Akhilesha (Praveen) Anna

​It is incredibly painful and still feels so surreal to be writing on this Memory wall. To the ashram and the world, he was Akhilesha (Pravin) Anna, but to me, he will always be my beloved Praveen babai.
​Losing him leaves an ache in our family that words simply cannot capture. I will forever hold onto the deep, personal bond we built over the years. He was, without a doubt, a complete human being in every sense of the word. He walked this earth as a beautiful rarity—a monk with a family. He managed to perfectly balance his profound spirituality and strict discipline with a boundless, infectious joy and a vibrant energy that touched everyone he met.
​What I will carry with me the most is his pure, absolute selflessness. Babai constantly prioritized the wellbeing of everyone around him, pouring out endless care and love, while expecting absolutely nothing in return. Every single conversation we shared left me with profound insights; he was the greatest thought-provoker in my life.
​He was the kindest, most pure soul I have ever known. Thank you, babai, for everything. Your wisdom, your warmth, and your incredible light will continue to guide our family forever. We miss you more than words can say.

During Shoonya program in November 2023, participants were astonished at the energy level of that smiling, helping and encouraging instructor/ishanga, Praveen anna. His conversation would made us feel like family. That brief interaction had a great impact on me and I can feel great pain and a void that his departure has left. He must be spreading the same cheerful energy wherever he would be. OM TAT SAT ! 🙏🏼

Akhilesha Anna inspired me to become a hatha yoga teacher.

In October 2022, I visited the Isha Yoga Center. It was in the Shoonya programme conducted by Akhilesha that I decided to one day do the hatha yoga teacher training. It was a profoundly transformative experience and I remember him sharing his decision to become a teacher, how worthwhile it was.

We briefly met in passing in the garden. With a radiant smile, his presence exuded an inner joy and light which surprised me and made a lasting impression. I sensed that this was a being on another level of existence who walked with integrity, warmth and grace. His way of being was something to aspire to.

What makes a wonderful human being? Akhilesha gave me a shining example. Last year, I completed the teacher training at Sadhguru Gurukulam. I am eternally grateful for his guiding light in my life and spiritual journey. His devotion and influence will continue to inspire me in sadhana and every yoga session I offer.

Thank you Akhilesha Anna 🙏 🪷

My heart goes out to his wife, son, family and loved ones.

Praveen Anna, you made our Kailash Manasarovar Yatra in 2018 a truly profound and unforgettable experience. Your enthusiasm, boundless energy and wonderful personality, along with that ever-present big smile, kept our spirits high throughout the journey.
You were such a generous and giving person, and your warmth touched everyone around you. We will always remember you with gratitude and affection.
Our deepest condolences to your family and all your loved ones.

Some journeys and some people stay alive and vivid with us forever. Because of the way the journey is structured, people offering themselves, places you visit and the people you travel with. That is true for both kailash and Himalayan sacred walks for me.
I am very happy to have met Praveen anna in this life. He was coordinator for both Kailash and Himalayan sacred walks. A wonderful being who led a meaningful life fulfilling seekers desire to visit places of spiritual significance. All moments with him shall be cherished. He will stay alive in our hearts.

May his grace be with everyone. Love, strength and prayers 🙏

I feel deeply grateful to have learned Shoonya and Shakti Chalana Kriya from Akhilesh Anna this July. His passion, dedication, and openness in sharing his own experiences and challenges with the practices were truly inspiring.

It saddens me to think that we may have been among the last groups to receive these practices under his guidance. I will always carry gratitude for what he shared with us.

Thank you, Anna. 🙏

July 2026 I attended Shoonya with you.

During the program I frequently just observed you. Tnx for being an example how an exuberant, joyful, focused and alive human being looks like.

In the end you're shared parts of your own journey and path which helped me with my challenges at that moment.

The things you teached me are helping me to become a better human being.

Thank you for your teachings. You have impressed me in many ways and are very grateful for that. It was a brief encounter with a deep impact. Thanks, my friend. See you soon.

Dear Praveen
I’m still hoping for a miracle! You have touched all our lives so deeply including Suneet’s who used yo look forward to your visits back home. You leave a beautiful legacy & joyful memories.

I remember you alwayd used to encourage me to do IE! Eventually we all did it at the Ashram in Oct 2011! We finished it on my b’day & how i sobbed with Joy with all my class. The best b’day at the Ashram.

I could go on as you started us on a joyrney (was meant to write journey!) which we will carry on till we complete our life journey

It was always a joy to see you. We bumped into each other at Delhi airport! And then puja at your house.

