Ravi Shankar (spiritual leader) Ravi Shankar (born 13 May 1956) is an Indian spiritual leader. He is frequently referred to simply as " Sri Sri " ( honorific ) or as Guru ji or Gurudev. [6] He is a spiritual leader and founder of the Art of Living Foundation created in 1981, which aims to relieve individual stress, societal problems, and violence. [7] In 1997, he established a Geneva-based charity, the International Association for Human Values, an NGO that engages in relief work and rural development and aims to foster shared global values. [8] [9] For his service, he has received some of the highest awards of several countries including India, Peru, Colombia, and Paraguay. In January 2016, he was awarded the " Padma Vibhushan " by the Government of India. Life Ravi Shankar was born in Papanasam , Tamil Nadu , to Visalakshi Ratnam and R. S. Venkat ...