Kalaburagi, Jan 26: Spiritual leader Siddeshwara Swamiji of the Jnana Yogashram in Karnataka’s Vijayapura, has politely refused to receive the Padma Shri award for the year 2018 stating that he had not accepted any honours in his life so far.
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi led union government had announced the list of awardees on the eve of Republic Day. Camping in Kalaburagi for a month since 17 January for spiritual discourses, the leader, popularly known as Buddiji, spoke to reporters on Friday and said that he was a simple man living a simple life with the main purpose being the preaching of spiritualism to make people of all walks of life happy.
"The government has conferred the Padma Shree on me without my consent. I am grateful for the recognition. There are many others who have served society. It is better to give them the award. I do not need it," Swamiji said.
Earlier too, many universities had approached him seeking his permission to confer honorary doctorates and he had declined all of them in a similar fashion.
Various organisations had also come forward to award and recognise his contribution and he had turned them away.
Supporting his decision not to receive the award, Jambanagoudar and Mallikarjun Garur, his disciples, thanked the Union government for their decision to award him and said that being simple and not accepting any honours is the lifestyle of Buddiji.
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