Designer Satya Paul passes away

Designer Satya Paul, known for giving the Indian saree a contemporary touch, has passed away at the age of 79, his son Puneet Nanda said.

Paul, who had suffered a stroke in December, breathed his last at Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev's Isha Yoga Centre on Wednesday.

'He had a stroke on December 2 and as he was slowly recovering in the hospital, his only wish was to get all the things he was being monitored and poked with removed so he could fly away,' Puneet posted on Facebook.

'We finally got clearance from doctors to take him back to the Isha Yoga Centre, his home since 2015. As per his wish, he gently passed on with blessings of the Master,' Nanda added.

Though there is grief for his father's loss, Nanda said the family is also celebrating the wholesome life the designer led.

'He couldn't have had a sweeter life or passage, at the feet of the Master. We are sad a bit, mostly rejoicing him, his life and now his passing with such a blessing,' Nanda wrote.

Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, founder-Isha Foundation, tweeted a picture of Paul to condole the demise of the 'visionary' fashion designer.

'Satya Paul, a shining example of what it means to live with immeasurable passion and unrelenting involvement. The distinct vision you brought to the Indian fashion industry is a beautiful tribute to this. A privilege to have had you amongst us. Condolences and blessings,' Jaggi Vasudev tweeted.

Paul started his journey in the field of retail in the late 1960s and expanded to exports of Indian handloom products to high-end retail stores in Europe and America.

In 1980, he launched the first 'saree boutique' in India, L'Affaire, and founded the eponymous fashion clothing brand with his son in 1986. The brand soon became synonymous for its sleek sarees.

Nanda wrote that his father, more than a designer or entrepreneur, was a 'seeker'.

'In the 70s his inner journey started with going to listen to talks with J Krishnamurti, later he took 'sanyas' from Osho. After Osho left in 1990, though he wasn't seeking another Master, he discovered Sadhguru in 2007,' Nanda wrote.

'He immediately started enjoying the path of yoga and eventually moved here in 2015,' Nanda added. 'He has been a doorway for hundreds of people towards spirituality and all the Masters he was so blessed to have been with.'