Born in a poor family, parents handed him over to a saint… Swami Shivanand Baba has been attending the Kumbh Mela for 100 years.

Padmashree awarded yoga practitioner Swami Shivanand Baba has been participating in every Kumbh (Prayagraj, Nashik, Ujjain, Haridwar) for the last 100 years. This information was given by his disciple Sanjay Sarvajana. His date of birth is recorded as August 8, 1896 in his Aadhar card printed on the banner outside Baba's camp located on Sangam Lower Road in Sector 16. Like every day, on Thursday morning he was engrossed in yoga meditation in his room and his disciples were waiting for Baba to come out.

Born in a poor family

When asked about Baba's early life, his disciple Falgun Bhattacharya from Bengaluru became very emotional. He told that Baba was born in a beggar family. At the age of four, his parents handed him over to Saint Omkaranand Goswami who came to the village so that he could get food and drink. He told that at the age of six, the saint asked Baba to go home and see his parents. But upon reaching home tragic events occurred. On reaching home the sister died and within a week both the parents passed away on the same day.

Did not see milk, fruits, bread till the age of 4 years

Bhattacharya said, “Baba cremated the parents in the same pyre. From then on, the saint took care of him.” Bhattacharya told, “Baba did not see milk, fruits or bread till the age of four years. Due to this, his lifestyle became such that he eats food only on half his stomach. Baba goes to sleep by nine in the night and wakes up at three in the morning and does yoga and meditation after retiring from defecation etc. He doesn't sleep at all during the day.

Hiraman Biswas, who came from Delhi, told that he had come to Chandigarh in 2010 to come in contact with Baba. He is very impressed with his fitness. He told that Baba does not take donations from anyone, he eats boiled food which does not contain oil and salt. Baba lives in Kabir Nagar, Durgakund of Varanasi and will go back to Banaras after completing his stay in the fair. Baba Shivanand, in his message to the young generation, said that the youth should wake up early in the morning and do yoga for half an hour, adopt a balanced lifestyle and take a walk every day to stay healthy.

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