New Delhi, May 4 (H.S.): The Prime Minister Narendra Modi today condoled the passing of Shivanand Baba, a yoga practitioner and resident of Kashi.
He wrote in a post on X:
“The demise of Shivanand Baba Ji, a yoga practitioner and resident of Kashi, is extremely saddening. His life dedicated to yoga and sadhana will continue to inspire every generation of the country. He was also awarded the Padma Shri for serving the society through yoga.
Shivanand Baba’s departure to Shivaloka is an irreparable loss for all of us Kashi residents and millions of people who draw inspiration from him. I pay my tribute to him in this hour of grief.”
The 128-year-old yoga guru Swami Shivanand Baba passed away in Varanasi last night. He had been struggling with breathing difficulties at BHU Hospital for the past three days. His followers are spread across the country and abroad. His mortal remains have been kept at the Durgakund Ashram for final viewing. The last rites will take place on Monday.
Baba Shivanand, born on August 8, 1896, in Sylhet, Bangladesh, faced the loss of his parents to starvation at six. He adopted a life of austerity, consuming only half a stomach of food. After his parents’ death, he was mentored by Omkarnand, who provided spiritual education. Recognized for his contributions to yoga and spirituality, he received the Padma Shri award in 2022. His disciplined lifestyle included waking at 3 am to practice yoga, eating boiled food, and sleeping on a mat.
Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
