Varanasi: Condolences are pouring in from across the country after the passing of Yoga guru and Padma Shri awardee Swami Sivananda Saraswati at Varanasi on Sunday. He was 128.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among those who offered his condolences. “Deeply saddened by the demise of Swami Sivananda Saraswatiji. He dedicated his life to Yoga and meditation. His life will be an inspiration to all generations of this country. He received the Padma Shri for his service to society through Yoga. His passing is a great loss to us all from Kashi who took inspiration from him. I offer my tributes to him,” he posted on X.
Swami Sivananda Saraswati was born on August 8, 1897, in the Sylhet district (now in Bangladesh) and lost his mother and father at the age of six. After finishing his parents’ last rites, he was taken to Nabadwip in West Bengal and raised by Guru Omkaranand Goswami. Without formal school education, he was imparted with all practical and spiritual wisdom, including Yoga.
Swami Sivananda is said to have performed extensive social service. He served 400-600 people suffering from leprosy by meeting them in their shanties. In 2019, he was honoured with the Yoga Ratna Award in Bengaluru. In 2022, President Ram Nath conferred the Padma Shri upon him for his contribution to the field of yoga. It is said that he had been attending the Kumbh Mela for the last 100 years.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief at his demise and hailed Swamiji’s contribution to Yoga.
“The demise of Kashi’s renowned yoga guru ‘Padma Shri’ Swami Shivanand ji, who made an unparalleled contribution in the field of ‘Yoga’, is extremely sad. Humble tribute to him! Your spiritual practice and life of yoga are a great inspiration for the entire society. You dedicated your entire life to the expansion of yoga. I pray to Baba Vishwanath to grant salvation to the departed soul and give strength to his bereaved followers to bear this immense sorrow,” he posted on X.
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