You will always be in so many hearts & remembered fondly for the lasting impact you made to so many lives. Indebted to you forever.. 🙏🙏🙏

It is very painful . I had the privilege of crossing paths with this amazing soul last year under L1 . Akilesha Anna was our leader, guide and guarding angel. He was very passionate, committed, disciplined and at the same time full of life, joy and fun. By just observing him, I have learnt a lot from him. The Shoonya refresher he took at the hotel was amazing. I cannot forget how he was looking out for me at Kaliash. I was one of the few who found it difficult to climb due to my breadth. I did not know that he was quietly following me behind and at one point when I was sitting on the rock gasping for breath, he sat beside me and asked me if I wanted a pony. I was taken aback. He was so caring. I am blessed to have our paths crossed this life time and to have met an amazing soul who led a life of purpose. May Akilesha Anna rest in peace. Om Namah Shivaya.
Shamboa.
With lots of love
Kala G

I was blessed with Praveen being my initiator for Shoonya.

After the program, he shared his story with us. I was deeply moved, as it was genuine, not embelished but raw, it included everything from his convictions to his doubts along the way.

It takes a special strength to be vulnerable. And that honesty resonated with me as human and truthful. As opposed to rehearsed and constructed.

I believed him and I can only imagine the tens of thousands of people he touched through and outside of isha.

Less than two months ago, during the Shoonya program he led, I had the opportunity to experience his wonderful sense of humor, his jokes, his gentle voice, and that smile that never seemed to leave his face.

His personal story and dedication were truly inspiring to everyone, and for that, I am deeply grateful to him. 🙏

Dearest, Beloved Brother,

I met you 11 years ago, in a BSP programme in UK.

Your gentleness was beyond this world.
Your heart was soaked in love.
Your whole being was an offering of love.

Just being in your presence was healing to my heart.

Your care, your smile, your laughter.

The joy you showed when you could finally find some hot chillies 🌶️ pickles to go with for your food.

The support through my BSP breakdowns.

The keenness with which you could see my flaws and the gentleness with which you invited me into my Greatness.

You were an intimate part of my inner blossoming.

You were a fragrance of the Guru.

Thank you forever and ever.

May our love carry you on your journey forward.

May you dance and laugh and celebrate Life on the green, lush full pastures on the Unseen Mountains.

Love and Light,
Alex

When I first heard news I got bit hint could be him but wanted to avoid to investigate more fear of this pain .....he conducted this year ashram volunteer meet I was participant ..he was teacher for shoonya program on 27 to 30 may this year .I was volunteering ..I remember interaction with him. During whole program and especially when.I asked him doubt ..

Pravin was a wonderful person.Satsangh and joy is what I felt in his company.
I have a strong feeling that he along with others who left us will be back with Isha again in their upcoming births.
Immutable are the ways of Life and death.

Praveen taught us—and thus me—
Shoonya in the Netherlands not long ago. What leads us to Sadhguru leads us to Praveen; he was the bridge to that place. With a natural ease that has always fascinated me, Praveen repeated the practices we needed to learn—and wanted to learn—with us day after day, in a sense of existential connection. He was precise and had a wonderful sense of humor. He was there for everyone and for each person individually. The unwavering dedication with which he devoted his life to Sadhguru and Isha—to what lies behind it all—deeply moved, delighted, and amazed me. I can still hear his voice, and whenever I do Shakti Chanala Kriya, I hear his instructions. The night after the tsunami, I slept extremely poorly; Sadhguru kept running through my mind, along with the people from Isha who had died and that one person who was so important to Sadhguru—the one Sadhguru spoke of with such deep sorrow. It was as if something was dissolving energetically in an extremely complex and stirring way. Perhaps, through Sadhguru, I was actually thinking of Praveen. Perhaps we have all accompanied our connection to Praveen to wherever he is now. With deep gratitude and loving connection, I want to—and will—incorporate Praveen into my Shooya and Shakti Chanala Kriya practice, and when I ride the train, I’ll think of him, just as he told us that he himself would practice on the floor of the train when the car was full.
With heartfelt gratitude, I would like to carry on Praveen’s way in my yoga practice, to live by it and let it be. I would like to express my heartfelt condolences to his son, Sadhguru, and to all those who were and are close to him.

From the bottom of my heart, with loving gratitude,

Michael.

He taught us Shoonya.
Just few glimpses of him - have etched sooooo deeeeep in me.

I thought - whenever my family wants to do Shoonya - I will hunt down Akhilesh Anna's class and will make them do in his class - and so on I always thought.

My contact with him was only through the program once, hence my image of him is all through that Shoonya program. My feelings and image that formed about him - through the deep impact in that brief contact, and few moments of interactions. And perhaps, a few more random occurrences of spotting his presence.


It looked like to me, people like him - could see much more than what eyes could see.

