Swami Sivananda will continue to inspire every generation in country: PM Modi

Varanasi: Yoga guru, Swami Sivananda, the 129-year-old Padma Shri recipient, died of pneumonia and subsequent cardiac arrest at SSL Hospital of BHU Saturday night.His cremation will take place at Manikarnika Ghat on Monday morning, said Debashish Das of Bangiya Samaj, who is also associated with the ashram. He mentioned, "Some of his followers have started from as far as London to take part in his funeral, while several are arriving from Assam and other northeast states, so it was decided to cremate him on Monday."As news of his demise spread, his followers started reaching the hospital late Saturday night.In their messages, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath condoled his demise, while a large number of people, public representatives and officials kept reaching his ‘Sivanand Baba Ashram' in Kabirnagar to offer tributes.On Sunday morning, the PM mourned his passing away on his X post, stating, "I am deeply saddened by the passing of yoga practitioner and Kashi resident, Sivanand Baba Ji. His life, dedicated to yoga and meditation, will continue to inspire every generation in the country. His departure to the divine abode is an irreparable loss for all of us in Kashi and the millions who drew inspiration from him. He was honoured with the Padma Shri for his service to society through yoga. I pay my respects to him in this moment of grief."Paying humble tributes to him through his X post, the CM said, "The passing of the renowned yoga guru from Kashi, who made an unparalleled contribution to the field of yoga, is deeply saddening. His dedication and life immersed in yoga serve as a great inspiration to the entire society." Many public representatives, including BJP MLAs Neelkanth Tiwari and Saurabh Srivastava and district magistrate Satyendra Kumar, reached the ashram too.Born on Aug 8, 1896, in the erstwhile district of Srihatta (now in Bangladesh), Swami Sivananda lived in Varanasi's Kabirnagar Bhelupur area since 1979. A spiritual guru who loved to lead a life of simplicity, Swami Sivananda had followers in different countries. From 1925 to 1959, he spent his days in France, Greece, Malta, Japan and other foreign countries.Regarding his daily routine, Swami Sivananda used to say that he started his day at 3 am and practised yoga, especially ‘ardhchandra aasan', ‘pranayam' and several free-hand exercises, for an hour or two daily, before worshipping and reading books. A major part of his day was spent chanting hymns. Dependent on only boiled rice, boiled water and boiled vegetables, Swami Sivananda also loved to walk up to the ghats to take a dip in the Ganga.Over five decades, Swami Sivananda dedicated himself to caring for 400-600 leprosy-affected individuals who lived as beggars. He consistently participated in all Kumbh Melas across Prayagraj, Nashik, Ujjain and Haridwar for the past 100 years. He attended the Jan-Feb Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj. Swami Sivananda's followers emphasised his humble nature and spiritual dedication. He never accepted any monetary offerings.In 2022, Sivananda was honoured with Padma Shri by then President Ram Nath Kovind, prompting the audience to rise and applaud. The yoga practitioner's gesture of prostrating in front of the President and PM drew further appreciation, with attendees applauding once again during the ceremony.Before this, he surprised even vaccinators by reaching the primary health centre to get the Covid-19 vaccine in Jun 2021. Following pneumonia and other complications, Swami Sivananda was admitted to BHU Hospital on Apr 30.Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Navratri wishes, messages and colours !