Raipur, CGnews: It is very sad that it is being published mistakenly that Maharhsi Mahesh Yogi was born Jabalpur. In fact he was born in Panduka village near Rajim Kumbh of Chhattisgarh. Related websites and publication should make necessary correction.  

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was born on Jan 12, 1917in a mud house of Panduka village situated at Gariaband road of capital city Raipur of Chhattisgarh. That mud house of few rooms is still in the Panduka without any change. Even today daily worship and other religious acts are being conduted in that house.

His actual name was Shri Mahesh Verma. His father Shri Ram Prasad Srivastava was there revenue inspector. Though, in his childhood Maharishi Mahesh Yogi went to Jabalpur. Panduk is the birth place of Maharshiji, so he established his Ashram spread in 50 acres in Panduka village. 

Present incharge of the Panduka Ashram is Atul Srivastav. He said that Maharishi ji had much affection to Chhattisgarh especially his birth place Panduka. Maharshi had talked for 3 hours to the Acharyas and 150 students studying there, through a video and telephonic conference in Dec 2007.  

Maharshi Mahesh Yogi’s elder brother is now residing in Netherland. Maharshi had two sisters who are now no more in the world. One sister married in Mahasamund near Rajim of Chhattisgarh and another sister married in Nagpur of Maharashtra.  

One of the classfellow of Maharshi ji was Shiv Prasad Mishra who died one month back in the age of 110 years.  

At present more than 170 Vedic institutions of Maharshi Mahesh Yogi are being run in all over world. 50-60 lakhs followers of Maharishi ji in the world are spreading his message. 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. 

In his young age he met in Kawardha of Chhattisgarh to Swami Brahmananda Saraswati who, from 1941 to 1953, was the Shankaracharya (spiritual leader) of Jyotir Math, located in the Indian Himalayas. In that historical meeting Maharishi Maheshji became a disciple of Shankaracharya ji.  

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi established one Ashram in Jagadapur of Naxal hit Bastar.

Maharishi credits the Shankaracharya with inspiring his teachings. Since his first global tour was in 1958, Maharishi’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 due to The Beatles having visited him in 1968. Starting in 1990, Maharishi coordinated his global activities from his residence in Vlodrop, the Netherlands. On January 11, 2008, he announced his retirement from all administrative activities and went into Mauna (spiritual silence). He declared: “Invincibility is irreversibly established in the world. My work is done. My designated duty to Guru Dev is fulfilled." On February 5th, the Maharishi passed away in a yoga position.   

Thousands of followers chanted hymns on Feb 11 as the body of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the guru celebrated for bringing meditation to the West, was cremated in India at one of Hinduism’s holiest sites sangam in Allahabad.