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{{Short description|Indian yoga teacher (1920–2019)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| pre-nominals=
| name = V. Nanammal
| image = V_Nanammal.jpg
| imagesize =
| caption = Nanammal in 2018
| birth_date = {{birth date|1920|02|24|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Coimbatore]], [[Madras Presidency]], [[India]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2019|10|26|1920|02|24}}
| death_place = Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
| resting_place =
| spouse =
| occupation = [[Yoga]] instructor
| awards = {{unbulleted list|[[Nari Shakti Puraskar]] (2016)|Yoga Ratna award (2017)|[[Padma Shri]] award (2018)}}
}}

'''V. Nanammal''' (24 February 1920 – 26 October 2019) was India's oldest [[yoga]] teacher. She trained one million students over 45 years and taught one hundred students daily. Six hundred of her students have become yoga instructors around the world.<ref name="TheHindu">{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/fitness/nanammal-the-98-year-old-yoga-instructor-on-her-the-secret-of-her-energy/article19102766.ece|work=Online Edition of The Hindu, dated 19 June 2017|author=K Jeshi|title=Bend it like Nanammal|publisher=2017, thehindu.com|access-date=24 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170619083727/http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/fitness/nanammal-the-98-year-old-yoga-instructor-on-her-the-secret-of-her-energy/article19102766.ece|archive-date=19 June 2017|url-status=live|date=19 June 2017}}</ref>

Her work was honoured with [[India]]'s National [[Nari Shakti Puraskar]] in 2016<ref name="GovOfIndia2">{{cite web|url=http://wcd.nic.in/nari-shakti-awardees-ms-v-nanammal-tamil-nadu|work=Online Edition of Ministry of Women & Child Development|author=Government of India|title=Nari Shakti Puraskar 2016|publisher=2016, Government of India|access-date=24 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180324224453/http://wcd.nic.in/nari-shakti-awardees-ms-v-nanammal-tamil-nadu|archive-date=24 March 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> and the country's fourth highest civilian award the [[Padma Shri]] in 2018.<ref name="latestly">{{cite web|url=https://www.latestly.com/social-viral/v-nanammal-receives-padmashree-the-99-year-old-yoga-practitioner-continues-to-follow-a-lifestyle-close-to-nature-74666.html|work=latestly.com|author=Madhurima Sarkar|title=V Nanammal Receives Padma Shri; The 99-Year-Old Yoga Practitioner Continues to Follow A Lifestyle Close to Nature|publisher=2018, latestly.com|access-date=24 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180324224612/https://www.latestly.com/social-viral/v-nanammal-receives-padmashree-the-99-year-old-yoga-practitioner-continues-to-follow-a-lifestyle-close-to-nature-74666.html|archive-date=24 March 2018|url-status=live|date=21 March 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://photogallery.indiatimes.com/news/india/padma-awards-2018-know-the-recipients/V-Nanammal/articleshow/63385962.cms|title=Padma Awards 2018, Know the recipients|date=20 March 2018|work=The Times of India|access-date=3 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180502214547/https://photogallery.indiatimes.com/news/india/padma-awards-2018-know-the-recipients/V-Nanammal/articleshow/63385962.cms|archive-date=2 May 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Nanammal was born on 24 February 1920 in an [[agricultural]] family at Zameen Kaliayapuram, [[Coimbatore]], [[Tamil Nadu]], [[India]].<ref name="TOI"/> At the age of eight, she learnt yoga from her father, eventually mastering more than 50 [[asana]]s.<ref name="TOI">{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/coimbatore/nanammal-the-yoga-grandma-wins-padma-shri/articleshow/62657160.cms|title=Nanammal, the yoga grandma, wins Padma Shri|date=26 January 2018|work=The Times of India|access-date=3 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180325045220/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/coimbatore/nanammal-the-yoga-grandma-wins-padma-shri/articleshow/62657160.cms|archive-date=25 March 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

Nanammal's father and grandfather were both 'Registered Indian Medicine Practitioners (RIMP)'. Yoga was their family tradition and they were not teaching yoga to anyone outside the family and it stayed within the group. During those days, the primary business of the family was traditional [[Siddha medicine]] and [[agriculture]]. Her family owned [[coconut]] and [[cashew]] farms in the [[Kerala]] state.<ref name="Quartz">{{cite web|url=https://qz.com/1010262/international-yoga-day-indias-oldest-yogini-says-youre-doing-yoga-wrong-if-youre-working-up-a-sweat/|work=qz.com|author=Sushma UN|title=India's oldest yogini says you're doing yoga wrong if you're working up a sweat|date=21 June 2017 |publisher=2017, Quartz India|access-date=24 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180325045019/https://qz.com/1010262/international-yoga-day-indias-oldest-yogini-says-youre-doing-yoga-wrong-if-youre-working-up-a-sweat/|archive-date=25 March 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

