Spiritual leader Dada JP Vaswani dies at 99 in Pune

PUNE: Spiritual leader Jashan Pahlajrai Vaswani, popularly known as ‘Dada JP Vaswani’ died at his abode in Sadhu Vaswani Mission here on Thursday morning, just 21 days before his 100th birthday on August 2.

The Mission in a tweet, said, “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, evergiving, may he continue to bless us from the beyond.”

Dada Vaswani was admitted to a city-based private hospital a few days ago and was discharged on Wednesday night. Known for his ardent promotion of vegetarianism and animal rights, his mortal remains will be kept at the Mission till 2pm on Friday for followers to pay their last respect.

The Mission was planning a grand celebration on Vaswani’s 100th birthday in August that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was expected to attend. “I am saddened beyond words on the passing away of Dada JP Vaswani. He lived for society and served the poor and needy with compassion. Blessed with immense wisdom, he was passionate about educating the girl child, cleanliness and furthering peace as well as brotherhood,” Modi said in a tweet.

Born on August 2, 1918, in Hyderabad in Pakistan’s Sindh province, Dada published a thesis on ‘The scattering of X-rays by Solids, which was examined by Nobel laureate CV Raman.