COIMBATORE: The country lost its oldest yoga exponent, V Nanammal, 99, on Saturday.
Nanammal, a resident of Ganapathy here, shot to national fame after conferred with the Padma Shri the fourth highest civilian award last year for dedicating her life to teaching yoga to thousands. She had a huge following on YouTube for her videos on yoga and naturopathy.
She breathed her last around 12.30pm, her son V Balakrishnan said. “She had such a sound knowledge of her body that she predicted her death 40 days ago after performing my father’s death anniversary rites. She made an announcement to the family, including six children, 12 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren, that she will pass away in 48 days. She said her life was over and blessed us for a long and prosperous life. She passed away just eight days earlier than the predicted date,” he told TOI.
Though she led a very active life and followed a healthy lifestyle, Nanammal had recently suffered several falls and took months to recover. “She had suffered a fall 10 days after her prediction, which left her bedridden. She was having only coconut water and water for the last two weeks. She had regained consciousness in the morning and even talked to us before leaving us forever,” Balakrishnan added.
Born into an agricultural family at Zameen Kaliayapuram, Nanammal moved to Negamum after marriage and later settled at Ganapathy. Having learned yoga at the age of eight from her father, she mastered over 50 asanas. Over five decades, she trained more than 10 lakh people and was teaching 100 students daily even a few months back at the Ozone Yoga Centre, run by her and Balakrishnan, also a yoga instructor.
TOI had met Nanammal the day she won the prestigious award. “I am very happy that I have been chosen for the award,” she said with a childlike enthusiasm. “I am more happy that this recognition has come for making all those people I teach yoga stay healthy.”