Nanammal's husband was a [[Siddha]] practitioner and was into [[agriculture]] and [[Horticulture|cultivation]], with whom she moved to Negamam and later to [[Ganapathy, Coimbatore|Ganapathy]].<ref name="TOI"/><ref name="deccanchronicle"/> She cultivated a liking towards [[naturopathy]] after her marriage.<ref name="deccanchronicle"/> She has five children, 12 grand children and 11 great-grandchildren.<ref name="TOI"/>

==Yoga ==
[[File:The President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee presenting the Nari Shakti Puruskars for the year 2016 to Ms. V. Nanammal, Tamil Nadu, at a function, on the occasion of the International Women’s Day, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi.jpg|thumb|President [[Pranab Mukherjee]] presenting the [[Nari Shakti Puraskar]] to Nanammal in 2016 on [[International Women's Day]] at [[Rashtrapati Bhavan]]]]
Nanammal started practising yoga when she was 8 years old. According to Nanammal, her father knew [[martial arts]] and had taught her Yoga. She continued practising yoga throughout her life.<ref name="deccanchronicle"/>


In the year 1972 she established "Ozone Yoga centre" in [[Coimbatore]]. Nanammal and her family, follow the traditions passed over to the next generations. The centre taught their traditional style of yoga, which focuses more on ''[[Pranayama]] (Breath control)''.<ref name="TOI"/><ref name="Quartz"/> The 'Ozone Yoga school' was established by her and since then, Nanammal and her family have taught yoga to over 100,000 people.<ref name="Quartz"/>

Over her last five decades, Nanammal trained more than one million students and continued for the remainder of her life to teach 100 students daily at the 'Ozone Yoga Centre'. Around 600 of her students, including 36 members of her family, have become 'Yoga instructors' teaching students around the world.<ref name="deccanchronicle">{{cite web|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/lifestyle/viral-and-trending/210816/v-nanammal-the-nonagenarian-yogini.html|work=[[Deccan Chronicle]]|author=Merin James|title=V Nanammal: The nonagenarian yogini|publisher=2016, deccanchronicle.com|access-date=24 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180324225357/https://www.deccanchronicle.com/lifestyle/viral-and-trending/210816/v-nanammal-the-nonagenarian-yogini.html|archive-date=24 March 2018|url-status=live|date=20 August 2016}}</ref><ref name="TOI"/> According to her son Balakrishnan, she had trained over 60 family members as Yoga teachers in her lifetime.<ref name="TNIE">{{cite news|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2019/oct/26/99-year-old-yoga-grandma-v-nanammal-passes-away-in-coimbatore-2053365.html|title=99-year-old 'Yoga Grandma' V Nanammal passes away in Coimbatore|work=The New Indian Express|access-date=29 October 2019|archive-date=29 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191029093207/http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2019/oct/26/99-year-old-yoga-grandma-v-nanammal-passes-away-in-coimbatore-2053365.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Later life and death==
Nanammal attempted to get on to the [[Guinness Book of World Records]] by teaching yoga to over 20,000 students and enthusiasts in [[Coimbatore]]. Her objective was to create awareness among women, mainly girl students, about yoga techniques by going to various educational institutions to solve several health-related problems, especially after marriage. She was also going to take part in Indian reality show 'India's Got Talent' as a contestant.<ref name="dailyhunt">{{cite web|url=https://m.dailyhunt.in/news/india/english/yourstory-epaper-yourstory/nanammal+the+97+year+old+woman+from+tamil+nadu+who+teaches+yoga+to+100+students-newsid-66876813|work=dailyhunt.com|author=Staff|title=Nanammal: The 97-year-old woman from Tamil Nadu who teaches yoga to 100 students|publisher=2018, dailyhunt.com|access-date=24 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180325045136/https://m.dailyhunt.in/news/india/english/yourstory-epaper-yourstory/nanammal+the+97+year+old+woman+from+tamil+nadu+who+teaches+yoga+to+100+students-newsid-66876813|archive-date=25 March 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> She had gained popularity on YouTube which included videos of her performing difficult yoga positions in her usual attire, a pink sari.<ref name="India Today">{{cite news|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/yoga-grandma-v-nanammal-passes-away-at-99-in-coimbatore-1613179-2019-10-26|title=Yoga grandma V Nanammal passes away at 99 in Coimbatore|last1=Nath|first1=Akshaya|date=26 October 2019|work=India Today|access-date=29 October 2019|language=en}}</ref>

