17 November 2016, New Delhi. The Rajya Sabha - The Upper House of The Parliament of India also paid a glowing tribute to HH Pramukh Swami Maharaj at 11.00 am. Hon. Chairman of the Rajya Sabha and The Vice President of India, Mohammad Hamid Ansari eulogised the life and legacy of Swamiji with these words, "I refer with profound sorrow to the passing away of HH Pramukh Swami Shastri Narayanswarupdas, the president of Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Sanstha on the 13th of August 2016 in Sarangpur at the age of 95 years. Born in December 1921 at Chansad village in Vadodara District of Gujarat into a farmer's family, Swamiji was inclined to spirituality and austerities right from his childhood. He renounced worldly life at the age of 18 and was initiated into sainthood in 1940 and got renamed as Narayanswarupdas Swami. His striking humility, noble services, saintliness and selfless desire to help all endeared him to everyone and at the age of 28, he was appointed as the President of BAPS whereupon he affectionately became known as Pramukh Swami. During his tenure he catapulted the sect to a global socio cultural spiritual movement engaged in running charitable hospitals, gurukuls, schools and shelters in tribal areas, eradication of ill practices in society and spreading modern awareness with a reformist spirit. In the passing away of Pramukh Swami Shastri Narayanswarupdas, the country has lost a towering spiritual personality who was an embodiment of compassion and humility. We deeply mourn the passing away of Pramukh Swami Shastri Narayanswarupdas. I request members to rise in their places and observe silence as a mark of respect to the memory of the departed." Thereafter, all the Members of The Rajya Sabha present in the assembly stood up in silence and prayer.