Ticketed Public Meeting on October 24 at 7.30 pm at Aotea Centre, Auckland
Venkat Raman
Auckland, August 4, 2024
There is always a long wait between the visits of Spiritual Master Sri Ravi Shankar to New Zealand, but the discussion about his ‘Destination New Zealand’ never stops.
A World Leader, ranked among the most influential people of all time, with more than 600 million people across the Continents following his teachings and messages, will be in Auckland later this year and thousands of his followers in this country cannot wait to meet and listen to his address.
Event Details
New Zealanders will be happy to know that they will have a rare opportunity to listen to his address on Thursday, October 24, 2024 at Aotea Centre located at 50 Mayoral Drive in Auckland’s Central Business District.
The ticketed event ($55 plus other charges including booking fee) can be reserved here or at
https://www.aucklandlive.co.nz/show/an-evening-with-gurudev-sri-sri-ravi-shankar#tickets-times
The anxiety and excitement among the organisers and his disciples are so palpable that hundreds of people from other parts of New Zealand have already made their travel and accommodation bookings to have a glimpse of Sri Ravi Shankar.
His previous visit was on April 5, 2010 and more than 5000 people had gathered at the Trusts Stadium in Henderson, West Auckland to hear him share his spiritual journey and humour.
A Master among Leaders
The Art of Living Foundation, which he established in Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore, our hometown), has grown to be one of the most extensive institutions in the world, embracing Presidents, Prime Ministers, Corporate Heads, entrepreneurs, community leaders and ordinary people like us into a fold of love, self-respect and goodwill.
The Foundation undertakes a variety of activities that are simple and effective to follow.
Andrew Melville, who has been associated with Art of Living New Zealand as the National Teacher Coordinator, addresses Sri Ravi Shankar as ‘Gurudev’ (Master of All or God of Gurus).
He described his visit to New Zealand as ‘rare.’
“Gurudev has been responsible for positively impacting millions of people’s lives around the globe. He will be in Auckland only for one night and audiences will have a golden opportunity to hear Gurudev and share his insights, wisdom, and experiences from his lifelong journey of serving the global community,” he said.
Awards and Citations
Mr Melville, who has been associated with Art of Living New Zealand for the past eight years, said that Gurudev has spoken extensively at the United Nations, the European Parliament, the World Economic Forum, and American universities (Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Georgetown) and the University of Southern California.
“He has received 38 governmental awards, including the highest civilian honours in Colombia, Mongolia, Paraguay, and India. Twenty-one universities have awarded him honorary doctorates for his humanitarian and conflict resolution initiatives. With his unique ability to distil life’s most complex issues into simple, everyday truths, Gurudev’s words create a deep sense of peace and resonance that transcends the intellect, bringing a smile to your face and serenity to your soul,” he said.
About Art of Living
Mr Melville said that Sri Ravi Shankar founded the Art of Living Foundation in 1981 and his programmes are now taught in 180 countries.
Describing it as more of a principle, a philosophy of living life to its fullest, Gurudev said that It is more a movement than an organisation.
“Its core value is to find peace within oneself and to unite people in our society – of different cultures, traditions, religions, nationalities; and thus reminding us of all that we have one goal to uplift human life everywhere.”
Mr Melville said that the programmes of Art of Living include breathwork and meditation practices and they have helped many in New Zealand during times of trauma and stress like the Christchurch earthquakes.
“His timeless message of inspiration and peace continues to touch the lives of countless people around the globe. We are so fortunate to have Gurudev coming to New Zealand when many are experiencing severe stress and anxiety from the complex challenges of modern life, the impacts of, global climate issues, recession, cost of living crises and navigating a post-Covid world. Hence, his visit cannot be timelier. We invite the public to hear his message,” he said.
Humanitarian Vision
Mr Melville said that Sri Ravi Shankar follows in the footsteps of leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, painting a global humanitarian vision of peace and unity.
“Messages like this from global leaders visiting New Zealand are few and far between and hence please do not miss this opportunity to meet Gurudev. The experience will leave participants feeling inspired, uplifted and potentially forever changed,” he said.
Our Editor adds:
The visit of Sri Ravi Shankar to New Zealand on October 24, 2024 is being hailed as one of the most significant events in the country’s calendar.
His courses and programmes have enabled hundreds of thousands of people, including world leaders, to engage themselves in a better life that is free of stress, anger and other human prevarications. With more than 75 million people subscribing to his principles and teachings and with his expanding teams of teachers, the Foundation sets the pace for the real art of living.
We believe that the core concept of his teachings, now promoted by more than 10,000 qualified and accredited teachers in 180 countries is self-realisation, achieved by adhering to a few simple living techniques, the most significant of which is breathing.
Sri Ravi Shankar promotes global peace through the regeneration of human values and motivates people to achieve self-awareness, joyful living and selfless service. In private discussions and public addresses, he reinforces his message that all religions and spiritual traditions share common goals and values.
About Andrew Melville
Andrew Melville is an experienced facilitator, coach, speaker, former radio broadcaster and author with more than 30 years of experience in communications and leadership development. For the past 20 years, he has developed his own business and speaks to senior leadership teams and governance boards focusing on Te Ao Māori and Pasifika communities.
Mr Melville has volunteered for the Art of Living Foundation for the last eight years.
In 2020 he completed training as a facilitator for the core Art of Living breathwork and meditation course and regularly teaches wellbeing programmes online and in person.
