Among the citizens who were awarded the respectable Padma Shri on Monday by President Ram Nath Kovind in the Rashtrapati Bhavan was Swami Sivananda. He is 125 years old and has lived a remarkable life filled with offering invaluable service to society.
Dressed in a simple white kurta and dhoti, Swami Sivananda knelt in front of the Prime Minister and President while a room full of the audience broke into applause. He was awarded the Padma Shri for his contribution to Yoga. A video from the ceremony is making rounds online. Have a look:
So heart touching
125 Year old Yoga Guru from Kashi, Swami Sivananda receives Padma Shri for his immense contribution in the field of #Yoga#PadmaAwards #PeoplesPadma #PadmaAwards2022 #PadmaShri pic.twitter.com/1PKLHzezOT— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) March 21, 2022
So who is this man and why was he awarded the Padma Shri? Swami Sivananda was born into a family that suffered from extreme poverty. His parents had no choice but to feed him boiled rice and water. However, he lost both his parents at the age of six. After their funeral, he was brought to his Guruji’s Ashram at Nabadwip in West Bengal.
It was Guru Omkarananda Goswami who brought him up and taught him everything about yoga and a spiritual life. The world is my home, its people are my fathers and mothers, to love and serve them is my religion – this was Swami Sivananda’s motto. And so, he dedicated his life to helping those in need.
President Kovind presents Padma Shri to Swami Sivananda for Yoga. Dedicating his life for human welfare, he has been serving leprosy-affected people at Puri for the past 50 years. Born in 1896, his healthy & long life has drawn attention of national & international organisations. pic.twitter.com/TfJhGMHCOV
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) March 21, 2022
According to NDTV, he served the underprivileged in different parts of the country including Northeast India, Varanasi, Puri, Haridwar, Nabadwip, etc. For the past 50 years, Swami Sivananda has been serving 400 to 600 leprosy-inflicted beggars in Puri. He arranges different materials like food items, fruits, clothes, winter garments, blankets, mosquito nets, cooking utensils, etc. for them as per their need.
What’s fascinating is that doctors from across the country have examined him to check how he lives such a healthy life. His secret is simple – early morning Yoga, an oil-free boiled diet and selfless service to mankind which helps him live a tension-free and disease-free life! He starts his day at 3 AM.
“I lead a simple and disciplined life. I eat very simply – only boiled food without oil or spices, rice and boiled daal with a couple of green chillis,” Times Now quoted him saying.
Here’s a video where Swami Sivananda is heard talking about his life. Have a look:
Power of Yoga. 125-year-old Padma Shri Swami Sivananda. @arrahman #swamisivananda #PadmaAwards2022 #yoga #IncredibleIndia #DekhoApnaDesh @virtual_bharat #1000storiesofindia pic.twitter.com/jgsx2HBHuC
— Bharatbala Ganapathy (@bharatbala) March 21, 2022
He also encourages other people to engage in humanitarian work to feel the joy of giving. There are so many things to learn from him!
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source https://www.storypick.com/swami-sivananda-padma-shri/