Ramana Maharshi was a renowned guru from southern India who taught in the early 20th century. Born in 1879 near Madurai, Tamil Nadu, he came from a religious family with a curse that foretold one child renouncing the world in each generation. Ramana displayed disinterest in school and work, but his introspective nature led him to ponder questions of identity, such as "who am I?". In 1896, he had a transformative experience of his own death, followed by a profound realization of an eternal essence beyond the body. He became fascinated with the word "Arunachala" and later discovered it was a place, Tiruvannamalai, which brought him great joy.
At the age of seventeen, Ramana left for Arunachala and spent years living in temples and caves, practicing meditation and spiritual purification. As his reputation grew, seekers visited him, and he became conversant in various religious traditions.
Ramana's method of self-inquiry, particularly the question "who am I?," became central to his teachings. Although not a traditional guru, Ramana initiated seekers through glances, touches, or dreams. He emphasized the primacy of self-awareness and the illusory nature of both waking and dream states. Ramana advocated renunciation and non-attachment, demonstrating remarkable composure during a robbery and his mother's death. Ramana passed away in 1950, his ashram became a sanctuary for visitors, with an ashram, temple, and space for accommodation.
