What changed because of them

💬 Social Buzz

💭 Memories & Tributes

A detail that
surprised us