Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was born in 1917 in Jabalpur, India. He founded and developed the Transcendental Meditation technique and related programs and initiatives, including schools and a university with campuses in the United States and China.
Around 1939 he became a disciple of Swami Brahmananda Saraswati who, from 1941 to 1953, was the Shankaracharya (spiritual leader) of Jyotir Math, located in the Indian Himalayas. Maharishi credits the Shankaracharya with inspiring his teachings.
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi started teaching meditation in 1955. Four years later he introduced his system in the USA for the first time.
aharishi's techniques for human development have been taught worldwide. He continued to focus on making all aspects of the Vedic Literature widely available.
He became well-known in the Western world when the Beatles came to be in his presence in his ashram in Rishikesh, India in 1968.
Starting in 1990, Maharishi set his residence in Vlodrop, the Netherlands.
On January 11, 2008, he announced his retirement from his normal activities: "Invincibility is irreversibly established in the world. My work is done. My designated duty to Guru Dev is fulfilled." He resolved to use all his remaining time to complete his commentary on the Veda.
He left his body less than a month after this statement, on February 5, 2008 (at approximately 7:00 p.m. CET), in Vlodrop, The Netherlands).