Aurobindo Ghose (1871–1950)

After graduating in Cambridge, England, Aravinda Ghose returned to India with strong sympathies for the Indian nationalist movement. He spent a year in jail, where he is said to have heard God exhorting him to dedicate his life to the spiritual upliftment of India and the world. After his release, he went into self-imposed exile in the French colony of Pondicherry, where he devoted his life to yoga and to writing on spiritual matters. His ashram attracted many people from India and abroad. Aurobindo, as he became known, attempted to formulate an integral yoga which synthesised Hindu spirituality with modern ideas and an active role within the world. His ideas stimulated great interest amongst intellectuals and artists. After his death, his disciples planned to develop Auroville as a model city for the modern world. Their work continues today.