B K S Iyengar: The man who popularised yoga in the West

The yoga he taught came to be known as Iyengar yoga and is characterised by the emphasis on precision of posture and the use of props such as belts and ropes

"Yoga has given me a bonus of 65 years," BKS Iyengar told the New York Times in 2002, while talking about how doctors did not expect him to live beyond 20 since his childhood had been plagued by various illnesses. It ultimately gave him a much longer lease of life, which came to an end in the early hours of Wednesday at a hospital in Pune, where he had been admitted earlier for kidney failure. He was 95.

A spokesperson for the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute he had established in Pune said his last rites were performed on Wednesday afternoon. His children, Geeta and Prashant, well-known teachers in their own right, and Geeta’s daughter, Abhijata, would continue to teach at the institute, she said.

With his passing, an era of India's greatest yoga teachers may well have drawn to a close. His contemporary, Pattabhi Jois, also born in Karnataka, died in 2009. Both were taught by T Krishnamacharya but Jois also claimed Iyengar as a disciple, though this was something Iyengar disputed, according to reports.

Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar was born to a poor family in the village of Bellur in Karnataka's Kolar district, roughly 50 kilometres from Bangalore. His father was a school teacher. According to the BKS Iyengar home page, he began learning yoga from Krishnamacharya at 16 and was sent to Pune two years later to propagate what he had learnt. He married Ramamani when he was 25 and she 16, and they had five daughters and a son. Ramamani died in 1973 but BKS did not remarry. Of their children, one of their daughters, Geetha, and son, Prashant, continue to teach yoga.

The yoga he taught, based on the different aspects of ashtanga yoga, came to be known as "Iyengar yoga", and is characterised by the emphasis on precision of posture and the use of props such as belts and ropes. It was a style that earned him international acclaim and pupils across 70 centres all over the world. His teachings were first published in 1966, under the title "Light on Yoga." With over 600 illustrations and detailed instructions on how to perform over 200 postures, the book is considered to be a Bible of sorts, and has been translated into various languages, including Polish and Ukrainian. He is widely credited with being one of the pioneers in taking yoga to the West, and popularising it there. His first international celebrity disciple, according to multiple reports, is held to be violin maestro Yehudi Menuhin who he met in Mumbai in 1952, and who introduced him to various others abroad. Closer home, his admirers included Jayaprakash Narayan and Rajendra Prasad. A legend in his lifetime, Iyengar was the recipient of numerous awards, including the Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan.

He followed a spartan but rigorous schedule even late into his years. Earlier this year, the ashram had told Business Standard that he wakes up at 4 am every day and did pranayama for an hour and a half as well as sadhana for three hours from 9, during which he also guided students. Save for a one-hour siesta, afternoons were reserved for meeting people, answering mail and interacting with students. Evenings were spent with family members, listening to music and watching television.

When news of his demise broke, tributes poured in from all over. The president, the prime minister and politicians across parties expressed their condolences. Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravishankar, who has known BKS for nearly 30 years, told Business Standard "BKS Iyengar was a traditionalist and thorough in whatever he did. He had great passion and concern for Sanathana Dharma." Many tweeted their condolences, quoting from his teachings. One was particularly poignant: "It is my profound hope that my end could be your beginning."