Who is Swami Sivananda, the 125-year old Padma Shri awardee whom every Indian must know
Swami Sivananda has dedicated his life to serving the underprivileged in different parts of the country.
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FollowDiscipline -- that's the mantra with which Swami Sivananda has lived for 125 years. Dressed in white dhoti and kurta, the yoga guru from Kashi swept an entire nation with his gesture at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday. The Padma Shri awardee drew a round of applause from the guests after he bowed down before Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind at the ceremony.
Sivananda was born into extreme poverty on August 8, 1896, in Sylhet district (then in undivided India but now in Bangladesh). His parents sought alms to make ends meet. He was orphaned at the age of six.
He was taken under by Guru Omkarananda Goswami at Nabadwip in West Bengal who imparted spiritual education, including yoga, to young Sivananda. He grew up to be the epitome of positive thinking and disciplined life.
He wakes up in the morning at 3 am after which walks for a couple of hours while chanting the name of God. This, he says, ensures not just physical exercise, but also spiritual exercise. Following this, he does an hour of yoga and Pranayam.
His daily routine, which also includes an oil-free boiled diet, has allowed him to lead a disease-free life thus far. He has dedicated his life to serving the underprivileged in different parts of the country.
For more than five decades, 400-600 leprosy-affected beggars at Puri have been receiving Swami Sivananda's care. Terming the leprosy-affected as living gods, Swami Sivananda has been providing them with basic essentials like blankets, utensils, mosquito nets, clothes and even food.
Selfless in his service to mankind, Swami Sivananda believes that the world is his home, its people his fathers and mothers. To love and serve them is his religion.
A note from the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Swami Sivananda notes how rather than preaching life lessons, he had lived his life as an exemplary lesson. In interviews, Swami Sivananda has credited yoga and exercises as the mantra of his long and healthy life. Even during the Covid-19 outbreak, the yoga guru vocally endorsed the vaccination process and was among the first to get inoculated.
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