If you're around him for 5 minutes - 5 crooked traits in you would be straightened out.

An incident:

In my innocent doubt of a certain modification in the practice - I went and asked an elaborate question, without realising the deviousness hidden in my question.

He was looking down at the floor, and he lifted his face in a gentle swagger - and said "so you don't want to follow instructions".

And it struck me soo deeply within, I didn't speak a word. It straightened out a certain bent of my mind immediately.

I'm sure it was him alone who'd answer this way. Others would have given an equally elaborate answer, without addressing my unconscious deviousness hidden in the question.

I have to just tell for the sake of it though - people admire me even among the meditators - for how straight I am with myself and my practices and every single word and atom of my Guru. I remember every single cough and chortle of Sadhguru, I don't try to miss a word of Sadhguru's instruction.

So what most wouldn't see - he could see the deeper layers of inherent contradictions. And only because he himself was that straight and aligned within himself first. And hence it was possible for him to see and address it in others.

.

Ishas stand apart in the world. But Akhilesha, our beloved Praveen anna and people like him - are those who stand apart within the Ishas.

This life lost is not a life alone - but a possibility that could have enlivened a million other lives further. He lived like that. So it's a million lives lost.... 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

During the closing of the program he said something, I loosely remember and hence decently paraphrase:
He said,
"When my time comes, I hope my master will see me on the other side".

He had a fierce angry yogi kind of look for a moment as he said this, but with tears of loving intensity. The face was as strange as the description. And that face was the closing statement of the program.

That time has come today, and today, all of them were seen through 🙏🏻 Who were misfortunate or fortunate - to have passed before their Guru.

.

His early life before Isha and soon after starting Isha practices - is only heard to beleieved. I think everybody must educate themselves with his story - a true exemplary to have lived the essence of Isha. Even whilst actively involved in the world and supremely competently.

Words are not sufficient to give a glimpse of him, I tried.

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Edit:

And his agelessness that people were bewildered to beleive he was 52+ in the programme- when he casually admitted while describing certain instance. The fact that he overcame a certain chronic ailment fully with the practices. And the story of his early life work situation where he shined par excellence. Attaining to top most authority in his field and managing double roles in his office, added to that- driving hundreds of miles in UK each single day to fulfil additional duties of additional roles. (He was a senior Psychiatrist in the UK.) Whilst waking up before dawn to keep up his sadhana, and living totally nourished with 4 hours of sleep.


Are again a reflection that he lived it, the precision and straightness he strived to bring among people. Getting people to make it possible - what he made it possible for himself through Sadhguru's teachings.

He captured my imagination of how a handmade product of Sadhguru could be...

A wholesome being...

Maybe saying so would limit Sadhguru and I wouldn't want to: but sadhguru must have given him the name Akhilesha for a reason...

.

I heard today even the security akkas in the ashram were weeping and talking of Praveen Anna... That says it all...

And of all,

His smile......

I bow down to him. 🙏🏻

I came to know about S3 group leader Praveen Anna on news, but now looking at the picture I realised he was my Shoonya teacher, Akhilesha Anna!

The pain got deeper, the heart felt heavier 💔

I remember at the end of the program when someone asked his age, no one believed what he told as he looked so young, so vibrant, so full of energy.

His playfulness during the games , his bright smile , the warmth with which he treated all the participants, his humour and above all his involvement n dedication during the whole program, made it unforgettable.

He was a true example of a joyful n vibrant life.

If spending just few days with him during a program can make me remember him so vividly, I can understand how those, who knew him for years ,must be feeling!

I feel grateful for having him as my teacher 🙏

Thank you Akhilesha Anna for touching our lives with your love, warmth n your unforgettable smile 🙏

I met Praveen during my himalayans walk in 2024. He was a great leader who is highly passionate, dedicated, professional and caring. I am deeply saddened by his loss. I wish his family strength, love and peace. 🙏 RIP. I will miss him dearly. Yvette

Eternally grateful for Praveen Anna’s teaching on Kailash yatras. He served selflessly and drew great joy in watching others grow. He is definitely with Shiva now! My love and prayers for his family. 🙏🏽❤️

Will always remember you with that bright smile Akhilesha Anna 🙏. So many memories of our training and time spent in ashram. Shambo🙏

Pranamam Akhilesha Anna🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

Anna, you are etched in my memory as such a big and beautiful part of my Kailash Yatra. You were an inspiration in the way you lived every moment of your life with that big, heartwarming smile! You truly exemplified what it meant to live with absolute involvement and complete abandon.

