Paramahansa Yogananda was originally known as Mukunda Lal Ghosh. He was born in a well-to-do Bengali family. He was born in Gorakhpur, India on January 5th 1893. Right from a very young age his parents realized that his birth had spiritual significance. Paramahansa Yogananda had a very strong desire to seek the Divine. His urge was to develop a friendly attitude towards the Divine in all his aspects and forms. His faith in the Divine strengthened gradually with his numerous personal experiences. All his experiences drove him to reach the Truth in its highest form and in the process find a Guru.
Paramahansa Yogananda became associated with Swami Yukteswar Giri at the age of seventeen. Under the Guru’s guidance he practiced Kriya Yoga for the next ten years and started the inner world exploration. He received lots of inspiration as a disciple of Swami Yukteswar Gir in the process of getting prepared for his next mission in the Western world. Paramahansa Yogananda accordingly sought modern education after joining college. In 1915 after he completed his education, Swami Yukteswar introduced him to monkhood and granted him the name ‘Yogananda’.
Yogananda’s speeches and teachings gained him popularity in the West and East, both. In the year 1943, his autobiography as a ‘Yogi’ was published which also gained popularity. He spread the message that human beings through love and sustained efforts can reach extraordinary transcendental heights. Paramahansa Yogananda left for the heavenly abode on March 7th, 1952. It is said that even after twenty days of his death, his body did not decay, as his spiritual powers were indeed extraordinary.
