Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (Sanskrit महर्षि महेश योगी maharṣi maheśa yogī; 12 January 1918 – 5 February 2008), was born Mahesh Prasad Varma and obtained the honorifics Maharishi (meaning "enlightened spiritual one") and Yogi as an adult. He developed the Transcendental Meditation technique and was the leader and guru of a worldwide organization that has been characterized in multiple ways including as a new religious movement and as non-religious.

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi became a disciple and assistant of Swami Brahmananda Saraswati, the Shankaracharya (spiritual leader) of Jyotirmath in the Indian Himalayas. The Maharishi credits Swami Brahmananda Saraswati with inspiring his teachings. In 1955, the Maharishi began to introduce his Transcendental Deep Meditation (later renamed Transcendental Meditation) to India and the world. His first global tour began in 1958. His devotees referred to him as His Holiness, and because he often laughed in TV interviews he was sometimes referred to as the "giggling guru". Wikipedia, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi