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Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined the Art of Living Foundation’s 45th anniversary celebrations in Bengaluru on May 10 and inaugurated the newly built Dhyan Mandir at its international center. The event also marked the 70th birthday celebrations of the foundation’s founder, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
For a city known for technology, traffic, and enterprise, the event showed Bengaluru in a softer light. Lamps, flowers, saffron robes, and the quiet new meditation hall created a scene where India’s spiritual traditions met modern ambitions. The Prime Minister praised Bengaluru as a global center for software and services, while also noting its contribution to India’s cultural identity and spiritual consciousness.
Gurudev Ravi Shankar reflected on the foundation’s 45-year journey and placed its work in the language of social healing. “The sign of a healthy society is to see a smile on every face. That is the goal we have been working toward for 45 years,” he said.
He also spoke about the organization’s early years and its inclusive foundations, recalling the role of former Chief Justices of India Justice P.N. Bhagwati and Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer among its first trustees.
Modi picked up that thread in his own speech, treating Gurudev’s words not as tribute alone, but as a call to continue the work. “You may feel he was praising me, but I felt he was assigning me work,” he said.
In his address, Modi connected the inauguration of Dhyan Mandir to the idea of service. “When the resolve is clear and work is done with the spirit of service, every effort yields a pleasant result,” he said. He described the Art of Living’s 45-year journey as a seed planted by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar that had grown into a “huge banyan tree,” touching many lives around the world.
Service was at the center of his remarks. He said India’s tradition has always valued service to others. “Service is the supreme dharma, this is the natural character of our society,” he said, while praising Art of Living volunteers for their work in tree plantation, rural smart village centers, women’s and tribal empowerment, and mental health programs.
Modi also used the event to speak about nation-building. Referring to Swachh Bharat, he said national missions work best when they become part of people’s daily lives. “I have always believed that society is more powerful than politics and governments. And any government can succeed only when society itself actively participates in nation-building,” he said.
The Prime Minister said India’s progress needs more than infrastructure and technology. “A developed India will be built by such youth who are mentally calm, socially responsible, and sensitive towards society,” he said. He added that groups working on spiritual health, mental well-being, yoga, and meditation help build unity and responsibility.
PM Modi concluded by urging Art of Living volunteers to support natural farming, water conservation, electricity saving, reduction of single-use plastic, promotion of local products, and Mission LiFE.
For him, the message of the day extended beyond the inauguration of a meditation hall. Dhyan Mandir stood as a symbol of “inner stillness,” but the larger appeal was directed outward, toward “service, discipline, and public responsibility.”
Reflecting on the 45 Years of Transformation, the foundation noted that Gurdev’s vision is to create a “happier, healthier, peaceful society” and to see a “stress-free and violence-free world.” Gurudev has nurtured human values such as compassion and understanding which transcend boundaries and has united people across “cultures, religions and nationalities.”
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