Nirmala Srivastava

Nirmala Srivastava Biography

Nirmala Srivastava, fondly called Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi was a religious and spiritual leader who founded Sahaja Yoga, a meditation technique and new religious movement. She was known to have been concerned with the damage being done to society by 'false gurus' or God men. She established the International Sahaja Yoga Health and Research Centre in Mumbai in 1996, which implemented Sahaja Yoga methods for treatment. She also set up International music school Salve Kala Pratishthan in Nagpur in 1996. She has delivered numerous public lectures, pujas and given interviews throughout her tours across India and abroad. Her developed technique Sahaja Yoga is now popularised in 140 countries in the world.

Nirmala Srivastava was born in Chindawara, Madhya Pradesh. Her maiden name is Nirmala Salve. She was born into a family of intellectuals. Her father was a scholar and her mother was the first Indian to receive an honours degree in mathematics. Both have played a key role in India's Liberation Movement from under British rule. Her brother N. K. P. Salve is a noted politician and a former union minister. She was married to C. P. Srivastava, an IAS officer who was joint secretary to former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. The couple had two daughters.

Nirmala spent her childhood days in Nagpur and later at Sabarmati Ashram, when her parents got involved in freedom struggle movement. She was also a youth leader in those days who got jailed for her participation in Quit India Movement. She studied medicine and got married to civil servant Chandrika Prasad Srivastava in 1947. The couple had two daughters.

She began the promotion of Sahaja Yoga from May 5, 1970. While in Nagol she witnessed the rising of the Primordial Kundalini, the moment which she gained spiritual self-awareness. Later she propagated the meditation - Sahaja Yoga across the world, and believed in its greatness to heal human problems and diseases. Her husband also practised Sahaja Yoga meditation. She was also a member of the Central Board of Film Certification.

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Updated: July 23, 2018