2020-01-29 Wed

Swami Kuvalayananda was a researcher and educator who is primarily known as a pioneer scientist of Yoga or the father of Scientific Yogic Research Studies. His hard work is chiefly responsible for the worldwide spread of Yoga.

Swamiji was born on August 30, 1883, in the village Dhaboi in Gujarat state, India into a Karhade Brahmin family. He was highly influenced by Sri Aurobindo during his college days and by Paramahansa Madhavdasji, a great yogi from Bengal, later in his life. After completing his graduation, he plunged himself in Lokmanya Tilak’s Home-rule movement.

Madhavdasji guided Kuvalayananda to deal with yoga in a scientific manner. In 1924 he published the first scientific journal specifically devoted to studying yoga, Yoga Mimamsa. Most of his research took place at the Kaivalyadhama Health and Yoga Research Center at Lonavla which he founded in 1924. His influence on the development of yoga as exercise has been "profound". It is due to his efforts that this ancient discipline of Yoga became more acceptable to the modern mind, trained on scientific and rational guidelines.

The Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India released a stamp in honor of Swami Kuvalayanandaji. Initiatives like bringing out commemorative postage stamps are not only meant to pay tribute to the great contributions of visionaries like Swami Kuvalayananda but also aim at inspiring younger generation to follow in their footsteps. A 500 Paise (or Rs.5/-) stamp depicting Swami Kuvalayananda. In the background is an image of the chakras of the spinal cord and a person practicing his style of yoga.

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