Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday paid homage to late Shivakumara Swami on his 115th birth anniversary and said the spiritual leader will always be remembered for his unparalleled community service.
Taking to Twitter, PM Modi shared a picture and said, “I pay homage to His Holiness Dr Sree Sree Sree Sivakumara Swamigalu on his Jayanti. He lives in the hearts of countless people. We will always remember his unparalleled community service and his emphasis on healthcare and education. We will keep working to fulfil his dreams.”
Notably, PM Modi had paid tribute to Shivakumar Swami while addressing the Mann Ki Baat programme in 2019 and had said that he had dedicated his entire life to social service, working for the social, educational welfare of scores of people.
Yesterday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi offered his respects to Shivakumara Swami on the occasion of his Jayanti celebrations at the Sree Siddaganga Math in Karnataka’s Tumakaru.
A number of political leaders in Karnataka, including former chief minister Siddaramaiah and deputy chief minister G Parameshwara, had raised a demand for late Siddaganga Mutt seer Shivakumara Swami to be granted a Bharat Ratna.
Shivakumara Swami died at the age of 111 last in 2019.
In Karnataka, Swami was often referred to as ‘the walking god’ among his followers. His education society runs over 100 educational institutions in the state. The renowned Lingayat seer joined the Siddaganga Mutt in 1930 only to become its seer in 1941 after the death of his ‘guru’ Uddana Swami. (ANI)