Your words of wisdom have remained a constant guiding voice for me ever since our transformational conversation at Manasarovar. I have taken a couple of steps in that direction, and it is now my commitment to do everything I can to be part of our Guru’s vision and help bring the light of our Guru to as many people as possible. I can now truly understand the sense of urgency you conveyed.
🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

Thank you for all the fun and the many unforgettable memories along the Yatra…the “hot magic potion” that you generously shared that amplified our oxygen levels at Kailash, and those delicious hot and sour tofu tacos you specially made for us at Manasarovar! ❤️

Anna, you definitely had a thing for horns, didn’t you!!! 😄 Here is the picture you wanted from this spot near Yama Dwar.

You lived over a hundred years within your twenty years with Sadhguru and Isha, Anna. What a life you lived, and what a legacy you leave behind !!!
🤩🤩🤩🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙇🏻‍♀️🙇🏻‍♀️🙇🏻‍♀️

I have seen anna's only in photos but as all Isha family is connected to each other so I too felt deep pain ,May shiva be with you always, om shanti 🙏🙏🙏

I still cannot believe that Praveen Anna is no longer with us.

He was, and will always remain, such an inspiration to me. I had been looking forward to meeting him later this year at the Consecration & at the Shoonya program, after almost 10 years. For one reason or another, I had not been able to meet him during the last decade. I never imagined that the opportunity I was so eagerly waiting for would never come.

I have no words to truly express the grief I feel.

Praveen Anna was someone I could connect with so effortlessly. I could share anything and everything happening in my life with him. There was a warmth and openness in him that made you feel at home.

His dedication and commitment towards Isha were truly uncanny. Whatever he took up, he gave himself 100%. His commitment was unwavering, yet he always carried that beautiful smile that brought so much joy to those around him. Being with him was joyful, and even reading his messages would bring a smile to my face because of the way he responded with such warmth and care.

My memories of the time I spent with him and his family are still so fresh.

I will always remember how, during my volunteering days in the UK, he simply let me stay with him even though we had never met before. That was Praveen Anna — welcoming, trusting, generous, and treating people like family.

He was like a brother to me. He was family. And in so many ways, he was like a mother to everyone around him — caring, nurturing, and always there for others.

I only wish I could be a little more like him.

Praveen Anna, you have touched so many lives in ways that words can never capture. Your smile, your warmth, your dedication, and the way you gave yourself completely to whatever you did will stay with us forever.

You may no longer be physically with us, but you will always live in our hearts.

Praveen Anna, you will always be remembered. You will always be loved. You will always be a part of us.

We bow down to you. 🙏

I remember you from Himalayan Yatra. That beautiful smile no matter what. May your soul rest in peace,
may your family find strength and comfort,
and may your memory live on in the hearts of all who knew you.

Gone from our sight, but never from our hearts.
🕊️🙏

Seven days already passed… and still no word.

Akhilesh Anna — my Shoonya Teacher, someone whose presence has touched my life in ways words can hardly hold.

Since the devastating flood at the Kyirong Office, you have been missing. Seven long days have passed, and the silence has become unbearably heavy. We fear the worst, yet a part of the heart still refuses to let go of hope.

Anna, wherever you are, may you be held by the same grace and stillness that you have so lovingly shared with so many of us.

I am full of immense gratitude—for having known you, learned from you, and received your presence in my life.

Namaskaram, Anna 🙏 wherever you are. 😭

What can I say about Akhilesh Anna, the power of a single life is not measured by the time spent on this earth, but by the depth of love left behind and the lives forever transformed. The spark you ignited within us has become an everlasting fire of transformation.
While the untimely departure has left an immeasurable void in our world, the impact of your life remains untouched by time.

We bow to your light and legacy 🙇🏻‍♀️ 🙏

It pains to write on this memory wall and I cannot believe Praveen anna is gone and that I wont see him or talk to him again.

He brought so much love, laughter and joy to everyone around him. The life and soul of any party, a crowd puller ! His exuberance, constant smile, and his joyfullness, so infectious that made us feel so alive around him !

He has been such an inspiration for me ever since I came to Isha and I always looked upto him and deeply valued his words !
He lived and imbibed everything Sadhguru said and always said he didnt want to miss the bus. The way he took a plunge to dedicate his life to his spiritual growth and to his Guru despite all the challenges was extraordinary ! He was happy and proud of Nalin and Manjula akka last time I met them and had said Sadhguru has kept up his promise and has taken care of his projects while anna took care of Sadhguru’s projects. He was so happy with how Nalin has grown to be a sensible, mature young man.

