When Paramahansa Yogananda (1893–1952), known as the Father of Yoga in the West, first came to Philadelphia in 1924, he received a warm welcome as he brought to the City of Brotherly Love his teachings on Kriya Yoga, the advanced techniques of meditation which lead to realization of God, and the importance of a balanced health in the body, mind and soul.…

By the time he left Philadelphia, Yogananda had attracted a large group of students, including internationally famed conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski.