THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, INDIA, November 24, 2006: Swami Sathyananda Saraswathi, head of the Sree Ramadasa Ashramam at Chengottukonam, passed away on Friday. He was 74. The swami had been ailing for the past few days. the end came at 11:15 a.m. The body will be kept at the ashram for darshan till Saturday. The swami was born on September 25, 1933, at Andoorkonam village in Thiruvananthapuram. Shekaran Pillai, as the swami was called in his poorvashramam, was a teacher at the Madhavavilasom High School at Thundathil. In 1965, he became the head of the Ramadasa Ashramam. Founder of more than 13 institutions inside and outside India, the Swami was a fiery orator. He was also the founder of the Punyabhoomi newspaper.
In his condolence message, secretary of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad Kummanam Rajashekaran described him as a “nishkama karma yogi”. Swami Sathyananda worked zealously for the cause of Hindu unity, the message said. The former Union Minister Rajagopal,in his condolence message, termed the Swami as a brave “acharya” who fought all his life for Hindu renaissance and Hindu unity.