122-year-old Sadhu thrills devotees

Ambubachi Mela

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, June 23: Presumably, the oldest spiritual guru at the age of 122, who has been familiar among the devotees across the globe as Sivananda Baba, is thrilling the minds and hearts of every pilgrim at Ambubachi Mela. The curiosity behind his enduring life discovered through spirituality is so boundless that his presence has ignited the devotees to surround him round the clock on the temple premises. Responding to hundreds of devotees gathered around him, Sivananda Baba simply went on saying that every human being is the living temple of God.

With an effort to satiate the spiritual thirst of the devotees, Baba continued pouring in inspiring words and said, “Faith is the substance of things which is hoped for, not seen.” Delighting the devotees on spiritual learning, Baba shared that initiation is a spiritual process by which a man is perfectly and eternally united to God ahead, Srikrishna. All are Gods and Goddesses but Srikrishna is the only God Head. So we are very fortunate for union with this supreme authority, Srikrishna.”

Sivananda Baba was born on August 8, 1896 at Srihatta, Bangladesh. He has been visiting Kamakhya temple for the past 50 years. He said, “I’m still hoping to continue my darshan to Maa Kamakhya in the years to come.” Sivananda Baba never entered into a formal academic institution; however, he has been well versed with numbers of vernacular and foreign languages which has been strengthening him to share his spiritual ecstasy in different occasions. Presently, settled in Sivananda Ashram located at Varanasi Baba does not accept any form of donations from any one. However, he himself donates various food items, clothes, even cash to the needy and orphanages twice in a year at Nabardip, West Bengal and Puri, Odisha. In Puri, Baba donates various food items to the patients suffering from leprosy, while at Nabadip, he feeds the needy and widows coming for Bhajana.