He constantly lived with a reminder that life is fragile and reminded us about this and the life path we are taking. What a privilege and fortune it has been to have known him, to have spent time with him. He has left such a big vacuum but will live on in our hearts for ever and will continue to inspire us.
Immense respect for Manjula akka and Nalin as as they have sacrificed a lot and may they find the strength to go through this 🙏

You guided us like an angel of light on our journey to Kailash. I will never forget your beautiful smile and your beautiful soul. You will forever remain in our hearts. 🤍

Just your smile, so contagious, never met you, but then we are all connected, this season, this outburst, this nature's spell - simply united us. Heart feels so heavy when I think of all the beautiful beings that simply washed away, lots of strength for all the families and loved ones.

How can we ever forget that smile?

Praveen had a way of lighting up a room and putting everyone instantly at ease with that big, beaming smile of his. He gave his life through service. What a tremendous loss for all of us.

Today 3rd September is my birthday. According to Chinese tradition, a birthday is hardly an auspicious day to speak about death. But the truth is, from the moment we are born, we are already moving towards it.

Sadhguru wrote in Death: An Inside Story:

“As life is, death is. The awareness of this fact allows you to live life fully and intensely.”

We know that one day, all of us must leave. But we don’t know when. And the truth is birthday means living one year less.

8 years ago today, Praveen and my fellow Isha yatris of S5 of 2018 celebrated my birthday over an amazing Chinese dinner in Lhasa (especially delicious after days of very simple yatra food).

That birthday remains the most extraordinary of all. To have made it to Mount Kailash - something unimaginable, not even in my wildest dreams - and then to find myself celebrating my birthday with people I barely knew but shared the same heart for Sadhguru, this time all of us were celebrating Sadhguru’s birthday too! Now that felt like an immense gift from the Divine.

Praveen wished me while we were riding in the bus enroute to Lhasa that afternoon - “May you attain 🙏🏽” - yes, with that big smile

My encounters with him over the years were few and often brief, but always warm. Whenever our paths crossed, we would chat, exchange little updates about life, and somehow pick up where we had left off.

The last time I saw him was almost three years ago, at Shoonya Intensive here on home ground in Malaysia. Even that felt like a chance meeting. I had signed up at the last minute in preparation for Samyama and, unexpectedly, a place opened up for me to complete Shoonya. Nidhi was originally supposed to conduct the program, but in the end, Praveen showed up.

We had a little time to catch up after the program. One thing he said to me stayed with me: Maple you must find ways to expand Sadhguru’s work.

And now, on this birthday, I find myself thinking about those words again.

8 years ago, after Kailash, you wished for me: May you attain.
Today, Praveen, that is my wish for you.

May you attain.
May you dissolve into that which you devoted your life to.
May the journey you began as a seeker find its ultimate destination - MUKTI

Thank you
Thank you
Thank you for the work you did in touching so many lives.

You will be deeply missed.

SHAMBHO SHAMBHO SHAMBHO🕉️

Akhilesh🙏
Lord of all, Sadhguru named you true,
A light that touched all that he knew,
A smile that held the whole world’s grace,
Now gone from sight, but not this place.
Akhilesh — ruler, gentle, kind,
You left your mark on heart and mind,
Though your body walks with us no more,
Your soul has reached the higher shore,
Rest now where the divine resides,
In Shiva’s arms, where peace abides.

We miss you PraveenAnna🙏

Bow down 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

In the last 1 year, we used to have constant interaction with Akhilesha anna , and because of his guidance we were able to do 22+ Shoonya in the last 1 year at Sadhguru Sannidhi Bengaluru.

I had a hobby of writing about people who touch me in a deeper way.

I had written below poetry for Akhilesha anna when he was still with us, but I couldn't share it with him.
Maybe, it's time NOW.


*Akhilesha anna : The man who had everything, yet chose "no-thing"*

He had everything one could dream of—
A lucrative career, a beautiful wife, a child in his arms.
By the world’s measure,
Anyone would call it a perfectly successful life.

What more does one need
Than a happy family together?
Yet even this could not quiet
The deeper longing within him.

He chose Life
Even if it meant staying away from his wife;
Not to fight like a soldier,
But to become a teacher

The participants became his family,
Held gently in the warmth of his presence.
He poured out all that he had,
Without ever holding anything back.

Now he no longer has a lucrative career
But he has a beautiful life.
His wife and child may not be with him,
Yet they are closer than ever before.

And in this journey,
Happiness had no choice
It had to bloom for everyone.

It pains to think this happened to Akhilesha anna. It still not sinking into me that he is not going to be around us.

Once my brother got injured in the ashram and Akhilesha anna and I took him to the clinic. Anna was just there but I felt some kind of assurance in his presence.

I have some very fond memories of him from my training. During a Shoonya Program, while Anna was going to a session, he tripped over a step and fell, dislocating his finger. He simply stood up, pulled the finger, set it right, and went ahead to conduct the session. It must have been very painful, but he conducted the class with the same cheerfulness on his face. It was very inspiring! Later, he put an ice pack on it.

