Sri Aurobindo was born in Calcutta on August 15,1872. His father, K.D.G was an atheist who wanted to bring up his son on the ideals of western culture. So he sent young Aurobindo to England at the age of seven. Sri Aurobindo completed his education in England very successfully and also, at the behest of his father, participated in the Indian Civil Services Examination.
But he contrived to fail the horse riding test and returned to India in 1893. He joined the Baroda State Service, where he spent the next 15 years, working in various capacities. During this period, he also developed deep love and reverence for Indian Culture, Nationalism and Yoga. He also translated some Upanishads, the Gita, the two epics, the works of Kalidasa, Bhavabhuti and some other prominent ancient writers.
At the same the political situation in the country was drawing into the whirlpool of the nationalist movement. But unlike many educated, middle class and moderate Indians, he chose to join the revolutionary movement as the means to overthrow the British rule. In 1906 he shifted his residence from Baroda to Calcutta and joined the National College as its Principal. Simultaneously a remarkable inner transformation took place in him.
He turned increasingly to the practice of yoga and meditation. Due to his revolutionary activities, he was sentenced to one year imprisonment. While serving the jail term, he experienced the universal presence of Lord Krishna. After his release, he shifted his residence to Pondicherry, where he spent the rest of his life exploring the various levels of consciousness and trying to bring the supramental consciousness into earth conscsiouness.
He wrote a number of books explaining the process of the descent of higher levels of consciousness and the way they would transform the human world eventually. In his efforts, he was assisted greatly by the Mother who came originally from France. Sri Aurobindo left this world on December 5th, 1950. The Mother continued his work in the earthly plane till she passed away in the seventies.