File photo of Dada JP Vaswani with PM Modi
Spiritual leader and head of Sadhu Vaswani mission Dada JP Vaswani passed away in Pune today. He was 99. Confirming the news, the mission issued an official statement which read: "0901hrs IST July 12 2018, on sacred Guruvaar day, our Beloved Revered Dada J.P. Vaswani passes on, from the seen to the unseen. Ever-loving, ever-giving, may he continue to bless us from the beyond."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered condolences to the nation on the spiritual leader's demise. "I join the lakhs and lakhs of people whose lives were touched by Dada J.P. Vaswani in remembering him. His thoughts, teachings and social service efforts live on, highlighting the values he stood for and the work he did," the PM tweeted.
Earlier, President Ram Nath Kovind had also expressed sorrow on the news of Dada Vaswani's death. Sad to hear of the passing of Dada J.P. Vaswani, a spiritual leader who contributed so much to our society. He dedicated his life to the betterment of humanity, promoting simple living, high thinking and education. My condolences to his countless followers, President Kovind's official handle tweeted.
Born in Hyderabad, Sindh (Pakistan) on August 2, 1918, Vaswani was a world renowned spiritual leader known for promoting vegetarianism and animal rights. He is credited to have written over 150 self-help books. The spiritual leader spoke at numerous venues including the British House of Commons in London, the Global Forum of Spiritual Leaders in Oxford, the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago, and the Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders at the United Nations in New York. He was the recipient of the 1998 U Thant Peace Award, given by the United Nations.
Dada Vaswani's birthday is celebrated as a Global Forgiveness Day. Last year, on his birthday Prime Minister Narendra Modi had addressed a gathering to mark the day and observe 'moment of calm'.
