The Hindu : Swami Satchidananda passes away

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Aug 20, 2002

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Swami Satchidananda passes away

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI AUG. 19. Swami Satchidananda, founder of the U.S.-based Integral Yoga Institutes and Centres, passed away here this morning.

Last week, he participated in the preview of the Tamil film, `Baba' here — along with the film hero Rajnikanth — when he took ill. He was 87.

Swami Satchidananda was admitted to Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institute, Porur, near here on August 18 following complaints of "transient loss of consciousness and breathing difficulty", according to a press release issued by K.V. Somasundaram, Dean of Faculties of the hospital.

A detailed evaluation by a team of experts showed that he had an "abnormal dilatation of part of arch and descending aorta". Since he had co-morbid conditions, "appropriate treatment" was initiated. After initial stabilisation of the vital parameters, he suddenly took "back turn" in the early hours of Monday and died at 5-45 a.m.

Born in December 1914 as Ramasamy in Chettipalayam, Swami Satchidananda took "sanyas" at the age of 35 and his guru was Swami Sivananda. Initially, he formed institutions to spread spiritualism in Sri Lanka and later in the U.S., where he established several branches of Integral Yoga Institutes and Centres with Virginia as the headquarters. In 1976, he became a U.S. citizen and 10 years later, set up the Light of Truth Universal Shrine (LOTUS) there.

Rajnikant left for the U.S. with the body of Satchidananda tonight.

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