Shivakumara Swami

Shivakumara Swami was an Indian supercentenarian spiritual leader, humanitarian and educator. He was a religious figure and head of the Siddaganga Matha in Karnataka. He also founded the Sri Siddaganga Education Society. He was referred to as Nadedaaduva Devaru (walking God). 

Shivanna was born on 1 April 1907 in Veerapura, a village near Magadi in the erstwhile Kingdom of Mysore (in present-day Ramanagara district of Karnataka state). He was the youngest of thirteen children of Gangamma and Honnegowda. Having been devoted followers of the deities Gangadhareshwara and Honnadevi, Shivanna's parents took him to the shrines in Shivagange, alongside other religious centres around Veerapura. His mother Gangamma died when he was eight.

Shivanna completed his elementary education in a rural anglo-vernacular school in Nagavalli, a village in the present-day Tumkur district. He passed his matriculation in 1926. He was also a resident-student at the Siddaganga Math for a brief span during this time. He enrolled in Central College of Bangalore to study in arts with physics and mathematics as optional subjects, but was unable to earn the bachelor's degree as he was named successor of Uddana Shivayogi Swami to head the Siddaganga Matha. Shivanna was proficient in Kannada, Sanskrit and English languages.

After losing his friend and the heir to head the Siddaganga Matha, Sri Marularadhya, in January 1930, Shivanna was chosen in his place by the incumbent chief Shivayogi Swami. Shivanna, then renamed Shivakumara, entered the viraktashram (the monks' order) on 3 March that year upon formal initiation, and assumed the pontifical name Shivakumara Swami. He assumed charge of the Matha on 11 January 1941, following the death of Shivayogi Swami.

The Swami founded a total of 132 institutions for education and training that range from nursery to colleges for engineering, science, arts and management as well as vocational training. He established educational institutions which offer courses in traditional learning of Sanskrit as well as modern science and technology. He was widely respected by all communities for his philanthropic work.

The Swami's gurukula houses more than 10,000 children from ages five to sixteen years at any point in time and is open to children from all religions, castes, and creeds who are provided free food, education, and shelter (Trivida Dasohi). The pilgrims and visitors to the mutt also receive free meals. Under the pontiff's guidance, an annual agricultural fair is held for the benefit of the local population. The Government of Karnataka announced the institution of Shivakumara Swamiji Prashasti from 2007, the centennial birth anniversary of Swamiji. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, the former President of India, visited him at Tumkur and praised the initiatives of Swami in education and humanitarian work.

On 21 January 2019, he was in a critical condition after his pulse and blood pressure dropped and he was pronounced dead at 11:44 a.m. that day. 

In recognition of his humanitarian work, the Swami was conferred with an honorary degree of Doctor of Literature by the Karnataka University in 1965. On his centenary in 2007, the Government of Karnataka awarded Swami the prestigious Karnataka Ratna award, the highest civilian award of the state. In 2015 the Government of India awarded him the Padma Bhushan.