‘Swami Sivananda attended every Kumbh Mela in 100 years’

Mahakumbh Nagar: Padma Shri recipient and yoga practitioner Swami Sivananda Baba has been attending every Kumbh Mela across Prayagraj, Nashik, Ujjain and Haridwar for the past 100 years, according to his disciple Sanjay Sarvajana.

The banner outside Baba’s camp on Sector 16’s Sangam Lower Road displays his Aadhaar card, which lists his birth date as August 8, 1896. While Swami Sivananda immersed himself in yoga and meditation in his chamber in the morning, his disciples waited outside for his darshan amid ongoing Maha Kumbh.

Speaking about Baba’s early life, Phalgun Bhattacharya, a disciple from Bengaluru, became emotional.

“Baba was born to a beggar’s family. His parents would offer him to saints visiting the village, hoping he would at least receive food. When Baba was four, they handed him over to Saint Omkarananda Goswami,” he said.