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Context

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi is heading an extensive 53-member committee that has been set up to mark the 150th birth anniversary of spiritual leader Sri Aurobindo.

About Sri Aurobindo

• Sri Aurobindo (1872 –1950) was an Indian philosopher, yoga guru, poet, and Indian nationalist.
• He was also a journalist, editing newspapers such as Bande Mataram.
• He joined the Indian movement for independence from British colonial rule, until 1910 and then became a spiritual reformer, introducing his visions on human progress and spiritual evolution.

Contribution

• He was involved in Anushilan Samiti.
• He was arrested in the aftermath of a number of bombings linked to his organization in a public trial where he faced charges of treason for Alipore Conspiracy.
• However Sri Aurobindo could only be convicted and imprisoned for writing articles against British colonial rule in India.
• During his stay in the jail, he had mystical and spiritual experiences, after which he moved to Pondicherry, leaving politics for spiritual work.
• At Pondicherry, Sri Aurobindo developed a spiritual practice he called Integral Yoga.
• In 1926, with the help of his spiritual collaborator, Mirra Alfassa (referred to as "The Mother"), Sri Aurobindo Ashram was founded.
• Works: His main literary works are The Life Divine, which deals with the philosophical aspect of Integral Yoga; Synthesis of Yoga, which deals with the principles and methods of Integral Yoga; and Savitri: A Legend and a Symbol, an epic poem.

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/sri-aurobindo-birth-anniversary-celebrations-modi-684272/

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