"My vision is a world which is violence free, crime free and stress free" --- Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. He is a renowned humanitarian act as spiritual leader whose mission is to uniting the world into a violence free global family. He is seeking for global peace through service and fostering human values. Sri Sri`s work covers the areas of conflict resolution, trauma relief and disaster management, stress elimination, prisoner rehabilitation, youth & women empowerment, education, community development, empowering individuals and the revival of ancient wisdom. He is the most multi-faceted activist unarguably in the world today. Sri Sri`s range of social work encompasses conflict resolution, disaster relief, women empowerment, prison reform, campaign against female infanticide and eradication of child labor. He is engaged in peace talks and counseling in conflicts zones around the world. His expertise in bringing people to the negotiating table in Sri Lanka, Kashmir and other places is widely acknowledged.

The self-chosen double-honorific "Sri Sri" or Guruji was born on 13th May 1956 to a scholar of language father Venkat Ratnam and mother Vishalakshi. He was named `Shankar` after that of the ninth century Hindu Saint Adi Shankara as his birthday matches with him. Ravi Shankar could recite the verses of `Bhagavad Gita` at the age of four and he was said to be often found in deep meditation at a very young age. By the age of 17, he had obtained advanced degree in Modern Physics and later received an Honorary Doctorate from Kuvempu University, India. He also received Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa), Amity University, Bangalore - 2006 and Doctor of philosophy (Holistic Medicine), Open International University for Complementary Medicine in Sri Lanka - 2006. In an interview, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said that in 1982, while he was on the banks of the Tunga river in Shimoga in Karnataka, India, "The Sudarshan Kriya. It came like a poem, an inspiration. I learnt it and I started teaching it." After a 10 day retreat into silence during 1982, Shankar emerged with the technique of `Sudarshan Kriya`, a rhythmic breathing exercise. The Sudarshan Kriya is the core component of the Art of Living Course. The Sudarshan Kriya is claimed to inculcate the body with energy and harmonize the natural rhythms of the body, mind and emotions. He also came to believe that regulating breath could help people with their suffering. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar founded the Art of Living Foundation that year to spread this breathing technique. Many programs centered on Sudarshan Kriya, meditation and group-dynamics has been offered by Shankar`s Art of Living Foundation.There has been recent scientific research on the effects of Sudarshan Kriya conducted in India and in the USA. According to a study prepared by the US Department of Health and Human Services reviewed the quality of `Sudarshan Kriya` and reported as "Overall, we found the methodological quality of meditation research to be poor, with significant threats to validity in every major category of quality measured, regardless of study design."

In 1997, he along with Dalai Lama and several others, founded the International Association for Human Values (IAHV) to "foster a deeper understanding of the values that unite a human community on a global scale". The organization is the sister organization of the Art Of Living Foundation to internationally co-ordinate the social development activities and disaster management including emergency and trauma relief work. IAHV`s work today ranges from comprehensive rural development, education and tribal welfare, organic farming, micro financing, vocational training, disaster relief and rehabilitation and programs for prisoners.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has also designed a special program for jail inmates. The program enables prisoners to release stress and anger, breaking the cycle of violence and helping them to re-enter into society as productive individuals. Over 155,000 prisoners in countries such as the USA, Russia, Netherlands, Scandinavia, Brazil, Great Britain, Germany, South Africa and India have participated. In India alone, over 50,000 prisoners have done the program. Over 24,000 prisoners and 600 prison staff have done the course in the Delhi based Asia`s largest prison Tihar Jail. One such project, SRIJAN in Tihar Jail, has employed prison inmates to make paper bags, diaries, etc. that are sold across the Art of Living Centers across India. The unit also inducts ex-prisoners with an opportunity to earn a livelihood out side the jail premises. As Sri Sri Ravishankar states that, "Inside every culprit, there is a victim crying for help. That person is also a victim of ignorance, small-mindedness and lack of awareness. It`s the stress, lack of broad vision about life, lack of understanding, and bad communication that leads to violence in society".