His cheerfulness, laughter, and jokes will be deeply missed.

This can happen to anyone; it can happen to me at any moment. I will try to live with this awareness as a small tribute to Anna.

Thank you, Akhilesha anna, for everything. You will be deeply missed!

I didn't not see him personally. But being Isha's I can feel the pain of his presence being missed. Anna know that you will always be cherished in our memories of all Ishas. Shambhooo🙏Sadhguru is with you. We are with you always. Anna, I have seen and felt your presence by seeing your sun, the way he handled and managed his grief. I can say and feel and wonder, what amazing atmosphere that Sadhguru talks about you must have provided to him at home. Anna I wish to be like you.

Akhilesha Anna is my Shakti chalana teacher in October 2025.The way he conducted the program was quite amazing.Very passionate and motivating person

Rest In Peace Anna 🙏💐

I met Praveena anna during 2018 Kailash pilgrimage and our paths crossed few times in ashram and once during Shivanga sadhana and Sathsang.
He has always guided with a big smile. Very effervescent person and will be difficult to forget him.
Still cannot come to terms with his loss.
Blessed soul.

Akhilesha Anna, you deeply touched me with your devotion to Sadhguru.
You were my Shoonya Teacher and you also guided me about my experiences after Samyama.
Your words will always resonate with me and inspire me to dissolve myself in doing whatever I can do for Sadhguru. I will keep up the practices daily.
Wherever you are now, I bow down to you Anna🙏🏽🌸

I had the privilege of attending Praveen Anna’s sessions and had the opportunity to interact with him as part of an Isha program. Anna teaches with much passion and emphasizes the importance of precision in practices to experience full benefits. It is so impactful that it stands out in memory the exact words he spoke. He is filled with energy all the time and I have not seen him tired in my course of time I had seen him throughout the program.

I pray for his eternal wellbeing and very thankful for the impact he has made in my life within very limited span of time we got to interact. I also wish his family strength to overcome this irreplaceable loss 🙏🌺

Praveen Anna was the Ishanga conducting the first Shoonya Program in Kathmandu, 2023, in which I got to volunteer.

It was inspiring to observe him in many ways. He taught with precision, skill, crystal clear words, warmth, humour, and boundless energy despite little sleep.
He was radiant and pleasing to be with.

I saw in him such respect and humbleness, dedication, and devotion to his Guru.

He was one to remember. Thus I googled which volunteer called "Praveen" deceased in the Nepal desaster. My gut feeling was unfortunately correct.

He lived beautifully and died in Guru seva.

Namaskaram to his family 🙏🏼

The devotion Anna melt with Sadhguru speaks how he dedicated himself selflessly. Bow downing for your sacrifice . Rest in peace from the decade of work . 🙇🏼‍♂️

Praveen Anna was a very dedicated person and a Purnanga in the Isha Yoga Center. He will always be remembered as a blessed soul. Pranam🙏🏻🙇🏻‍♀️

I had gone on the Himalayan sacred walks in 2023. By the immense grace of my Sadguru only I could go on this sacred pilgrimage.
Praveen Anna was our bus co ordinator. While at Kedarnath I got separated from my group members.The pony alloted to me was very small and I had a fall from its back.But I was completely fine.Then I got into a basket carriage.In between the Nepali bhaiya who carried the basket went missing,after he took a break for rest .Another Isha member from a different group saw my id card and helped me spot him.Then after further climb,my oxygen level dipped to 81. I went to a medical unit ,got help from the doctor on duty and proceeded the ascent.By this time all my group members were at the temple.My brother searched for me frantically when he found that I was not there .
It was Praveen Anna who came down with him to report at the Ghoda point on the upper reach and the police check post .He stayed with my brother all throughout and my brother said what a great blessing it was to have such a magnanimous soul with him to keep him calm.He is full of praise for the volunteering spirit of the ISHA group.
Meanwhile I had reached the temple in time for evening Arathi .It was a happy reunion at the sacred premises of the temple when I saw my brother and other members.

Praveen Anna,I bow down to you in all love and reverence.I know you are in Kailash with Mahadev and Devi Parvati.
I will remember you in my prayers everyday.Such a kind and noble soul like you can not be found easily in this world.With tear filled eyes,as I write this,I send a sincere prayer from the depth of my heart to Mahadev,to keep you close to HIM,as you are a precious gem of Tribhuvanas.

Praveen Anna took us on our 2019 Kailash Yatra - both my mom and I joined. Having him guide and lead the most intense experience of my life to date, I feel like so much about him is so detailed in my memory. Firstly his smile and his wicked sense of humour, and then the utter responsibility and care with which he handled everything and most importantly, everyone.

