Swami Sivananda Goswami, the world’s oldest doctor, passed away at the age of 129 on Saturday night (May 3) at 9:30 PM in Kashi Dham, Uttar Pradesh.
The Padma Shri awardee was originally from Bangladesh. He was born on August 8, 1896, in Haritola village of Bahubal Upazila, Habiganj district, to parents Srinath Goswami and Bhagwati Devi.
Due to extreme poverty, Sivananda was given to the renowned monk Swami Omkarnanda of Nabadwip, West Bengal, at the age of four. Two years later, when he returned home, he discovered that his older sister had died of starvation, and just seven days later, his parents passed away on the same day. At that time, he was only six years old.
After completing the funeral rites of his parents, he returned to Nabadwip in 1901 and resumed his studies. Later, he graduated with an MBBS degree from Calcutta Medical College. In 1925, he went to Britain and earned a PhD.
Swami Sivananda received yoga training from his guru Omkarnanda. His ashram is located in Durgakund, and for over 100 years, he regularly participated in the Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj, Nashik, Ujjain, and Haridwar.
In March 2022, he was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India for his contributions to yoga. He also received other honors such as the Yogratan Award and the Basundhara Ratna Award.
A lifelong celibate, Swami Sivananda lived in Varanasi (Kashi). He dedicated his life to human service and did not accept any money from devotees. Remarkably, he remained disease-free throughout his life and could read without glasses even at an advanced age.
He was highly health-conscious, practiced regular yoga, maintained a modest diet, and avoided oily food. He often even abstained from milk and fruits.
Sivananda visited Habiganj, Bangladesh for the first time in 2019 and again in 2024. He donated his flat in Kashi, which was gifted by a devotee, for Bangladeshi pilgrims to stay and eat for free for a month.
At the invitation of foreign disciples and followers, he traveled to over 50 countries including the UK, Greece, France, Spain, Austria, Italy, Hungary, Russia, Poland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, Bulgaria, and the USA.