The octogenarian spiritual legend, former Jagadguru Shankaracharya, Swami Satyamritanand Giri, who founded Bharat Mata Mandir and was honoured with Padma Bhushan in 2015, passed away in the wee hours on Tuesday. He was 87.

Tributes from all over the world including from the President, Prime Minister and Union Ministers kept pouring in throughout the day.

The trustees of Bharat Mata Mandir Trust announced that his mortal remains shall be kept for darshan from 4 PM on Tuesday till 4 PM on Wednesday after which he would be given Bhu-Samadhi in Ashram premises at Bhupatwala.

Meanwhile, the State Government has declared a one-day State mourning on Wednesday.

The national flag will fly at half mast and no governmental entertainment programme will be held on Wednesday. Expressing grief at the saint’s demise, chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said that Swami Satyamritanand Giri played an important role in disseminating knowledge, religion and spirituality of Sanatan culture across the world.  His life was dedicated to public welfare.

He was a great saint of the Sanatan Dharm tradition, said Rawat. A strong supporter of the demand for construction of Ram temple at the lord’s birthplace in Ayodhya, Swami Satyamritanand wanted a bill to be passed in the Parliament for Ram Mandir construction in Ayodhya since ample evidence from Archaeological Survey of India had also been made available to the court regarding its existence.

He used to say that the sanyasis were custodians of Indian culture.

They could get good jobs and earn money in the material world but their sacrifice to attain sanyas as has been the tradition of Indian rishis and sadhus is supreme.

Speaking to The Pioneer, Mahamandaleshwar Swami Avdheshanand Giri, Juna Peethadhishwar, whom Satyamitranand had announced as his successor over four years ago said, “It is the end of an era. He had relations with  many PMs and presidents across the world. He was honoured by British royal family of England.

 He considered India as his deity and so had established Bharat Mata Mandir, one of its kind in the country.” State chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, MP chief minister Kamal Nath, union minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and many others are expected to attend the Bhu Samadhi ritual of the seer.