Google doodle marks yoga guru B Okay S Iyengar’s 97th delivery anniversary

Google has chosen to honour the Indian guru BKS Iyengar – who is credited with bringing yoga to the West – to mark what would have been his 97th birthday. Born on December 14, 1918 in Bellur, Karnataka, Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar introduced Iyengar Yoga to the world.

One of the key contributors and world’s foremost yoga teacher, BKS Iyengar is exclusively responsible for the popularity of yoga all over the world.

The Time magazine listed Iyengar among the 100 most influential people in the world in 2004.

He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan during the Republic Day celebrations in 2014.

Krishnamacharya was one of the key figures behind the revival of “hatha yoga” – from which Iyengar yoga developed – in the early 20th century which focused on the correct alignment of the body. He has five daughters namely Geeta, Vinita, Suchita, Sunita and Savitha and one son Prashant.

When he turned 19, he was sent to Pune, Maharashtra to teach yoga in 1937 and it was until 1952 that he became an worldwide guru, after he introduced renowned violinist Yehudi Menuhin to this art.

– His teachings were first published in 1966 as “Light on Yoga“.

His the author of many yoga books including Light on Yoga, Light on Pranayama, Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and Light on Life.

– Youth’s Offerings to Guruji (YOG) was formed in 1996 with the objective of raising funds to propagate Iyengar Yoga.