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Shri Mataji

A Life Dedicated to Humanity

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Shree Mataji Nirmala Devi quietly transformed lives. For more than forty years, she travelled internationally, offering free public lectures and the experience of self-realization to all, regardless of race, religion or circumstance. She not only enabled people to pass this valuable experience on to others, but taught them the meditation technique necessary to sustain it, known as Sahaja Yoga.

Shree Mataji maintained that there is an innate spiritual potential within every human being, and it can be spontaneously awakened. She emphasized that this awakening, described as self-realization, cannot be purchased. Money has never been charged, nor will it be, for the experience of self-realization or for the teaching of Sahaja Yoga meditation. The inner balance and stress-reduction that accompanies the practice of Sahaja Yoga meditation has already benefited hundreds of thousands worldwide. The ability to quickly and easily activate our innate, spiritual energy – and experience its benefits – differentiates Sahaja Yoga from other forms of meditation. With practice, individuals are able to direct their own energy and redress mental, physical and emotional imbalances to achieve a state of well-being, serenity and fulfillment.

 

In addition to Sahaja Yoga, which is now established in more than 95 countries, Shree Mataji founded a non-governmental organization for destitute women and children, several international schools teaching a holistic curriculum, health clinics offering treatment through Sahaja Yoga meditation techniques, and an arts academy to revitalize the classical skills of dance, music and painting.

Birth and Childhood

Shree Mataji Nirmala Devi was born on March 21, 1923 to a Salve family in Chindawara, India. Her parents were Prasad and Cornelia Salve, direct descendants of the royal Shalivahana dynasty. Seeing the beauty of this child who was born with a spotless brilliance, they called her Nirmala, which means ‘Immaculate’.

Later on she came to be known by the multitudes by the name of Shree Mataji Nirmala Devi – the revered Mother who was born with her complete Self Realization and knew from a very young age that she had a unique gift which had to be made available to all mankind.

Her parents played a key role in India’s Liberation Movement from under British rule. Her father, a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi, was a member of the Constituent Assembly of India and helped write free India’s first constitution. He was a renowned scholar, master of 14 languages, and translated the Koran in Marathi. Her mother was the first woman in India to receive an Honors Degree in Mathematics.

International Achievements and Recognition

An official guest in the former Soviet Union, she enabled over 100,000 people to experience their Self-Realization. She regularly speaks to audiences of 10,000 to 20,000 in the former Eastern bloc nations and has filled year after year the Royal Albert Hall in London for her conference on Sahaja Yoga.

Shree Mataji has delivered thousands of lectures, given many television and radio interviews, and been the subject of hundreds of newspaper articles around the world. An articulate speaker, Shree Mataji is the founder and sole director of Sahaja Yoga or “Vishwa Nirmala Dharma”, which is an established non-profit organization in many countries worldwide.

Shree Mataji has been recognized worldwide by several prestigious institutions for her selfless work and for the powerful results of her spiritual teachings. In 1994, the Mayor of Brazil’s capital welcomed Shree Mataji at the airport, presenting her with the key to the city, and sponsored all of her programs. In 1995, the Indian Government granted Shree Mataji a one hour primetime television series, broadcast nationally. During the same year, Shree Mataji was an official guest of the Chinese government and was invited to speak at the International Women’s Conference in Beijing. Also in 1995, she was awarded by the Romanian Ecological University an Honorary Doctorate in Cognitive and Para psychological Sciences.

She has been recognized and greeted by the mayors of several cities in North America (Yonkers, NY, 1994 & 1996, Los Angeles, 1993 and 1994, British Columbia, 1994, Cincinnati 1992, Philadelphia 1993, Berkeley, 1997). She was given a Proclamation by the US Congress in 1997 which was submitted to the Congressional Records. Shree Mataji was declared “Personality of the Year” in 1986 by the Italian Government.
NGOs created by Shree Mataji Nirmala Devi
  • In her tremendous compassion and concern to alleviate human sufferings, Mrs. Srivastava has been able to create a number of NGOs (Non-Governmental Organisations) to solve the most immediate problems of the world in the last 25 years. To mention a few:
  • An international hospital in Mumbai to help patients all over the world to get a chance to cure themselves through Sahaja Yoga methods. This hospital has been producing quite successful results in curing a number of incurable diseases like cancer, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis etc.
  • An international cancer research centre in Mumbai in order to study the effects of Sahaja Yoga methods on curing various illnesses, including psychosomatic diseases.
  • An international music school in Nagpur, now shifted to Vaitarna near Mumbai, to promote classical music.
  • A charity house for the poor people in Delhi, to provide shelter to destitute and homeless people. Also to help them through the process of Sahaja Yoga to become better individuals.

Honors and Recognition

  • Italy, 1986. Declared “Personality of the Year” by the Italian Government.
  • New York, 1990-1994. Invited by the United Nations for four consecutive years to speak about means to achieve world peace.
  • St. Peterburg, Russia, 1993. Appointed as honorary member of the Petrovskaya Academy of Art and Science.
  • Romania, 1995. Awarded honorary doctorate in cognitive science by the Ecological University Bucharest.
  • China, 1995. Official guest of the Chinese Government to speak at the United Nations International Women’s Conference.
  • Pune, India, 1996. On the occasion of the 700th Anniversary of Saint Gyaneshwara, she addressed the “World Philosophers Meet ’96 – A Parliament of Science, Religion and Philosophy” at Maharashtra Institute of Technology.
  • London, 1997. Claes Nobel, grandnephew of Alfred Nobel, chairman of United Earth, honoured her life and work in a public speech at the Royal Albert Hall.
  • A road in Navi Mumbai, near the Sahaja Yoga Health and Research Center, was named in her honor.
  • Cabella Ligure, Italy, 2006. She was awarded honorary Italian citizenship.
  • Cabella Ligure, Italy, 2009. Bhajan Sopori and his son Abhay Sopori composed the raag Nirmalkauns in her honour.

Shree Mataji Nirmala Devi has dedicated her life to triggering the spiritual ascent of mankind through Self Realization, reclaiming the role of women in the spiritual evolution, and guiding humanity to correct today’s moral dilemmas. It seems that the light of Gandhi’s vision is being brought to fulfillment by this great lady who is revered as the compassionate Divine Mother by her followers, as the “Messenger of peace” by Ayatollah Rouhani, an Avatar of the modern era by Claes Nobel, grandnephew of Albert Nobel (the creator of the Nobel foundation) and Chairman of United Earth.