Aurobindo Ghose who is popularly known as yogi Rishi Aurobindo was a revolutionary, nationalist, poet, educationist and philosopher. He was born on August 15, 1872, in Calcutta. An inspirational leader who rebelled against the British Empire, he led the young people of the country towards the path of spirituality. While he was in Alipur Jail from 1908 to 1909, he spent his time on meditation, perception and yoga. He also studied Indian philosophy and vedas and became a yogi.
- Sri Aurobindo was born on August 15, 1872, to Shri Krishnadhan Ghosh. His father was a rich doctor from Calcutta.
- When he was seven years old, Aurobindo was sent to England with his brothers for education. He studied under the tutelage of Reverend W H Drewett in Manchester, where he learnt Latin, Greek, German, Italian, French, Arithmetic and Geography.
- Sri Aurobindo’s father wanted him to participate in the administrative service competition and serve the government at a higher position. He took the exam to fulfil his father’s wishes and became a state service officer in 1893.
- Later, he worked as a teacher, Baroda College’s vice principal, and also as a secretary to Maharaja of Gaekwad – which gave him the opportunity of learning more about Indian culture.
- In Baroda, he came in contact with resistance groups in Bengal and Madhya Pradesh. He also got in touch with Sister Nivedita and Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak and actively participated in building the revolutionary atmosphere in India.
- From 1908 to 1909, Sri Aurobindo was imprisoned by the British government. There, he studied Indian philosophy and vedas. After coming out of jail, he left Kolkata and moved to Pondicherry where he established Sri Aurobindo Ashram.
- Aurobindo was also a journalist and his first philosophical magazine called Arya was published in 1914. His newspaper Vande Mataram got him enormous fame.
- His work got him nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1943. He was also nominated in 1950 for the Nobel Prize for Peace.
- Sri Aurobindo got married to a 14-year-old girl Mrinalini at the age of 28. She passed away in 1918 during an influenza outbreak.
- Aurobindo Ghose died on December 5, 1950.