As his name was called, Swami Sivananda began to walk up to the podium amid thunderous applause. This was the Padma Shri awards ceremony 2022 being held in Delhi and Sivananda is a 125-year-old yoga guru.
Before collecting the award, the yogi from Uttar Pradesh approached Prime Minister Narendra Modi seated among the audience in the first row and bowed in obeisance, which the Prime Minister returned. Twice.
As Sivananda continued his walk to the podium where President Ram Nath Kovind was seated, he bowed twice. Once in the middle of the path and again before meeting President Kovind.
The President himself helped the yoga guru up and handed him his Padma Shri award -- the fourth-highest civilian award of India.
The yoga guru's gesture won over the internet. Industrialist Anand Mahindra tweeted, "The power of yoga. A life spanning 125 years of dedication! The grace and dignity of Swami Sivananda is both humbling & inspiring. Proud to belong to the country of Yoga’s origin."
Twitter user Himanshu Tiwari wrote, "Remarkable thing is at 125 years of age he still walks up right without anyone's support. This is real power yoga." Sandiip who goes by the handle @indiaunleashed commented, "Saw this live. So humble is this great man. Nothing but shraddha for him."
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
