'Life on this planet, every single living being is leading towards happiness. Happiness for themselves, for their loved ones and for everything around them. But the most interesting thing about happiness is when a member of your family is unhappy. If a family member is unhappy the neighbourhood is unhappy. If the neighbourhood is unhappy, the city, the state, the country is unhappy and the chain goes on. So, how is it possible for an individual to be happy?'

The person saying these simple yet profound observations cut a fragile figure in a crowd filled with a hundred thousand devotees jammed in a stadium. The soothing voice of Sri Sri Ravishankar on International Happiness Day is a balm to the listeners. His face is glowing as he says this and his voice seems to carry the spores of happiness in them. As he disperses these words, the crowd glows. Everyone seems as lit as the diminutive man with long hair and a long beard who speaks with dancing eyes and a smiling mouth.

Meet Sri Sri Ravishankar.