Namdhari sect chief, Satguru Sri Jagjit Singh Thursday died in a hospital here following prolonged illness, doctors said.
Doctors cited multiple organ failure as the reason behind the death of Jagjit Singh, who was over 90 years of age.
Expressing grief over the Namdhari chief's death, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said that Jagjit Singh had given valuable services in ushering an era of communal harmony, brotherhood, peace and amity in the country.
He described the Satguru as a great spiritual ambassador and an eminent social reformer who played a proactive role in eradicating social evils like female foeticide, dowry and drug addiction from the society.
The Punjab government has declared a public holiday in all the educational institutions, offices, boards and corporations in Chandigarh as well as in the state Friday as a mark of respect to the legendary religious leader.
Congress leader and former chief minister Amarinder Singh also expressed grief over Jagjit Singh's death.