Ravi Shankar (born May 13, 1956) is an Indian spiritual leader, founder of the Art of Living Foundation in 1981. He is often referred to as “Sri Sri” (honorific), Guruji, or Gurudev.
Childhood of Ravi Shankar
Ravi Shankar KBE, born Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury, spelled Ravindra Shankar Chowdhury in Sanskrit; April 7, 1920 – December 11, 2012, whose name is usually preceded by the title Pandit (Master) and “sitar maestro,” was an Indian musician and composer of Hindustani classical music. He was the best-known proponent of the sitar in the second half of the 20th century and influenced many other musicians around the world. Shankar received India’s highest civilian honor, the Bharat Ratna, in 1999.
Shankar was born into a Bengali Brahmin family in India, and spent his youth as a dancer touring India and Europe with the dance troupe of his brother Uday Shankar. He stopped dancing in 1938 to study sitar under the court musician Allauddin Khan. After completing his studies in 1944, Shankar worked as a composer, creating the music for Satyajit Ray’s Apu Trilogy, and was music director of All India Radio, New Delhi, from 1949 to 1956.
The art of living
His self-development and stress-elimination programs are based on the Sudarshan Kriya breathing technique, meditation, and yoga. This technique is a key part of the Art of Living courses, which are taught by instructors, most of whom are volunteers. These courses have also been conducted for students and teachers, government officials, firefighters, former militants, and prisoners.