Eminent yoga guru and Padmashree honored Swami Shivanand Saraswati died in Varanasi at the age of 128 on Saturday. There is a wave of mourning in yoga and spiritual world due to his death.
Swami Shivanand’s disciple Sanjay Sarjana said, “Swamiji died at around 9 pm on Saturday night.”
He further stated that “Swami Shivanand was admitted to BHU Hospital on 30 April due to pneumonia and other health related problems.” Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed deep condolences on the death of Swami Shivanand.
Posting on his official X handle, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath wrote, “The death of the famous yoga guru of Kashi ‘Padma Shri’ Swami Shivanand ji, who made an unmatched contribution in the field of yoga, is extremely sad. Humble tribute to him! Your practice and yogic life is a great inspiration for the whole society. Give the power to bear this immense sorrow.
Swami Shivanand Saraswati was born on 8 August 1896 in Sylhat district (now Bangladesh) of undivided India. When he was only six years old, his parents died. After his funeral, he was taken to Nabdweep in West Bengal. Where yoga guru Omkaranand Goswami gave him shelter and taught spirituality and yoga. He then spent some time in Vrindavan. In the year 1979, he moved to Varanasi and established a small ashram in Durgakund area of Kabirnagar.
Swami Shivanand was famous for his restrained life, service spirit and practice. He never took money or Dakshina from anyone. His followers say that he was extremely simple, humble and self -sufficient. Their goal was to broadcast yoga and service only in society. For the past 50 years, he was serving people suffering from 400 to 600 leprosy. He went to their huts and provided food and help.
In the year 2022, the then President of India Ramnath Kovind had awarded him the Padma Shri for his contribution in the field of yoga. Apart from this, he was also awarded the Yoga Ratna Award in Bengaluru on 29 June 2019.
Swami Shivanand participated in every Kumbh Mela (Prayagraj, Nashik, Ujjain and Haridwar) for the last 100 years. Recently, he was also present at the Mahakumbh Mela held in Prayagraj in January-February 2025.