A Life in Kriya Yoga
Gurudev
Shri Suresh Kulkarni
Gurudev Shri Suresh Kulkarni · Kriya Yoga master & classical musician
Kriya Yogi. Classical musician. Teacher. Born in 1950, initiated into Kriya Yoga in 1972, now residing in Bengaluru — carrying forward a lineage that reaches back through Shri Netai Charan Bandyopadhyay, Shri Panchanan Bhattacharya, Lahiri Mahasaya & Babaji.
ॐ गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णुः गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः ।गुरुः साक्षात् परं ब्रह्म तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ॥
The Guru is Brahma (the Creator), the Guru is Vishnu (the Preserver), and the Guru is Shiva (the Destroyer). The Guru is verily the supreme, formless Brahman. Salutations to that revered Guru.
Introduction
Shri Suresh Kulkarni — known to his disciples as Gurudev — is a Kriya Yogi of high standing, currently residing in Bengaluru, India. He received initiation into Kriya Yoga in 1972 from his Guru, Shri Netai Charan Bandyopadhyay. Pandit Panchanan Bhattacharya was initiated by Lahiri Mahasaya into this path, who was initiated by Babaji himself.
By profession, Gurudev was a music teacher in Kendriya Vidyalaya from 1978 to 2013, based for most of that time in Dhanbad, Jharkhand (then Bihar). In 1979, his Guru gave him permission to initiate those interested in Kriya Yoga, shortly before leaving his mortal form later that same year. Today he counts 45–50 disciples, primarily based in Pune and Dhanbad.
Lodhipur Yogashram · est. 1895
A Lineage
Mahavatar Babaji
The eternal Himalayan master
Mahavatar Babaji is a legendary immortal yogi and guru said to be living in the Himalayas. He is said to have taught multiple revered historic yogis, including Lahiri Mahasaya — appearing to Lahiri Mahasaya and several of his disciples between 1861 and 1985. He first became widely recognised through Paramahansa Yogananda's Autobiography of a Yogi, which devotes a chapter to him. According to that work, Babaji has resided for at least hundreds of years in the remote Himalayan regions of India, seen in person by only a small number of disciples. The cave where Babaji met Lahiri Mahasaya, located near Ranikhet, is today a place of pilgrimage.Yogiraj Shri Lahiri Mahasaya
30.09.1828 – 26.09.1895
Kashi
Shri Shyamacharan Lahiri Mahasaya — known to kriyabans as Lahiri Baba and Kashi Baba — was born on 30.09.1828 to Shri Gourmohan Lahiri and Smt Muktakeshi Devi in a devout Barindra Brahmin family at the village of Ghurni in Nadia district, West Bengal. After a flood wiped out Ghurni, the family settled in Kashi (Varanasi). Highly spiritual from childhood, proficient in Hindi, English, Bengali and Sanskrit, he was married young to Kashimoni Devi and joined the Military Engineering Department of the British Government. Transferred to Ranikhet in the Almora district, he received the divine darshan of Param Purush Babaji Maharaj in the Dronagiri mountains and was initiated into Kriya Yoga for its propagation amongst ordinary householders. Attaining self-realisation as a householder, he imparted kriya initiation to all deserving persons irrespective of caste, creed, religion or sex, emphasising sincere kriya practice — the servicing of prana through atmakarma — over external worship. Though he wrote no book himself, his commentaries on the Gita, Vedantas, Upanishads and Yoga Darshan in the light of kriya were penned down by his disciples, chiefly Pandit Panchanan Bhattacharya. On 26.09.1895 in Varanasi he left his earthly body. Eminent disciples include Pandit Panchanan Bhattacharya, Bhupendranath Sanyal, Dukori Lahiri, Tinkuri Lahiri, Swami Keshavananda, Swami Pranabananda, Swami Yukteshwar Giri, Asutosh Chatterjee, Sir Gurudas Banerjee, Keshav Chandra Banerjee and Harinaryan Palodhi. He also initiated his wife Kashimoni Devi into Kriya Yoga.Pandit Panchanan Bhattacharya
12.11.1853 – 24.08.1919
Kolkata & Deoghar
Pandit Panchanan Bhattacharya was born on 12.11.1853 to Shri Thakurdas Bhattacharya and Smt Jagdamba Devi in a Brahmin family in the Ahiritola area of Kolkata. As the chief disciple of Yogiraj Lahiri Mahasaya, he devoted his entire life to disseminating kriya yoga sadhana amongst ordinary householders after attaining self-realisation. He lost his father as a child and could not pursue higher studies due to financial hardship, yet his writings display remarkable command over languages and deep learning. Introverted since childhood, he first resolved to remain a brahmachari and wandered across the country; on reaching Kashi and the residence of Lahiri Mahasaya, he was directed to give up the brahmachari's garb and become a householder, and only then received kriya initiation. Through deep sadhana at his Guru's lotus feet he attained self-realisation and became the first disciple of Yogiraj to initiate others into Kriya Yoga. His first wife Smt Yukteshwari Devi was a devout spiritual lady; his second wife Smt Surdhuni Devi was a highly accomplished kriya sadhika. On the directions of Lahiri Mahasaya he established the Aryya Mission Institution in Kolkata to publish books on kriya yoga, and compiled the holy words of his Guru on the Gita, Vedantas and Yoga Darshan in the light of kriya, besides authoring several other fundamental works and composing many devotional songs. He later made Bamanbigha in Deoghar (then Bihar, now Jharkhand) his permanent residence, where the Shivlinga before which he initiated new disciples still stands. He entered Mahasamadhi at Deoghar on 24.08.1919. Amongst his eminent disciples were Bamdev Banerjee, Netai Charan Banerjee, Shrischandra Mukherjee, Harimohan Banerjee, Bardacharan Majumder, Kumarnath Mukherjee, Jeevanlal Choudhury, Nagendranath Choudhury and Shrilal Yadav.Shri Netai Charan Bandyopadhyay
