Spiritual leader Dada Vaswani passes away
LK Advani, others to attend funeral in Pune
Spiritual leader Dada JP Vaswani, head of the Sadhu Vaswani Mission, died of old agerelated ailments on Thursday, a mission member said. He was 99. “He had been admitted to a private hospital in the city for the past few days and was discharged last night,” the member said.
Vaswani died on the mission premises on Thursday morning, she said, adding the mission was planning a grand celebration on his 100th birthday next month.
His mortal remains have been kept at the mission to enable people to pay last respects. “The last journey of Dada JP Vaswani will start at 2 pm tomorrow and the last rites will be performed at the mission at 5 pm,” mission member UshaKarnani said.
Veteran BJP leader LK Advani, a frequent visitor of the mission, is expected to attend Vaswani’s last rites.
President Ram Nath Kovind, who had visited the mission in May to inaugurate the Sadhu Vaswani International School, condoled the spiritual leader’s demise.
“Sad to hear of the passing of Dada JP 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,” the mission said in a release quoting Kovind.
Born on August 2, 1918, in Pakistan’s Hyderabad in a Sindhi family, Dada Vaswani, as he was popularly known, was the head of the Pune-based Sadhu Vaswani Mission, a non-profit organisation involved in social work and charity. The organisation runs educational
institutions and hospitals in
Pune.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had addressed the spiritual leader’s 99th birthday celebrations last year through a video link. Modi had then said Vaswani’s blessings would help in accomplishing goals for a new India.