Honourable Prime Minister of Bharat, Shri Narendra Modi ji to Address 45th Anniversary Celebrations of The Art of Living

Honourable Prime Minister of Bharat, Shri Narendra Modi ji will address the landmark celebrations marking 45 years of The Art of Living and the 70th birthday of its founder, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on 10 May 2026, at The Art of Living International Center, Bengaluru.

Bringing together participants from every walk of life - government leaders and civil servants, farmers and engineers, homemakers and CEOs, students, senior citizens and thousands of international delegates, the event stands as a unique celebration of Gurudev’s leadership and the organization’s global reach.

Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji will deliver the keynote address at the celebrations and will also inaugurate the newly constructed Dhyan Mandir, a dedicated meditation hall, along with landmark nation-wide service initiatives including year-long projects in mental well-being, rural development, nature conservation and social transformation.

A global meditation for World Peace, led by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and open to all, will be held on 13 May 2026 and live streamed worldwide.

Founded in 1981 by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, The Art of Living has evolved into a volunteer-driven humanitarian and educational network active in 182 countries, touching over a billion lives through structured breathing practices such as Sudarshan Kriya and grassroots well-being initiatives.

The celebrations also reflect the growing cultural and people-to-people engagement between India and the Middle East, particularly across wellness, education, entrepreneurship, tourism and community initiatives. With millions of Indians living and working across the Gulf region, organisations such as The Art of Living continue to play a role in sustaining cultural connection, well-being and community engagement among diaspora populations worldwide.

Global leadership dialogues on governance, education, media, commerce and civic development, alongside cultural showcases from 182 participating nations and recognition of grassroots contributors across more than 450 districts, will form part of the month-long celebrations. Several strategic collaborations and service initiatives across telemedicine, education, environmental conservation, women’s empowerment, rural livelihoods and community well-being are also expected to be announced during the event. A dedicated policy roundtable on Prison Reforms is scheduled for 25–26 May.

At a time marked by rising social stress, digital fatigue and global uncertainty, the Bengaluru gathering positions inner well-being, dialogue and human connection as important foundations for resilient leadership and social harmony.

Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji: “The Art of Living taught people to act with awareness, with compassion, with rootedness. That is yoga in its truest sense. And this is why, when the world today looks for answers to anxiety, to conflict, to disconnection — it looks, increasingly, toward India."

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: “The sign of a healthy society is to see a smile on every face. That is the goal we have been working toward for forty-five years”.