Short Biography
Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda (Vishwaguruji) is a native of India and has dedicated his life to helping humanity through yoga and to spreading the ancient spiritual heritage of Vedic culture and Sanatana Dharma.
He is the founder of the International Sri Deep Madhavananda Ashram Fellowship of Yoga in Daily Life®, an umbrella organisation that oversees hundreds of non-profit Yoga in Daily Life societies around the globe and 3 NGOs (Yoga in Daily Life® Australia, the American Associations of Yoga in Daily Life® and Sri Swami Madhavananda World Peace Council) with special resp. roster consultative status with ECOSOC, the United Nations Economic and Social Council.
In 1998 inaugurated as a Mahamandaleshwar of the Maha Nirvani Akhara he is an active advocate of peace, with a global following of over 200.000 disciples of diverse religious, cultural and ethnic origins. Peace prayers, peace tree plantings, dialogues, youth forums, interreligious discussions, free interfaith community feasts are hosted by Vishwaguruji’s organisations on an almost daily basis. Eight World Peace Summits have been organised by Vishwaguruji since 2002 along with the annual observances of the UN International Day of Peace and UN International Day of Non-Violence.
Vishwaguruji authored the scientific system Yoga in Daily Life® established in the 1970’in Europe, to promote the principles of physical, mental, social and spiritual health, respect for the life of all living beings, tolerance of all religions, cultures and nationalities, and protection of human rights and the environment. Yoga in Daily Life® is practiced by millions all over the world in institutions of education (schools & universities) and health care, in rehabilitation centers, sports facilities as well as in many yoga centers. The system has proven to be significantly beneficial for both preventive health and rehabilitation.
The Sri Swami Madhavananda World Peace Council (SSMWPC) was founded by Vishwaguruji in 2007 as a non-governmental, philanthropic society, which pursues the improvement of the world’s situation and the welfare of mankind. The Council is an instrument to disseminate and bring to realization the messages of Mahatma Gandhi and Sri Swami Madhavananda in order to achieve unity and peace. The Council contributes to the realisation of the UN MDGs/SDGs, primarily to those related to gender equality and the empowerment of women, the accessibility to primary education, the improvement of maternal health and to the maintenance of environmental sustainability. In October 2015 SSMWPC hosted the international Conference “Yoga – A Path to World Peace” at the UN Vienna International Center, and in March 2018 the World Peace Council Conference “Yoga and World Peace” at UN Headquarters New York.
Vishwaguruji’s philanthropic efforts and religious work have been widely acknowledged. In 2002 he was awarded by the President of Croatia with the highest decoration of the Republic of Croatia for humanitarian merits; in 2009 with the Silver Medal of the City of Vienna for long-lasting merits for public health and world peace by the City Councillor; in 2010 with the Memorial Silver Medal by the Mayor of the City of Humenne, Slovakia. In 2014 Vishwaguruji was part of a select group of renowned leaders of Indian origin who were recognised for their outstanding achievements and received the great recognition of the Bharat Gaurav Lifetime Achievement Award, at the British Houses of Parliament in London. In January 2018 Vishwaguruji was ordained with this highest academic achievement - Doctor Litterarum (Doctor of Letters) for his extraordinary work in the field of Yoga, namely Yoga in Daily Life - the System - by Chancellor Dr. H.R.Nagendra and Vice-Chancellor Dr. G. Ramachandra Bhat of the S-VYASA University.
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