Mumbai, Jul 12 (PTI) Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao has condoled the demise of spiritual leader Dada J P Vaswani, saying he was an ambassador of peace and goodwill.

Vaswani, head of the Sadhu Vaswani Mission, died in Pune today due to old age-related ailments. He was 99.

The governor said he had the privilege of meeting Vaswani very recently.

"I am deeply saddened to know about the demise of Dada Vaswani, barely a few days ahead of his 100th birth anniversary," Rao said in a statement issued here.

The governor said Vaswani was one of the most erudite, universally respected and inspiring spiritual leaders he had ever met.

Vaswani epitomised the values of universal brotherhood, peace and compassion and through his discourses, writings and public service, he encouraged millions of people in India and abroad to lead a meaningful life, the Governor said.

Through the Sadhu Vaswani Mission, he brought happiness and hope in lives of the poor and the under-privileged. Dada Vaswani also championed the cause of compassion and love for animals, he added.

"In his demise, the state of Maharashtra has lost an ambassador of world peace and goodwill," Rao said.

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale described Vaswani as an "ambassador of humanity".

"He will be remembered for his contribution towards spreading humanity and his work will keep inspiring people," Athawale said.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, in his condolence message, hailed Vaswani as an ambassador of humanity and said his discourses on brotherhood and peace inspired many.

"The works done by him through the Vaswani Mission are of great importance and the books written by him will inspire the young generation for years to come," he said.

Minister of State for Social Justice Dilip Kamble said Vaswani touched lives of millions through his works.

"He will always be with us through his messages and thoughts," Kamble said in his message.

Maharashtra Congress chief Ashok Chavan also condoled the spiritual leader's demise.

"Sad to hear about the demise of Dada Vaswani, head of Sadhu Vaswani mission, a spiritual teacher who spent his whole life for giving the message of peace and humanity. My heartfelt condolences," Chavan said in a tweet.

In a message, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said Vaswani's demise was painful.

"He was an epitome of sacredness, service and compassion and because a saint like him our society gets support to go further in all situations and today we lost that support," reads the message signed by all top RSS functionaries including Bhagwat.

According to sources, the RSS chief was going to attend the 100th birthday celebration of Dada Vaswani on August 10 here in Pune.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)