I feel so blessed to have known him, for him to have been our group lead on that journey of a lifetime and to have basked in his sense of humour.

I think of his beautiful smile and spirit in his face all the time now. I still can’t believe what happened. It breaks my heart, and I wish the memory of his life to be a blessing for everyone. He shines on in all our lives. To have touched the lives of so many so profoundly… and to have carried it all with such humility, Grace, humour and humanity… I simply bow down 🙏 if the world was full of people just like Praveen, what a world it would be to live in ❤️

Dear Praveen Anna,
Tears roll down my cheek as I write this in tribute to you.
I did not know you personally, but you left such an impact on me when you taught us Shoonya and Shakti chalana kriya in 2023. Your assuring words, the discipline and the practice itself that you planted in us. I remember not being able to sit in Vajrasana and was in so much of physical pain. You kept reassuring us and told us if we still had difficulties on the last day, you would give us another option. I waited for the last day to come and approach you to learn the alternative posture, and then I realised with Sadhguru’s grace, I could do it with no pain. You gave me a smile probably knowing I could already do it. You were so committed to what you taught us that you became a role model to me as how someone who reveres Sadhguru should be.
I cannot thank you enough for what you have taught me and it will stay with me forever. When Sadhguru mentioned that Praveen led the group that was in the immigration centre, my heart just ached so much and it still does.
Thank you Anna. May you rest in peace ❤️

I am still finding it hard to process the disaster in Nepal and the fact that some precious people are no longer with us.

As I have experienced Kailash with Praveen, Nepal and Tibet do not feel distant. They are in my heartbeat. Catching my first glimpse of that sacred peak felt like a homecoming, and the intensity of what I experienced on that yatra is such that, even now, it can feel as though it is all still happening "here and now" if I just open myself up to it.

Praveen no doubt helped shape that experience. I remember being blown away when he told us we were going to offer Guru Pooja to Mount Kailash, and even more blown away when it actually happened! It was such an intensely beautiful experience that I could never have imagined beforehand.

Every week, I do Sannidhi Guru Pooja in my home, and Praveen is woven into that experience as well. He was the one who brought my Sannidhi into my home and performed the first Sannidhi Guru Pooja for it. Many people have experienced things they cannot explain in the presence of the Sannidhi, whether they came to learn Yoga, participate in Sannidhi Guru Pooja, navigate a difficult situation, or simply sit quietly in the space. 12 years on, the energy is still vibrant. Conducting Sannidhi Guru Pooja yesterday felt especially poignant, knowing that Praveen is gone.

One lighter memory always makes me smile. Praveen was teaching Berlin's first Inner Engineering programme in 2015, held around May Day. When local residents saw more than a hundred people gathering in a small park on May 3rd, they apparently became quite concerned because suddenly there were two riot vans in the park and even a helicopter overhead! As the police officers approached, expecting who knows what, they were greeted by the sight of people happily throwing frisbees! As far as I know, the participants were so absorbed in the games that they never even noticed the police visit. I still smile whenever I think of the bewilderment the police officers must have felt in that moment.

I am grateful to Praveen for what he facilitated. He has helped create the possibility for me and many others to experience a grace and presence that goes beyond time and space. And somehow, that makes him feel very present even now.

Remembering Praveen Anna 🙏🏻

I had the privilege of learning Shakti Chalana Kriya and Shoonya meditation through Praveen Anna in September 2021.

During the class, he spoke only what was necessary. His precision and discipline was noteworthy. But during the games break, he transformed into a burst of energy, sprinting like a flash and jumping like Superman.

After the program, I happened to meet him at the utensils washing area. We both were washing our lunch plates. He asked if I had done Bhava Spandana. When I said no, he exclaimed, “Oh, you have no idea what you are missing!”

Those few words sowed a seed that eventually led me to BSP.

Praveen Anna inspired and encouraged me.

The loss feels deeply personal.

My sincere prayers for the well being of all those who have departed, and strength to their families. 🙏🏻

On 20th August 2019, I was introduced with Pravin anna as the group leader for the S9 Kailash group for which I was chosen as the accompanying doctor. He has an uncanny sense of humor which did not align with my impression of someone leading a pilgrimage. I was somehow amused.
There were 3 of us who were initiated into Guru puja hence each of us took chance to conduct each day Guru puja.
On the morning at Kailash before starting the process, He asked me to do the setting for Guru puja so he could conduct it, and then suddenly he tapped on the ground indicating me to start the Guru Puja. It was one of the most memorable moments of my life.
Of many stories he had of his life, one stuck with me. He always said that if any time Sadhguru tells him to jump off the cliff, he would do it instantly without asking him why.
His devotion and aliveness is too vibrant for anyone to describe in words. For me Pravin anna is ALIVE and KICKING NOW AND FOREVER.
CHEERS TO LIFE AND BEYOND

I don't know much about Praveen Anna before 26th event. When his son has spoken about him in brief, i touched by that. Praveen was so fascinating and inspired with Sadhguru's #SaveSoil yatra. He will definitely come back to full fill his purpose

Om Shanti, to all who died in Nepal flood,

You were the first example of what full involvement actually looks like, seeing you standing there in your orange shawl I thought who is this man, so dry yet some much wisdom pouring out of him...then I saw you in the games!!! I couldn't make out how you were built!

