# Paramahansa Yogananda

## Biography

Paramahansa Yogananda, born Mukunda Lal Ghosh in Gorakhpur, India, on January 5, 1893, was a pioneering spiritual teacher who introduced the ancient science of Kriya Yoga to the West. From an early age, his deep spiritual inclination was evident. He became a disciple of Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri, who commissioned him to disseminate yogic teachings globally.

In 1920, Yogananda arrived in America, serving as India’s delegate to an International Congress of Religious Liberals in Boston. He then embarked on a successful cross-country speaking tour, eventually establishing the Self-Realization Fellowship in Los Angeles in 1925 as the international headquarters for his work. He taught the underlying unity of all major religions and initiated thousands into Kriya Yoga. His seminal work, "Autobiography of a Yogi," published in 1946, became a spiritual classic that significantly influenced the Western understanding of yoga and Eastern spirituality. Yogananda passed away on March 7, 1952, leaving a lasting legacy as a beloved world teacher and the "Father of Yoga in the West."

## Books

- [Autobiography of a Yogi](https://samolit.com/books/96143)