Shankar will share a message on the theme, “The Journey Within,” and lead a meditation for the entire group. Then, there will be a question-and-answer session for those who attend.
“Gurudev is highly sought after. Everyone is just looking for his blessings, and his touch in their lives,” Samdaria said.
Samdaria, who has been involved in Art of Living Cincinnati for the past 15 years, said Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval and other local and state dignitaries will be in attendance. There will be a special proclamation presented to Shankar during the event.
“In addition to the proclamation, they will be welcoming Gurudev to Cincinnati,” Samdaria said. “The proclamation they are writing is mostly focused on the lifelong work of Gurudev for the last 40 years in creating a stress-free, violence-free society.”
During his stop in Cincinnati, Shankar will also visit the University of Cincinnati’s campus. He will meet with students and faculty in the Counseling and Psychological Services program (CAPS.)
This year, Shankar has also visited Cleveland and Ashtabula. He previously visited Cincinnati in 2010. The Cincinnati Masonic Center can accommodate about 1,000 attendees.
Shankar is a world-renowned humanitarian, spiritual leader and the founder of the Art of Living Foundation. Through his work, Shankar has inspired millions across the globe with a vision of a stress-free, violence-free world. As a five-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee, Shankar has also authored the bestselling book, “Notes for the Journey Within: Essentials of the Art of Living.”
Shankar has created trauma-relief and meditation programs for at-risk youth, war veterans, prisoners and survivors of disaster. He has also designed numerous educational and self-development programs and tools that facilitate the elimination of stress and foster deep and profound inner peace, happiness and well-being for individuals.
Shankar has mediated and progressed negotiations for peace in conflict-stricken areas such as Sri Lanka, Iraq, Venezuela and Colombia, where he is credited for playing a central role in ending the violent 52-year conflict between FARC and the Colombian government. He has received 39 governmental awards, including the highest civilian awards from several nations. Twenty-four universities have awarded Shankar with honorary doctorates for his peace-keeping and humanitarian efforts.
During the event in Cincinnati, Shankar will unveil an Olympic scale gathering for peace (https://wcf.artofliving.org), the World Cultural Festival, which will take place Sept. 29-ct. 1 at the National Mall in Washington D.C. More than 300,000 people have already registered for the in-person event. The festival will also be broadcast to over a billion people globally. The event will bring people from more than 180 countries together with a message of “One World Family.”
“We are expecting a crowd of a half-of-a-million people there, meditating together, doing yoga together for three days with lots of cultural and diverse activities,” Samdaria said. “The intent and the goal of that festival, which is the fourth major festival in the last 20 years, is we want to show the world, where there is a lot of isolation and polarization as we all see in society right now, that we can all come together as one world family.”
How to go
What: The Journey Within: Meditation & Wisdom with Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
When: T6:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday
Where: The Cincinnati Masonic Center, 317 E 5th St., Cincinnati
Admission: Various ticketing options are available. Tickets start at $35 and may be purchased online
More info: www.artofliving.org/us-en
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