Mahavatar Babaji

Mahavatar Babaji (IAST: Mahāvatāra Bābājī; lit. 'Great Avatar (Revered) Father')^[a] is a legendary immortal yogi and guru, who is said to be living in the Himalayas. He is said to have taught multiple revered historic yogis, including Lahiri Mahasaya (1828–1895).^[3][2] Babaji first became recognised through the writings of Paramahansa Yogananda, who devoted a chapter of his Autobiography of a Yogi to Babaji and founded Self-Realization Fellowship, a modern yoga movement that Babaji is associated with.^[2] The cave where Babaji met Lahiri Mahasaya, located near Ranikhet, is now a tourist attraction and place of pilgrimage in India.^[4]: 170

Mahavatar Babaji
Mahavatar Babaji meditating in the lotus position – a drawing from Autobiography of a Yogi, commissioned by Paramahansa Yogananda and based on his own meeting with Babaji.
Personal life
Born	Unknown
Known for	Kriya Yoga
Religious life
Religion	Hinduism
School	Yoga
Religious career
Disciples Lahiri Mahasaya
Influenced George Harrison, Paramahansa Yogananda, Rajinikanth, Roger Hodgson, Steve Jobs, The Beatles,[1] Yukteswar Giri, Vishwananda

There is little historical information about Babaji. According to Yogananda, Babaji has intentionally kept his birthplace and birthdate a secret.^[2]

In popular culture

Mahavatar Babaji was on the cover of The Beatles' 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.^[5][1][6] He can also be seen on the cover of George Harrison's 1974 album Dark Horse. Songwriter Roger Hodgson of English rock band Supertramp composed a song called "Babaji" in reference to Mahavatar Babaji. This song was recorded and released on their 1977 album Even in the Quietest Moments...^[7] In Book 3 of Conversations with God (1998), by Neale Donald Walsch, it is mentioned that Babaji may at one time have resurrected himself from the dead, like Jesus.^[8]

The 2002 film Baba featured a fictional encounter with Mahavatar Babaji.^{[4]: 235, 314} The film was produced by Rajinikanth, a devotee of Babaji.^[9]

See also

• List of Hindu gurus and saints
• Haidakhan Babaji – a teacher who appeared in northern India and taught publicly from 1970 to 1984
• Yogoda Satsanga Society of India – founded by Paramahansa Yogananda in 1917

Notes

1. Babaji's other names include Mahamuni Babaji Maharaj (Supreme Ecstatic Master), Maha Yogi (Great Yogi), and Trambak Baba or Shiva Baba (incarnations of Shiva).^[2]