Nannamal suffered a fall from her bed in the autumn of 2019 and was confined to bed thereafter.<ref name="TNIE" /><ref name="India Today" /> She died on 26 October 2019, in Coimbatore.<ref name="bbc" />

==Legacy==
She was affectionately known as Yoga Grandma.<ref name="bbc">{{cite news |title=India's 'yoga grandma' breathes her last at 99 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-50194850 |access-date=27 October 2019 |work=BBC |date=26 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191026222230/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-50194850 |archive-date=26 October 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> For her achievement, Nanammal was conferred with the following awards and citations:
*2016 – National [[Nari Shakti Puraskar]] award received from former [[President of India]] [[Pranab Mukherjee]]<ref name="GovOfIndia2"/>
*2016 – Shwaasa Yoga Organization's Yoga Ratna award<ref name="TheHindu"/>
*2018 – India's fourth highest civilian award the [[Padma Shri]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://padmaawards.gov.in/pdfs/Padma2018List.pdf|title=Padma Awards 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180321063018/https://padmaawards.gov.in/PDFS/Padma2018List.pdf|archive-date=21 March 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="GovOfIndia">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WAtRvNOcVg&list=PLGqF2Eq4iV7_F-9t5WubHUOk9fljiYBn-&index=19|work=Online Edition MyGov India|author=GovOfIndia|title=Story of Smt. V Nanammal, India's oldest Yoga teacher - Padma Awardee 2018|publisher=2018, MyGov India}}</ref><ref name="padmaawards">{{cite web|url=https://padmaawards.gov.in/Pimages/awardees2018/53.jpg|work=padmaawards.gov.in|author=Govt. of India|title=Padma Awards 2018: V. Nanammal|publisher=2018, padmaawards|access-date=24 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180324224504/https://padmaawards.gov.in/Pimages/awardees2018/53.jpg|archive-date=24 March 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> ''News18'' reported her, being the oldest recipient of the award.<ref name="News18">{{cite news |title=At 98, Amma Nanammal, India's Oldest Yoga Guru, is Giving Us Some Serious Fitness Goals |url=https://www.news18.com/news/buzz/at-98-amma-nanammal-indias-oldest-yoga-guru-is-giving-us-some-serious-fitness-goals-1785493.html |access-date=29 October 2019 |work=News18 |archive-date=29 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191029094131/https://www.news18.com/news/buzz/at-98-amma-nanammal-indias-oldest-yoga-guru-is-giving-us-some-serious-fitness-goals-1785493.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
*2018 – [[Rotary club]]'s Lifetime achievement award<ref name="TheHindu2">{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/in-coimbatore-today/article23316599.ece|work=thehindu.com|author=Special Correspondent V.S. Palaniappan|title=In Coimbatore Today|publisher=2018, thehindu.com|date=22 March 2018|access-date=24 March 2018|archive-date=28 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328150104/https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/in-coimbatore-today/article23316599.ece|url-status=live}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKvZAL_QXjw&list=PLGqF2Eq4iV7_F-9t5WubHUOk9fljiYBn-&index=2 #PeoplesPadma: President of India Confers Padma Awards 2018]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WAtRvNOcVg&list=PLGqF2Eq4iV7_F-9t5WubHUOk9fljiYBn-&index=19 Story of Smt. V Nanammal, India's oldest Yoga teacher - Padma Awardee 2018]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSxKpqfmqjg Documentary: Bend It Like Granny - BBC News]

{{Nari Shakti Puraskar}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nanammal, V.}}
[[Category:1920 births]]
[[Category:2019 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Coimbatore]]
[[Category:Women from Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Indian yoga teachers]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in other fields]]
[[Category:Nari Shakti Puraskar winners]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian women educators]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian women educators]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian educators]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian educators]]

V. Nanammal - Revision history

AntoniettaWhitco: added a info