Sahaja Yoga Founder - Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi

Shri Mataji was born at 12 PM on 21st March (equinox) in 1923 in Chindwara in the center of India to a Christian family of noble descent. When she was a young girl, Mahatma Gandhi recognized her deep and special qualities, and she often stayed in his ashram. Later she studied medicine and took an active role in the movement for the independence of India. Her father was one of the authors of India's constitution. In 1947 Shri Mataji married Sir C.P. Srivastava, who served as the Secretary General for the International Maritime Organisation, an agency of the United Nations based in London. They have two married daughters and grandchildren.

Because of her extraordinary efforts and impact on world peace, Shri Mataji has received the following global recognition :
  • Twice nominated for the  Nobel Prize.
  • Great Britain, 1997 : Personal tribute paid to Shri Mataji by Claes Nobel(Grandnephew of Alfred Nobel, the founder of the Nobel Foundation) at the Royal Albert Hall, London.
  • Romania, 1995: Awarded Ph.D. in Cognitive Science from the Ecological University.
  • China, 1995: Official guest speaker at the U.N. Women's Conference in Beijing and an official guest of the Chinese Government to speak to the people of China.
  • St. Petersburg, 1993: Appointed Honorary Member of the Presidium of the Petrovska Academy of Art and Science. In the history of the Academy only 12 people have ever been granted this honor, Albert Einstein being one of them.
  • Italy,1986: Shri Mataji declared "Personality of the Year" by the Italian Government.
  • 105th Congress, 1997: Congressional Record Honorarium presented by Congressman Eliot Engle of New York.

Shri Mataji travels extensively worldwide, giving speeches on subjects such as world peace, the role of women and self realisation. Shri Mataji is known as a powerful and dynamic speaker whose insights into the problem of humanity are deep and revealing. She has been a guest speaker at many international seminars and conferences. She is the founder of Sahaja Yoga a non-profit organisation dedicated to the betterment of human-kind. Sahaja Yoga is practised in more than 85 countries in the world.

Shri Mataji says that Sahaja Yoga recognises that we are all born with the capacity to attain self realisation and it is our birthright to achieve it. Shri Mataji is the only person who has been able to awaken the Kundalini spontaneously en-masse to give self realisation to thousands of people at one time.


International Sahaja Yoga Web Site                         Other Sahaja Yoga web sites