Ravi Shankar’s early association with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi is documented, but the sources available here do not establish that the two had a falling-out, when one happened, or why. Nor do they show that a break explains Shankar’s public name, “Sri Sri.” They do describe his later independent work: founding the Art of Living and, in its account, taking up monastic life and receiving the title “His Holiness.”
What is known about Ravi Shankar and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi?
Accounts from the Art of Living and the Embassy of India in Budapest say Shankar worked with Maharishi after graduating in 1973. The organization’s profile says Maharishi invited him to give talks on Vedic science and organize conferences. A 2015 government publication says Shankar travelled with Maharishi, giving talks and arranging conferences, and helped set up meditation and Ayurveda centres.
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In a 2026 interview, Shankar recalled the association briefly: “Then I spent time with Maharshi Mahesh Yogi (founder of Transcendental Meditation).” That is evidence of time spent together, not an account of the relationship’s full duration or formal status. None of these sources describes a rupture.
Sources: The Art of Living profile; Embassy of India, Budapest, May–June 2015; The New Indian Express interview, 7 May 2026.
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Is a break between them documented?
Not in these sources. They give no date for a falling-out, no reason for one, and no description of a dispute or decision to part ways. The careful conclusion is that Shankar’s association with Maharishi is reported, while a specific break remains unestablished by the accounts cited here. That is a limit of the available sources, not proof that the two never separated.
How did Shankar develop his own work?
The Art of Living profile says Shankar began initiating courses after conceiving Sudarshan Kriya. The date is disputed between the sources: the organization places the development in 1981, while the 2015 Embassy of India profile says the practice came to him in 1982 after ten days of silence by the Bhadra River. The discrepancy should not be collapsed into a single settled year.
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In the 2026 interview, Shankar said, “I was 24 years old when I started AoL.” This is his recollection of starting the Art of Living, not an explanation of a separation from Maharishi. The Embassy publication says the first Art of Living course in Europe took place in Switzerland in 1983.
Today, the Art of Living describes itself as a movement as well as an organization, with programs offered in 180 countries, a current reach figure reported by the organization. The Embassy of India’s 2015 profile reported a presence in 152 countries at that time; the figures refer to different dates and sources. In 1997, Shankar co-founded the International Association for Human Values as a sister organization, according to the Art of Living biography.
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Sources: The Art of Living profile; Embassy of India, Budapest, May–June 2015; The Art of Living biography; The New Indian Express interview, 7 May 2026.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What explains the titles “His Holiness” and “Sri Sri”?
The Art of Living profile says Shankar chose the monastic way of life in 1981 and was bestowed the title “His Holiness” by the Shankaracharya of the South and saints from Rishikesh. It does not connect that title to Maharishi or explain when or why “Sri Sri” became Shankar’s public name. The sources therefore support a reported account of his monastic title, but not the claim that a break with Maharishi made him “Sri Sri.”
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What the sources establish—and what they do not
| Question | What the cited accounts say | What they do not establish |
|---|---|---|
| Did Shankar work with Maharishi? | The Art of Living profile and the 2015 Embassy of India publication describe talks, conferences, travel, and related work; Shankar recalled spending time with Maharishi in a 2026 interview. | The full duration or formal nature of their association. |
| Did they have a falling-out? | No specific rupture is described in the cited sources. | A date, cause, or account of a break. |
| How did Shankar start independent work? | The accounts describe Art of Living courses and Sudarshan Kriya; Shankar said he started the organization at 24. | A causal link between this work and a break with Maharishi. |
| When did Sudarshan Kriya originate? | The Art of Living profile gives 1981; the 2015 Embassy profile gives 1982. | A reconciled or independently settled date. |
| How did he receive his titles? | The Art of Living profile associates his 1981 monastic commitment with receiving “His Holiness.” | When or why “Sri Sri” became his public name, or any connection to Maharishi. |
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