Shri mataji biography

Indian spiritual teacher

Nirmala Srivastava (née Nirmala Salve; 21 March 1923 – 23 February 2011), also known as Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, was the founder and guru^[1] of Sahaja Yoga, a new religious movement.^[2][3] She claimed to have been born fully realised and spent her life working for peace by developing and promoting a simple technique through which people can achieve their self-realization.^[4][5]

Early life

Born in Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh, India to a Hindu father and a Christian mother Prasad and Cornelia Salve, her parents named her Nirmala, which means "immaculate".^[6][7] She said that she was born self-realised.^[8] Her father, a scholar of fourteen languages, translated the Quran into Marathi, and her mother was the first woman in India to receive an honours degree in mathematics.^[5] Shri Mataji descended from the royal Shalivahana/Sa