Great American Hindu Leader Dies at 74

November 23, 2001

Source: Los Angeles Times

On November 23, 2001, the Los Angeles Times reported that "Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, a California native who converted to Hinduism, founded the magazine Hinduism Today and represented his religion around the world, died Nov. 12 at his ashram home on Kauai. He was 74. The satguru, or spiritual teacher, died on the 32nd day of a self-imposed fast, which he began shortly after learning that he had incurabl intestinal cancer, said Paramacharya Palaniswami, the editor of Hinduism Today. His death followed an ancient practice called prayopavesa, which Hindus consider a highly spiritual method for ending life in the face of grave illness."