Another key aspect of Sri Sri`s humanitarian initiatives has been to provide swift and timely relief to victims of natural and man-made disasters. Under his direction and close supervision, volunteers not only collect and disburse immediate relief supplies, but also help survivors overcome the post-traumatic stresses that haunt them. Relief and rehabilitation works in the tsunami affected areas of Tamil Nadu and SriLanka, after the earthquake trauma relief camps in Kashmir and Pakistan, intervention in war-torn Iraq and in the aftermath of 9/11 attacks in New-York have become one of the most vital links in any disaster rehabilitation programs the world over.

Sri Sri has established around 50 primary, secondary and high schools in the tribal, rural belts and semi urban belts of India where child labor and poverty are widespread. These schools are providing free, quality and value based education to the children of poorest of the poor, the underprivileged, the tribal and the marginalized sections of society. The children are provided with a free education, school materials uniforms and a meal. In 1981He has also established Ved Vignan Maha Vidya Peeth which is a charitable, educational and research organization. One of the main objectives of the trust has been to aid rural development by means of providing education - both formal and vocational.

Sri Sri has designed several program and techniques for self-development and stress elimination. These unique programs are based on ancient breathing techniques, meditation and modern group dynamics and cater to every age group and section of society. One of the highlights of the program is a revitalizing breathing process known as `Sudarshan Kriya`, a process that releases stress and toxins at the physical, mental and emotional level, promoting overall health.

Sri Sri initiated the 5 H Program (1997) and the Youth Leadership Training Program (YLTP, 1999) to help alleviate the economic and social problems that encircled rural areas and the urban poor. The ideology behind both programs are, that every individual has the right to live a fully expanded life, and develop his full potential, no matter what his social or economic status is.

The Art of Living Foundation founded by Sri Sri ravi Shankar, offers programs to eliminate stress, to create a sense of belonging, to restore human values and encourage people from all backgrounds, religions and cultural traditions to come together in celebration and service. The Art of Living Foundation is an international non-profit educational, charitable and humanitarian organization, founded in 1981 offers programs in over 140 countries. As an NGO, Art of Living Foundation works in special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.

Apart from the Art of Living Foundation, Shankar has also founded other organizations/educational institutions, some of which deal with specialized issues such as rural development, agriculture and ayurveda. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Vidya Mandir, Sri Sri rural Development are two of them.

Sri Sri Ravishankar was among the 166 candidates who were shortlisted for `Nobel Prize` in the year 2007.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has been the receipient of Several honors.



Following are some of the awards awarded to Sri Sri Ravishankar.

Mahaveer Award for Peace and Non-Violence, England, 2007.

Peter the Great First Grade Award for contribution to the Russian Federation Russia, 2006.

Mongolian Prime Minister`s Award for contribution to the nation Mongolia, 2006.

Fervent Global Love of Life by the Cultural and Education Foundation of Human Life, Taiwan, 2006.

Bharat Shiromani Award, New Delhi, India, 2005.

Dara Shikoh National Award for Harmony, India, 2005.

Global Humanitarian Award, Illinois, USA, 2005.

Honorary Doctorate from Kuvempu University, India, 2004.

The Illustrious Visitors Award, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2004.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Day, Ohio, USA, 2003.

Phoenix Award, Atlanta, USA, 2002.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Day, Austin, Texas, USA, 2002.

Title of Yoga Shiromani (Supreme Jewel of Yoga), India, 1986.

By uniting various traditions of the world Sri Sri has gone beyond the identity of religion, nationality race, caste and language. He has inspired humanity to identify one self as a member of a One World Family. He has played a strong role in various inter-faith conferences across the globe exhorting people of all faiths to celebrate their differences and work towards a peaceful society where human values, rather than religious dogmas, flourish. Every year Sri Sri Ravi Shankar travels throughout the world giving talks on, among other things, his philosophy that all religions and spiritual traditions share common goals and values. His aim is to instigate a secularized, humanized, non-exclusive spirituality which will help people recognize the good in every human being and accept each other for who they are, allowing people to be nourished by "human values."