“The first time I went into a 10-day silence... ...it was life-altering for me. To find oneself, one has to find silence”

The result was the spiritual leader’s ‘Sudarshan Kriya’, which went on to become the signature course at his Art of Living Foundation which operates in close to 155 countries and has over 370 million followers

- SONALI ACHARJEE

SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR, 64

Born to a religious family in Tamil Nadu, Ravi Shankar was named after the eighth-century Hindu saint, Adi Shankara. It was clear from an early age that Ravi Shankar was no ordinary child. By the time he turned four, he could recite bits of the Bhagvad Gita and had begun to meditate. His sister, Bhanumati Narsimhan, recalls that even teachers in school would speak to her brother for comfort and advice, such was his persona.