1896 born Swami Sivananda has attended every Kumbh Mela in 100 years

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

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.

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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.

At the saint’s request, Swami Sivananda returned to visit his family when he was six. In a tragic turn of events, his sister passed away upon his return, and within a week, he lost both his parents.

Bhattacharya recounted, “Baba performed their last rites on a single funeral pyre. The saint then became his sole caretaker.” Bhattacharya revealed that until the age of four, Baba had never seen milk, fruits or bread. “All these developments shaped his current lifestyle — he eats half a meal, sleeps by 9 pm, wakes up at 3 am and spends his mornings performing yoga and meditation. He does not take a nap during the day,” he added.

Hiraman Biswas, a disciple from Delhi, described Baba’s profound spiritual abilities. He recalled an incident where a devotee, famished upon arriving, was served kheer in an earthen bowl by Baba. The devotee complained it was insufficient, but Baba asked him to eat it. The devotee kept eating but could not finish the kheer.

Falling at Baba’s feet, the devotee exclaimed, “I failed to understand you, Baba.” Biswas said he first met Baba in Chandigarh in 2010. Despite staying on the sixth floor of a building, Baba climbed up and down the stairs daily, as both elevators were non-functional. “I was amazed by his fitness,” Biswas noted.

Swami Sivananda was conferred the Padma Shri without any application from him, according to a devotee. Expressing gratitude, the devotee praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying, “He is identifying and honouring gems like Baba.” The revered seer accepts no donations, has no desires and remains disease-free. He eats boiled food without oil or salt and avoids milk and its derivatives. Based in Kabir Nagar, Durgakund in Varanasi, Baba will return home after completing his stay at the Maha Kumbh Mela.