Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi

Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi was born on 21-Mar-1923 in Chhindwara town in Madhya Pradesh state of India. She was born to Shri Prasadrao and Cornelia Salve. During her youth, she studied medicine and attended Lahore Medical College. She was youth leader under Mahatma Gandhi, father of Republic of India, and was an active participant in freedom struggle for India's independence.

She got married to Chandrika Prasad Shrivastava on 21-Apr-1947. CP Shrivastava was an IAS officer, who later on became secretary to prime minster Lal Bahadur Shastri. CP Shrivastava went on head Shipping Corporation of India, Bombay and then to head UN International Maritime Organisation in London. Through active public life of her husband, Shri Mataji fulfilled all her responsibilities as a dutiful wife and mother of their two daughters, Kalpana and Sadhana.

Shri Mataji noticed that innocent people, who are seeking the truth, are being misled and misguided by fake gurus who make money and cheat such innocent people. It is then that she decided to do something about this and while meditating on the shores of a small town of Nargol in Gujrat state of India on 05-May-1970, Shri Mataji found the way of granting en-masse Self-Realisation experience. She called it Sahaja Yoga. Ever since then, she dedicated all her life to spread this experience and knowledge around the world. She travelled extensively and tirelessly to many cities, villages, countries and continents to give Self Realisation experience to desiring seekers. Shri Mataji never accepted any money for her work. She always maintained, that this is the love of God and she is here as a mother and the love of mother cannot be sold.

Shri Mataji received numerous awards and recognitions from various institutions and governments for her great humanitarian work. She was awarded UN peace prize and was guest speaker on UN's 4th Women conference in Beijing, China in 1995.

Shri Mataji passed away on 23-Feb-2011 in Genova, Italy at the age of 87 years. Sahaja Yoga meditation is now practiced in more than 100 countries.