On Monday, Google marked the 97th birthday anniversary of BKS Iyengar, founder of the Iyengar School of Yoga, with three animated doodles that showed him performing different asanas. 

COMMERCIAL BREAK
SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING

BKS Iyengar passed away on August 20, 2014 in Pune following an illness. Here is a brief about the life and times of the world-renowned yoga guru.

- Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar, was born in 1918 into a poor family in southern India - one of 13 children, of whom only 10 survived.

- At the age of 16, he was introduced to yoga by his Guru Sri T Krishnamacharya. At the age of 18, he was sent to Pune, Maharashtra by his guru to teach and preach yoga. 

- He went on to found the style of yoga known as "Iyengar Yoga" and is considered one of the foremost yoga teachers in the world. He wrote many books on the yoga practice and philosophy. 

- Iyengar was awarded the Padma Shri in 1991, the Padma Bhushan in 2002 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2014. In 2004, Iyengar was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine. 

- In 1943, BKS Iyengar married Ramamani. He has five daughters namely Geeta, Vinita, Suchita, Sunita and Savitha and one son Prashant.

- Iyengar taught several eminent personalities such as J Krishnamurti, Jayaprakash Narayan, Achyut Patwardhan and many other physicians and industrialists. His teachings were well appreciated by Dr Rajendra Prasad, Dr Mohammad Hatta and other eminent personalities from different countries.

- His meeting with the violin maestro Yehudi Menuhin in 1952 introduced him to the western World.

- He laid the foundation of the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute (RIMYI) in Pune on January 26, 1973 and it was inaugurated on January 19, 1975.

- His teachings were first published in 1966 as “Light on Yoga”. This book has been translated into 18 languages. He authored 14 books, including Light on Pranayama and Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

- Iyengar also supported nature conservation and had donated Rs 2 million to the Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens, Mysore.

- In 1998, he taught 800 students for a week on the occasion of his 80th birthday at Pune.

- Again, in the year 2000, he conducted a special course for senior teachers from nearly 40 countries

Various yoga institutions established by BKS Iyengar

- Pune: Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute (RIMYI)

- Mumbai: The Iyengar Yogashraya was inaugurated in 2001. It is run by the Light on Yoga Research Trust

- Youth's Offerings to Guruji (YOG) was formed in 1996 with the objective of raising funds to propagate Iyengar Yoga. 

- Iyengar also started a public charitable trust 'Light on Yoga Research Trust (LOYRT)' with a prime objective of propagating and research on Iyengar Yoga. 

- Bellur: Bellur Krishnamachar & Seshamma Smaraka Niddhi Trust (BKSSNT) was formed with a vision to serve the village Bellur with all the necessities.