Bhawanrao Shriniwasrao Pant Pratinidhi

Bhawanrao Shriniwasrao was born to Shriniwasrao Parashuram "Anna Sahib" (7th Raja of Aundh) on 24 October 1868. He studied at Satara High School and completed his Bachelor of Arts in Deccan College of University of Bombay in Pune.[5] He succeeded the Aundh State as the Raja on 4 November 1909. Although Balasaheb was not a scholar, he was avid reader and his Sanskrit was tolerably good.[5] He worked as Chief Secretary to his father from 1895-1901 in order to learn the Administration of the State.[6] He was a man of letters, an accomplished painter, and an erudite musical kirtankar. He presided over Marathi Sahitya Sammelan held in Indore in 1935.[7] He also served as President of the Poona Sarvajanik Sabha.[8]

In the 1920s, he popularised the flowing sequences of salute to the sun, Surya Namaskar, containing popular asanas such as Uttanasana and upward and downward dog poses, helping to shape yoga as exercise.[9][10][11][12]

His second son Appa Sahib Pant served as Indian ambassador (1912-1992) in many countries. The Government of India honoured him in 1954, with the award of Padma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award for his contributions to the society,[13] placing him among the first recipients of the award.

• In 1946, he was awarded The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire - C.B.E.[14]

Bronze statue of Shivaji Maharaj in the collection of the Shri Bhavani Museum of Aundh

Damayanti Vanavas by Raja Ravi Varma

Balasaheb was an avid collector, patron and commissioner of arts. He set up a museum on the Yamai temple hill in Aundh to hold his art collection.The museum has the distinction of being one of the first art museums in India to be set up by an Indian as an Art Museum rather than as a museum of archeological artifacts. The museum collection includes paintings and sculptures of various well-known artists including Raja Ravi Varma and the famous "Mother and Child" stone structure by Henry Moore. It also has various works of art by former alumni of the J.J. school of art such as M. V. Dhurandhar,[15] and Madhav Satwalekar[16] The museum includes a collection of paintings by Dhurandhar on the life of the founder of Maratha empire Shivaji which was commissioned by Balasaheb in 1926.[17]The museum also holds works from the Bengal school. The collection includes casts and copies of many popular western classical sculptures and paintings.[18] There is a small collection of Indian paintings from the pre-modern period especially of the Kangra or Pahadi style.

• The Picture Ramayana (1916) -Balasaheb wrote and illustrated he book.[19]
• The Ten-Point Way To Health: Surya Namaskars (1928)[20]
• Surya namaskaramulu (1928) Telugu translation.[21]* Ajanta (1932)[22]
• Surya Namaskar (1939) Gujarati translation.[23]
• Surya Namaskars (1940)[24]
• Surya Namaskar (1973) Hindi translation.[25]

• Pant Pratinidhi family
• Aundh State
• Aundh Experiment

• Goldberg, Elliott (2016). The Path of Modern Yoga : the history of an embodied spiritual practice. Inner Traditions. ISBN 978-1-62055-567-5. OCLC 926062252.
• Mehta, Silva; Mehta, Mira; Mehta, Shyam (1990). Yoga: The Iyengar Way. Dorling Kindersley. ISBN 978-0863184208.
• Pant, Apa (1989). An Unusual Raja: Mahatma Gandhi and the Aundh Experiment. Sangam Books.
• Pant, Pratinidhi; Morgan, Louise (1938) [1929]. The Ten-Point Way to Health = Surya Namaskars... Edited with an introduction by Louise Morgan. J. M. Dent.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Balasaheb Pant Pratinidhi.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Balasaheb Pant Pratinidhi.

• http://iopinionmaker.blogspot.com/2008/09/blog-post_1477.html
• http://www.loksatta.com/daily/20031026/lmvish.htm