# Vishwas Vasant Mandlik

Vishwas Mandlik, better known as Mandlik sir, was the founder of the "Yoga Vidya Dham" and is considered one of the foremost yoga teachers in India. He has written many books on yoga practice and philosophy. On 6 March 2007, Paramhansa Niranjananda Saraswati of Bihar Yoga, initiated him to Rushi Sannayasa (part of higher sannayasa tradition) and gave new name Rushi Dharmajyoti.

## Early years

Mandlik was born in 1944 in Nasik in a middle-class family. He completed his education from Nasik and then in Pune. In 1967, he graduated from University of Pune as Bachelor in Electrical engineering from Government College of Engineering, Pune, one of the oldest technical schools in India. During the college days, he won lot of awards on national level in competitive rowing and boating. He also won the prestigious "Senior Championship" in 1966.

## Industrial career

Mandlik started his career as an Engineer in Voltas Transformers Ltd., a Multinational Company in Pune. After working there for 12 years, eventually he started his own business of manufacturing electrical distribution transformers and Industrial equipment in Nasik in 1978, expanding to Pune and Aurangabad in the next few years. Along with running his business, he practiced yoga. He retired from his business in 1995 and adopted yoga education as his life mission.

## Career in Yoga

Mandlik started Yoga Vidya Dham in 1978, utilizing the morning and evening hours for the noble cause of Yoga Education. He has authored more than 45 books and over 200 audio cassettes and CDs, and 2 software programs on Yoga Education, applications of Yoga, Yoga as a Therapy, Yoga for Kids, Women etc. His books are mainly in Marathi and later translated into English, Hindi, Kenned, and Gujarathi. He has been the editor of a Yoga monthly called 'Yoga Sugandha' for the last 25 years. He is the Vice Chancellor of Yoga Vidya Gurukul (Yoga University). He has treated more than 35000 patients suffering from various chronic diseases like Back ache, spondilitis, asthma, diabetes, heart problems, arthritis, hypertension, blood pressure, digestive disorders, psychosomatic disorders and many more through Yoga therapy centers in Nasik and other cities. He conducts various courses, lectures, workshops on stress management, therapy, etc. all over India. He has been the source of inspiration to thousands of yoga seekers, volunteers, teachers all over India and other countries as well.
He expanded the network of Yoga Vidya Dham to more than 200 cities in India and 16 cities outside India that includes Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Kazakhsthan. He has presented more than 15 research papers at various International Yoga Conferences. He also worked as a member of different committees for the following universities. I) Kavikulaguru Kalidas Sanskrit University, Nagpur. II) Yashvantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University, Nashik. III) North Maharashtra University, Jalgaon IV) Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, Nashik.

## Yoga Vidya Dham

Yoga Vidya Dham is a university that imparts Yoga training to students and those aspiring to be yoga teachers. Yoga Vidya Dham is considered one of the biggest yoga institutes in India. Founded in 1978, it is working as a Non-Profit Organization having 150 branches in Maharashtra alone, 8 in Karnataka and 7 in the eastern part of India. This includes all major cities of Maharashtra including Nasik, Pune, Ahmednagar, Kolhapur, Pimpri-Chinchwad, and others. It is now expanding in other countries such as United States, UK, Italy, Hong Kong, Australia and Ireland. More than 450,000 people have completed the basic Yoga Pravesh course to today, with over 500 teachers. Yoga Vidya Dham runs two centers in Nasik. Various courses are conducted at different levels:
* Yoga Bindu
* Yoga Sopan
* Yoga Sanjivan
* Yoga Pravesh
* Yoga Parichay
* Yoga Praveen
* Yoga Pandit
* Yoga Teacher
* Yoga Adhyapak
* Yoga Pradhyapak

## Awards

* Yogacharya by Paramacharya (Chancellor) of Bihar Yoga Bharati (First Yoga University in the World) Paramhansa Niranjananda Saraswati in 2003
* Recipient of “Prime Minister’s Award for outstanding contribution towards promotion and development of YOGA” in 2018
* Won the prestigious "Senior Championship" in 1965 in College of Engineering, Pune.
* Outstanding Citizen award by Jaients Club Nashik in 1988
* Lifetime Achievement Award by K.L.Monot Amrutmahotsava Samiti. Pune in 1992
* Saraswati Award by Kailas Math Nasik in 1993
* Ideal Yoga Teacher by Rotary Club Nashik in 1996
* Yashvant Award by Shri Sadguru Trust Nashik in 2002
* Nashik Gourava by C _ News Nashik in 2003
* Yoga Ratna Award by Patanjali Yoga Kendra, Sangali in 2005
* Naturopathy Awaed by International Naturopathy Organization New Delhi in 2005
* Anubandhi award Shiva Parvati Trust Nashik in 2005
* Nashik Bhushan.by Rotary Club Nashik in 2005
* Loka Kalyan Award by Nashik Municipal Corporation in 2006
* Sanman Pater by Ghantali Mitra Mandal, Thane in 2006
* Rushi DharmaJyoti By Paramahans Niranjananand Saraswati in 2006
* Sanman Patra Nashik Dist. Yoga Association in 2006
* Yoga Gourava Award by L.Y.Patil Trust Hupari, Kolhapur in 2007
* Dadhichi Award by Education Society Ambarnath in 2007
* Awards on national level in competitive rowing, boating
* Prime Minister's National Yoga Award in 2018

## Personal life

He is married to Pournima Mandlik who is also a practicing yoga teacher. He has a son named Gandhar Mandlik.

## Work related to Yoga

* Yoga Vidya Dham organisation in 1972
* Yoga Chintan (A periodical magazine on Yoga.)
* Yoga Gurukul (University of Yoga) in Nasik, India.
* Yoga Chaitanya Seva Pratishthan - A trust to help propagation of Yoga in remote part of India.
* Yoga Chaitanya Sadhana Charitable Trust in 2009
* Yoga Mahavidyalaya, Nashik in 2013 (KKS University, Nagapur)

## Major Achievements

* Expanded the network of Yoga Vidya Dham to more than 100 cities in India.
* Successfully treated more than 13000 patients suffering from various diseases in our Therapy centre.
* Presented more than 15 research papers in different International Yoga Conferences.
* Beneficiaries more than 2,51,700 in last 20 years.

## Gallery

* Vishwas Mandlik with his followers
* Vishwas Mandlik with his shishya

## Books written
### In English

* Yoga Bindu
* Yoga Pravesh
* Yoga Parichay
* Yoga Sopan Easy Way to Good Health / Yogic Solution for Back Pain
* Ashtang Yoga (Yoga the Science)

### In Marathi

* योग प्रवेश
* योग परिचय
* योग बिंदू
* योग सोपान
* निसर्गाची साद
* आरोग्यासाठी आहार
* सूर्यनमस्कार
* गुडघेदुखी
* विध्यार्थ्यांच्या सर्वांगीण विकासाची साधना
* अष्टांग योग, यमनियम
* मुक्तचिंतन भाग १ व २
* योगोपचार

## CDs

* मुलांसाठी योगनिद्रा
* तणावमुक्तीसाठी योगनिद्रा
* विकारमुक्तीसाठी योगनिद्रा