Indian-origin yoga master Sharath Jois, well-known in India and worldwide, died on Monday in Virginia after suffering a heart attack while hiking.

Sharath, 53 held the legacy of Ashtanga Yoga Institute in Mysore founded by his grandfather and travelled the world teaching ashtanga yoga.

The Mysuru-born yoga master passed teachings to popular Hollywood celebrities including Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow.

Sharath was in Virginia for a seminar at Contemplative Science Centre, 

University of Virginia where he went hiking and died due to a heart attack, according to an NYT report.

The internet poured heart-felt condolences after his death. A US-based entrepreneur wrote on X, "Sharath Jois passed away at 53 yesterday, November 11. I’m so sorry. I spent a year in India studying under him. What a loss."

Another user wrote, "Sharat Jois was a good friend of mine from. A big loss to Yoga especially his style of Ashtanga Yoga. He deserves a Padma award for popularising yoga ."

Sharath Jois is survived by his mother, Saraswathi Jois, father Rangaswamy, wife Shruti Jois, and two children, son Sambhav Jois and daughter Shraddha Jois.

He learnt yoga from his grandfather, the late yoga icon K Pattabhi Jois. Sharath learned his first asanas at age seven and experimented with postures from the primary and intermediate series until he turned fourteen.

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