You had such a profound impact on me and my journey from the very beginning and the I'm always grateful for the beautiful relationship that we developed over the past decade.

So focused and proper yet so mischievous and child like!
We had the kind of relationship where our Love was hidden in the terrible things we said to each, like the one and only sentence we learned in Tamil classes during Covid;
'Hey muttaal, eppadi irukkireerga'... people looking on didn't know whether to laugh or run away!

You did however say the sweetest thing ever to me the last time we were together which I will always hold with me when you come into my thoughts and wishes.

Deeply grateful for the role and humour you have touched my life with, I'm sure you have already started the games wherever you have landed!

With so much Love and respect, I bow down!

Who ever imagined that I would have to write this one day? My roommate in medical school for four years, I remember waking him up at 4 AM every morning to go to the library to study and I would go to bed. He evolved before my eyes, helped me through my turbulence, accepted me for who I am, loved me unconditionally, teased me incessantly, made a place for himself in my heart, and now has left me heartbroken and angry. When I meet him next, I will pin him down and squeeze his neck as I have always done in retaliation. I know he’s making everyone laugh in heaven…. I will too once I accept this tragedy and remember all his antics. 😢😢💕💕💕

I never met him but i dont why or how i am feel connected to him.... we are heartbroken after his sudden demise with whole of group... May his soul rest in peace... and god grant strength to the families .....

With a heart filled with sorrow and profound gratitude, I offer my deepest prayers and condolences for beloved Praveen Anna—Akhilesha Anna.

Anna’s life was a living expression of devotion, seva, courage, and grace. He did not merely teach practices or guide people on sacred journeys; through his presence, he reminded so many what it means to walk on the path with sincerity, discipline, joy, and complete surrender. His warmth, his infectious laughter, his care for every person around him, and his unwavering commitment to Sadhguru’s vision touched countless lives in ways that words can never fully hold.

For those who had the blessing of knowing him, Anna was a teacher, guide, friend, brother, and quiet source of strength. He carried immense responsibility with humility, faced every challenge with steadiness, and made even difficult moments lighter through his smile and playful spirit. The seeds of transformation he planted—in programs, on the Kailash journey, through seva, and in everyday moments of kindness—will continue to blossom in the lives of all who encountered him.

Though his physical presence leaves an immeasurable emptiness, his life is an inspiration to live more intensely, love more deeply, serve more selflessly, and move through life with greater awareness. May we honor him not only with tears, but by carrying forward the devotion, commitment, and joyful abandon that he embodied so beautifully.

Prayers for Manjula, Soham, his family, and every person whose life has been touched by Anna. May Sadhguru’s grace hold them closely through this unbearable loss. May Praveen Anna’s journey be embraced in the boundless grace of the Divine.

Pranam, Anna. Your laughter, love, and spirit will live on in our hearts and in every step we take toward what is beyond us.

Though it is a disaster, it is a response to irresponsible human behaviour
The irresponsible behaviour of human kind has taken away the life of a responsible human being.
I pray for Aanma Shanti of Akhilesha Anna. 🙏

அண்ணாவிடம் பேசி இருக்கேன் ரொம்ப சுறுசுறுப்பா இருப்பாங்க போல தான் பேசி இருக்கேன் இப்பதான் ஃபோட்டோ பார்க்கிறேன்😭

As colorful as the valleys of Tibet,
As playful as the clouds of Velliangiri,
As present as daylight,
The brightness of your smile is etched in our memory.

The warmth of your words and presence is too painful to relive.
You left us too soon...
too sudden for us to even brace for the thought.

But your presence will always live in us.
You're as timeless as Kailash to us, anna.

Hi Praveen ( Akilesha)
It was heartening to look back at the one to one discussions and catchup we had after many years during our meet in June this year. The genuine interest, reassurance and self
belief you brought to that discussion speaks of how mature you have become over years through your 2 decades of work at Isha. The recent interactions and memories made it difficult to take in the news of what has happened in Nepal. I can only imagine how much impact it will have on others who you have interacted and touched by your support and work over years. May Lord Shiva bless your Soul and your family