Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday condoled the death of Dwarka peeth Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati calling him a "great saint" who illuminated the earth.

Swami Swaroopanand, 99, who was not keeping well for over a year, passed away at his Ashram in Madhya Pradesh's Narsinghpur district.

"Deeply saddened to learn about the demise of Jagat Guru Shankaracharya Swami Shri Swaroopanand Saraswati ji maharaj. Such great saints illuminate the earth. The moment of receiving blessings and knowledge of spirituality by sitting at his feet will always be remembered. Om Shanti," Baghel tweeted in Hindi along with a picture in which he is seen seeking the blessings of Swami Swaroopanand.

Chhattisgarh Health Minister TS Singh Deo and the state BJP unit also took to Twitter to pay tribute to Shankaracharya.

(With PTI Inputs)