Thiruvananthapuram , June 24
What began as a fascination with the circus turned into a lifelong journey into yoga for Cherayi’s Upendran Achari, now a revered 105-year-old yoga teacher.
As a child, he watched circus artists perform on the main streets with awe and dreamed of mastering such physical feats himself. It was this very inspiration that led him to yoga.
In 1957, he began training under Paravur Thara Vattathara Chandran Master, a guru who was renowned for his expertise in healing the body through therapeutic yoga. “He could ease ailments by manipulating the body with precision. That’s when I truly understood the power of yoga,” recalls Upendran Achari
Over the decades, Upendran Achari has taught yoga to thousands across Kerala. “Yoga harmonizes the body and the mind,” he says. “It balances the three doshas—vata, pitta, and kapha—by ensuring proper flow of prana (life force) throughout the body. If practiced regularly, there is no need for medicine. I take no pills even at this age—that is my secret to good health.”
He began his career as a traditional woodworker or carpenter , the ancestral occupation of his family, at the age of 12, and still continues the craft to this day.
Despite marrying late in life, his dedication to yoga never wavered. “I have been practicing yoga for 68 years now,” he says with pride.
In earlier times, yoga was a discipline confined to the homes of aristocrats—Namboodiris and Nairs. But Upendran Asan brought it out into the public sphere, making it accessible to all. Through him, countless students have learned and benefited from this ancient science.
Locals view him with deep reverence, not only as a guru but also as a symbol of spiritual and physical discipline.
“There’s a misconception that practicing yoga will lead one to renounce worldly life,” he notes. “But yoga is for everyone—it simply makes your body and mind function in harmony.”
Even today, when Upendran Achari speaks about yoga, it’s with the enthusiasm of a young man. And for the younger generation, he remains a living embodiment of vitality, discipline, and timeless wisdom.
