Cricketer Virat Kohli and his wife actress Anushka Sharma paid a visit to Swami Dayanand Ji Maharaj's samadhi at Swami Dayanand Ashram in Rishikesh
Virat Kohli’s visit to Swami Dayanand Ashram in Rishikesh came ahead of India's Test series against Australia, set to begin on February 9
A distinguished, traditional teacher of Sanskrit and Vedanta for around 50 years in India and overseas, Swami Dayanand Giri founded the ashrams Arsha Vidya Pitham in Rishikesh, the Arsha Vidya Gurukulam at Annaikatti, Coimbatore and the Arsha Vijnana Gurukulam at Nagpur
Swami Dayanand Giri was posthumously awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2016. He was the founder of All India movement of Seva or AIM for Seva, which was started in 2000. AIM for Seva runs free student hostel and schools in rural India
Swami Dayanand Giri was part of many international events and even featured as a speaker. These included the United Nations gathering of NGOs, UNESCO Seoul Global Convention, Millennium World Peace Summit, Youth Peace Summit and International Inter Religious Conference
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is said to have been a follower of Swami Dayanand Giri since his days in the RSS as a youth. PM Modi has visited his spiritual guru at Swami Dayanand Ashram in Rishikesh on September 11, 2015 to inquire about his health, just weeks before his demise
Swami Dayanand Giri passed away at the age of 87 on September 23, 2015 after after prolonged illness
Here are some popular quotes by Swami Dayanand Giri:
- A person who consumes the least and contributes the most is a mature person, for through giving lies self–growth
- We do not say there is only one God, we say there is ONLY God. Nothing is secular, all that is here is Isvara, the Lord