Padma Vibhushan Award for Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev

India’s highest annual civilian award for “exceptional and distinguished service.”

President Mukherjee Confers Padma Vibhushan on Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev

When Sadhguru became aware of the honor in January this year, he said in a statement that the award was a “recognition of over seven million volunteers of Isha worldwide, involved in transmitting the science of inner wellbeing” and “the Tamil people” in particular.

Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev founded Isha Foundation in Coimbatore in 1994. The Foundation’s focus ever since has been ‘yoga for all’, delivering yoga programs to not just India but the United States, United Kingdom, Malaysia, China, Lebanon and other countries.

Sadhguru has also initiated several large-scale social projects like Project Green Hands and Action for Rural Rejuvenation. For its involvement in various community development programs, the United Nations has recognized the Foundation by granting it special consultative status with the intergovernmental organization’s Economic and Social Council.

Spiritual leader and founder of Isha Foundation, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, was conferred the Padma Vibhushan award by the Government of India on 13 th April 2017. At the ceremony held in the Durbar Hall of Rashtrapathi Bhavan in the presence of a distinguished audience, Sadhguru accepted the award from Shri Pranab Mukherjee, President of India.

The Government of India announced the award of the Padma Vibhushan to Sadhguru on 25^th January, 2017, in recognition of his contribution towards spirituality and the many humanitarian causes such as rural rejuvenation, environmental work, public education, mobile health clinics, and more. Currently, for example, Sadhguru has taken on—with an urgency akin to a war footing—the River Restoration Project, an ambitious and visionary undertaking to save India’s dying rivers.

Expressing his gratitude for the Padma Vibhushan, Sadhguru dedicated the award to the thousands of volunteers who work for Isha Foundation, stating: “I congratulate the Government of India for recognizing the unique offering of our volunteers, a spectacular demonstration of selflessness and commitment to the larger well-being of humanity.” Addressing the volunteers, he said, “I bow to all of you as this is your award. May this be a further inspiration for all”.

The annual Padma Awards were instituted in 1954. They are awarded to civilians in three categories –– Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri. The Padma Vibhushan, the highest honor among the three annual awards, is conferred upon an individual “for exceptional and distinguished service.”

The Padma awards recognize outstanding service or achievements in a diverse range of fields including the arts, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, industry, medicine, literature and education, civil service, sports, human rights, and conservation among others. The Padma Awards Committee, consisting of senior Government officials and 4-6 eminent civilians forwards a list of recommendations every year for approval to the President of India and the Prime Minister. At the formal ceremony held in March/April every year, the awardees are honored with a Sanad (certificate signed by the President of India) and a medallion.

About Sadhguru :

Sadhguru is a yogi, a mystic, a humanitarian, and an internationally renowned speaker addressing issues as diverse as socioeconomic development, leadership, and spirituality.

Named one of India’s 50 most influential people, Sadhguru’s work has touched the lives of over 7 million people worldwide through his transformational program called “Inner Engineering.” Sadhguru has a unique ability to make the ancient yogic sciences relevant to contemporary minds, acting as a bridge to the deeper dimensions of life. His approach does not ascribe to any belief system, but offers methods for self-transformation that are both proven and powerful.

A bestselling author, poet, visionary, Sadhguru has been an influential voice at major global forums including the United Nations World Headquarters and the World Economic Forum. He has also been invited to speak at leading educational institutions, including Oxford, London Business School, IMD, Stanford, Harvard, Yale, Wharton and MIT, to name a few. Dedicated to the physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing of humanity and gifted with utter clarity of perception, Sadhguru possesses a perspective on life and living that never fails to intrigue, challenge, and surprise all those he encounters.

About Isha Foundation:

The Isha Foundation is a not-for-profit institution offering yoga programs worldwide. Under Sadhguru’s leadership, the foundation is also engaged in numerous social and educational development projects. Its achievements in these fields have gained it a special consultative status with the UN’s Economic & Social Council. Its three pillars of social outreach constitute:

Isha Vidhya: is committed to increasing literacy and vocational skills among the rural masses.

Action for Rural Rejuvenation (AAR): is a pioneering social outreach program that seeks to transform the lives of India’s rural poor. Initiated by Sadhguru in 2003, ARR takes a comprehensive approach to the complex challenges faced by rural communities by implementing a range of health, livelihood and community revitalization programs.

Project Green Hands: works towards inspiring people to plant trees, developing a culture of care towards the environment, and making them realize their inevitable dependence on nature.

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