Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Spiritual leader and founder of the Art of Living Foundation
- Age
- 70 yrs
- Birthday in 196 days
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- Career highlights
- Honours
- 1
- Most recent 2016
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Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is a spiritual leader who founded the Art of Living Foundation in 1981. His breathing technique, Sudarshan Kriya, and courses on stress relief are taught in many countries, and he has been involved in humanitarian and peace initiatives. He received the Padma Vibhushan in 2016.
Biography
Early life
Ravi Shankar was born in Tamil Nadu and is said to have been reciting the Bhagavad Gita at four. He studied science in Bangalore and later travelled with the Transcendental Meditation teacher Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
Art of Living
In 1981 he founded the Art of Living Foundation. He says the Sudarshan Kriya, a rhythmic breathing technique at the centre of its courses, came to him during ten days of silence in 1982. The organisation now runs programmes in many countries from its ashram near Bengaluru.
Humanitarian work
He founded the International Association for Human Values in 1997, and the Art of Living runs rural schools, river-rejuvenation projects and trauma-relief programmes. He has taken part in peace efforts, including meeting FARC rebels in Colombia during peace talks.
Controversy and honours
His 2016 World Culture Festival on the Yamuna floodplain in Delhi drew millions but was criticised by environmentalists, and the National Green Tribunal held the foundation responsible for damage. He received the Padma Vibhushan in 2016.
Timeline
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1956
Born in Papanasam, Tamil Nadu
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1981
Founds the Art of Living
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1982
Sudarshan Kriya introduced
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1997
International Association for Human Values
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2016
World Culture Festival; Padma Vibhushan
Awards and honours
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Padma Vibhushan
2016
Did you know?
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1
Followers call him “Gurudev”.
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2
He is not related to the sitar player Ravi Shankar.
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3
He says the Sudarshan Kriya came to him during a silent retreat.
Connections
Frequently asked
Who is Sri Sri Ravi Shankar?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is a spiritual leader who founded the Art of Living Foundation in 1981. His breathing technique, Sudarshan Kriya, and courses on stress relief are taught in many countries, and he has been involved in humanitarian and peace initiatives. He received the Padma Vibhushan in 2016.
How old is Sri Sri Ravi Shankar?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is 70 years old, born on 13 May 1956 in Papanasam, Tamil Nadu.
Where is Sri Sri Ravi Shankar from?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar was born in Papanasam, Tamil Nadu.
What is Sri Sri Ravi Shankar known for?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is best known for Founding the Art of Living; the Sudarshan Kriya breathing technique; peace initiatives.
What awards has Sri Sri Ravi Shankar received?
Notable honours include Padma Vibhushan (2016).
References
- Ravi Shankar (spiritual leader) — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Ravi Shankar (spiritual leader) — Hindi Wikipedia. Wikipedia (Hindi). Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Official website. srisriravishankar.org. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Ravi Shankar (spiritual leader) (Q468374) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Ravi Shankar (spiritual leader)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 27 October 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.” TrackFame, last updated 29 October 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/sri-sri-ravi-shankar
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