Our guru Swami Satyananda Saraswati was born on the 25th December 1923, in a small town near Almora in the foothills of the Himalayas. After spending twelve years with his guru Swami Sivananda Maharaj of Rishikesh, Swami Satyananda took to parivrajaka life and wandered extensively for eight years, traveling throughout India, Afghanistan, Burma, Nepal and Ceylon.
In 1956 Swami Satyananda founded the International Yoga Fellowship Movement then settled in 1963 in Munger. There he founded the Bihar School of Yoga, which has spread the Satyanada style of Yoga throughout the world. He founded Sivananda Math, a social, charitable institution at Munger in 1984, as well as the Yoga Research Foundation, a medical and scientific research oriented institution (also at Munger).
Sri Panchdashnam Paramahamsa Alakh Bara was established in 1990, by Paramahamsa Satyanada at Rikhia, Deoghar District, Bihar, to uphold and propagate the highest traditions of sanyasa, namely Vairagya, Tyaga and Tapasya (dispassion, renunciation and austerity).
Paramahamsa Satyananda, who resided until his mahasamadhi at the Alakh Bara, has performed the Panchagni Vidya and other vedic sadhanas, thus paving the way for future paramahamsas to uphold their tradition.
For more detailed information about Paramahamsa Satyanada, Satyanada Yoga and the institutions he created, as well as current activities of these organizations please visit BiharYoga.net.
