Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati

Swami Niranjanananda Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati was born at Rajnandgaon, Madhya Pradesh in 1960. An exceptionally gifted child, he was considered a yogi from birth and was selected by his guru, Swami Satyananda Saraswati, for a special upbringing and education.

At the age of four he joined the Bihar School of Yoga (BSY) at Munger and his secular and spiritual education were personally supervised by Swami Satyananda. At the age of ten, he was initiated into Dashnami sannyasa in 1970.

In 1971 Swami Niranjanananda was sent overseas to further his training and education. He lived in many ashrams and yoga centres throughout North and South America, Europe and Australia. He traveled widely in these countries, assisting in the development of ashrams and centres, and conducting many yoga programs.

During this period of his life, he not only furthered his education, but also achieved a profound understanding of the needs of the different communities and countries he visited. As well as acquiring fluency in many languages, including Hindi, English and Spanish, he also made intensive studies in Sanskrit and ancient texts and is, today, considered a master in this field.

In 1983, Swami Niranjanananda was recalled to India and, although only twenty-three, was appointed president of BSY. He also took over the administration of Ganga Darshan, the Yoga Research Foundation, and Sivananda Math, and was also appointed the first paramacharya of the International Yoga Fellowship Movement (IYFM).

In 1990 Swami Niranjanananda was initiated into paramahamsa sannyasa. In 1993 he presided over the Tyag Golden Jubilee-a world yoga convention in honour of his guru's fifty years of dedication to sannyasa and the upliftment of humanity. This event was attended by people from all over the world, who came, not just to listen to various spiritual masters, but also to eminent scientists, doctors and educationalists, who discussed the results of yoga in their particular field.

During this convention, Swami Niranjanananda announced his retirement from the presidency of BSY in order to have more time to travel overseas and spread the message of yoga on a more global scale.

Since 1994 he has visited most western countries including North and South America, Europe and Australia, as well as making extensive tours within India where he has been instrumental in introducing yoga into prisons, medical colleges, villages, schools and the army.

In 1994 he founded the Bihar Yoga Bharati, Institute of Advanced Studies in Yogic Sciences (BYB) at Munger, India as an educational and charitable institution for advanced studies in yogic sciences. It is the culmination of the vision of Swami Sivananda and Swami Satyananda. BYB is the world's first accredited institution wholly devoted to teaching yoga.

A comprehensive yogic education is imparted with provision to grant certificates and diplomas in yogic studies. It offers a complete scientific and yogic education according to the needs of today, through the areas of Yoga Philosophy, Yoga Psychology, Applied Yogic Science and Yoga Ecology. Swami Niranjanananda is its present chancellor.

In 1995, during the celebrations of the Sat Chandi Maha Yajna rituals at Rikhiadham, Swami Satyananda transmitted his spiritual powers to Swami Niranjanananda, and he thus became a guru in the tantric tradition.

Swami Niranjanananda has authored over twenty books and guides national and international programs. He is a man who belongs equally to both East and West. His cosmopolitan background has contributed to his inherent understanding of people and their particular needs, no matter what society or walk of life they come from. He is universally revered and loved as a spiritual master, not just because of his infinite wisdom and compassion, but because he is a man who radiates joy and celebrates each moment of life.