PM Modi's spiritual guru Swami Dayanand Giri passes away

RISHIKESH: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's spiritual guru Swami Dayanand Giri passed away tonight at his ashram in Sheeshamjhadi area here after a prolonged illness. He was 87.

Swami Dayanand breathed his last late tonight, said his close aide and trustee of Dayanand Ashram, Shantatmanand Saraswati.

He had been brought back to the ashram earlier today after 10 days of treatment at the Jollygrant Himalayan Hospital, where his condition had begun to decline steadily, he said.

The spiritual guru had been ailing for a long time.

On September 11, Prime Minister Modi had paid a visit to Swami Dayanand at his ashram to enquire after his health.