Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani

Yogamani Kalaimamani Yogacharini Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani is Director and Resident Acharya of the world famous International Centre for Yoga Education and Research (ICYER / Ananda Ashram) at Pondicherry.

She is the Dharmapatni and senior most disciple of the internationally acclaimed Yoga master, Yogamaharishi Dr. Swami Gitananda Giri Guru Maharaj and has devoted her life to his teachings and to institutions founded by him.

Ammaji as she is popularly known is considered one of the major international leaders of the modern Yoga movement and is on various national committees in the Government of India for the propagation of Yoga.

Her defining books “The History of Yoga from Ancient to Modern Times” (Vol I and Vol II) are path breaking efforts and hailed as the “Defining publications on the history of Yoga to date.”

Having trained thousands of students worldwide in the past 5 decades, she is considered a pioneer in bringing the classical Carnatic Performing Fine Arts and Yoga to the common people in Pondicherry. She is a Guru and former performing artist of Bharata Natyam.