18.06.1894 – 09.02.1979
Shibpur, Howrah
Kriya yoga guru Shri Netai Charan Bandyopadhyay was born on 18.06.1894 in a pious Brahmin family to Shri Bamdev Banerjee, an ardent disciple of Pandit Panchanan Bhattacharya. Unlike other boys of his age, Netai Baba was calm, quiet, simple and reticent, with a charming personality since childhood. He completed his graduation from Wellesley Mission College (present-day Christian College at Bankura) and thereafter took up employment with the Bengal Nagpur Railway in the finance department. On the advice of Panchanan Baba, Netai Baba was initiated into Kriya Yoga by his own father Bamdev Banerjee; it is said that at the moment of initiation he visualised Panchanan Baba in his father, and thereafter accepted Panchanan Baba as his Guru. Panchanan Baba was greatly pleased by his sincerity and devotion in kriya practice and often cited him as an example amongst other disciples. In time, Netai Baba received his father's permission to initiate others into kriya. Having practised kriya sadhana and reached kriya ki parawastha, he could no longer continue his duties sincerely and resigned from the Nagpur Railways, settling in Shibpur, Howrah, where he took up the practice of homeopathy as livelihood and service to society. From his residence at Bipradas Chatterjee Road, Shibpur, where he often remained in yogic trance, disciples and visitors came for darshan; out of encompassing love for them he would also visit their homes to purify the environment through satsang and kriya. Netai Baba entered Mahasamadhi on 09.02.1979. His eminent disciples include Maheswari Prasad Dubey, Nirdanand Brahmachari, Rangnath Tewari, Kumudranjan Banerjee, Shrikant Bagri, Parimal Das, Amal Bikash Choudhury and others. He also initiated his wife Molina Devi into kriya.Gurudev Shri Suresh Kulkarni
Initiated April 1972
Bengaluru
Born 8 December 1950 in the Lodhipur Yogashram. Classical musician, longtime teacher at Kendriya Vidyalaya (1978–2013), and Kriya master. Initiated in April 1972; began giving diksha in early 1979 at his Guru's instruction. Today resides in Bengaluru with 45–50 disciples, primarily in Pune and Dhanbad.
The family lineage
Shri Lakshman Rao Kulkarni
Grandfather · court musician to the Nizam of Hyderabad; later took sannyas as Swami Hariharananda Saraswati (samadhi 1933).
Shri Madhavrao Kulkarni
Father · a saint of high standing and classically trained musician.
Gurudev Shri Suresh Kulkarni
Born in the Lodhipur Yogashram, 8 December 1950.
A Life in Years
- 1950
Born on 8 December in the Lodhipur Yogashram, into a lineage of saints and musicians.
- 1970
Performs classical music at the Birla Temple in Varanasi.
- 1971
Moves to Kolkata; briefly teaches music at Kamala Shiksha Sanstha.
- 1972
Initiated into Kriya Yoga by Shri Netai Charan Bandyopadhyay in April.
- 1972–77
Immersed in daily practice and seva with his Guru in Shivpur, Kolkata.
- 1978
Appointed music teacher at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Dhanbad; enters married life.
- 1979
Given permission to initiate. Bholanath Khatri becomes his first disciple. His Guru attains Mahasamadhi on 9 February.
- 2013
Retires in January after 19 years across Dhanbad, Bhawanipatna, Rourkela and Bhubaneshwar.
- Today
Resides in Bengaluru with 45–50 disciples, primarily in Pune and Dhanbad.
Life in Short
Gurudev was born on the 8th of December 1950 in the ashram itself. He was schooled there, living according to its prescribed rules, receiving classical music training from his father. Though gifted, he was not drawn to the musician's life. The steady flow of yogis, saints and sadhus through the ashram shaped his formative years far more.
In 1970 he performed briefly at the Birla Temple in Varanasi; unable to find steady work there, he moved to Kolkata in 1971 and took a temporary teaching post at a school run by the Kamala Shiksha Sanstha. It did not last.
In April 1972 he received Kriya diksha from Shri Netai Charan Bandyopadhyay — a homeopathic doctor and one of the foremost disciples of Shri Panchanan Bhattacharya. For the five years that followed, Gurudev's life revolved around one axis: his practice, and his Guru.
He visited his Guru each morning at eight and stayed till after the midday meal; returned at four for aarti; and sang classical music into the evening. Eighty paise a day, for tram fare to Shivpur, financed by music tuitions taken whenever time permitted.
Shri Netai Charan ji deeply appreciated Gurudev's music and nudged him toward formal training — paying for his BA and MA, and attending his final exams himself. He knew a stable post as a music teacher would be needed for the life ahead.
Between September 1978 and January 1979 the shape of that life became clear: a post at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Dhanbad; marriage; and, in early 1979, his Guru's instruction to begin giving diksha. His first disciple — pratham shishya — was Bholanath Khatri of Dhanbad. On 9 February 1979, Shri Netai Charan Bandyopadhyay left his mortal form. As part of his service with Kendriya Vidyalaya, Gurudev spent 19 years across Dhanbad, Bhawanipatna, Rourkela and Bhubaneshwar (Odisha), before retiring in January 2013.