With a simple yet profound message, Prem Rawat, known also as Maharaji, has been traveling the world for four decades. “Peace,” he says, “is within each person, waiting to be felt. Peace is possible and I can help.”

He was only three when he started speaking at events held in India by his father, an honored teacher. After his father passed away when Prem Rawat was only eight, he accepted the responsibility of bringing the message to people around the world. Traveling throughout the Indian subcontinent, he addressed audiences on weekends and school vacations. When he was thirteen, he was invited to present his message in the UK and the US. Since that time, he has been traveling year-round, inspiring people to live a life at peace.

From villagers in India to distinguished audiences at the Sydney Opera House, New York’s Lincoln Center, Harvard and Oxford Universities, the Australian Parliament House, and the UN in New York, his message is warmly received. Many people say that listening to him has given them new insights and a fresh perspective on living a fulfilled life. Over the years, he has addressed over 10 million people in more than 50 countries.

The Prem Rawat Foundation, which he created, strives to help people most in need live in dignity and peace. The Foundation has provided clean water and nutritious food to people on all continents, often in partnership with such organizations as the UN’s World Food Programme, Oxfam, or the Red Cross.

Prem Rawat has received widespread recognition for more than three decades. Proclamations and resolutions that honor his work, keys to cities, letters of appreciation, and invitations from government officials are among the many ways he has been welcomed.

In 2006, a special event was held at the United Nations in New York in honor of the support provided by The Prem Rawat Foundation to the United Nations Development Programme’s Water Development Initiative. The event was attended by 850 distinguished representatives of the United Nations and local New York government, civic, and business leaders.

Partial list of honors received:

Resolutions, proclamations
Governors of Michigan and New Mexico. General Assembly of the State of Connecticut; Court of Common Council, Hartford, Connecticut; Pennsylvania House of Representatives; Rhode Island General Assembly; Wisconsin Legislature. Mayors of Boston, Massachusetts; Los Angeles, California; Buffalo, New York; Boulder, Colorado; Miami, Florida; San Francisco, California. House Majority Leader, Portland, Maine.

Keys to cities
New York City, New York; New Orleans, Louisiana; Oakland, California; Kyoto, Japan; Detroit, Michigan; Miami Beach, Florida; Miami, Florida.
“Illustrious Citizen,” Quito, Ecuador.

Letters of appreciation and honors
City of Atlanta, Georgia; United States Library of Congress; National Geographic Society; Vermont Historical Society; “Ambassador for Peace,” International University of Peace, Brazil.

Special honors given by government officials
Los Angeles, California; Portland, Oregon; Denver, Colorado.

Award for Best Television Program
2004 and 2006: Brazilian Association of Community Television Channels for Words of Peace, a weekly series featuring excerpts from Prem Rawat's message of peace.

Watch short excerpts from interviews of Prem Rawat by TV journalists Marta Robles and Burt Wolf