Nirmala Srivastava
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Shri Mataji Nirmala Srivastava or Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi (born March 21, 1923 in Chindawara, India) is the founder of Sahaja Yoga. She is also worshipped as the "Adi Shakti".[3]
Nirmala Srivastava was born to Christian parents, Prasad and Cornelia Salve, and claims descent from the royal Shalivan (or Shalivahan) dynasty. Her parents named her Nirmala, which means "immaculate." [1]
In her youth Nirmala Srivastava stayed in the ashram of Mahatma Gandhi. Like her parents, she was involved in the Indian independence movement;[2] as a young woman she was a youth leader, and participated in the Quit India Movement.[3] [4]
Shortly before India achieved independence in 1947, Nirmala married Chandrika Prasad Srivastava.[3] They have two daughters, Kalpana [4] and Sadhana [5].
Nirmala Srivastava has stated that the potential for all humanity to gain spiritual self awareness was realized on May 5, 1970, which she characterizes as a "historical process of en-masse self-realization and inner transformation".
In 2004 the official website of Sahaja Yoga announced that Nirmala Srivastava had completed her work. [5] From 1970 to 2004 as Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, Nirmala Srivastava had travelled extensively across the world spreading Sahaja Yoga, giving numerous public lectures, and interviews to newspapers, television and radio. She is the founder of Sahaja Yoga International or Vishwa Nirmala Dharma, an organization aimed at building social projects, promoting culture through music and art, and teaching Sahaja Yoga meditation.
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[edit] International honours
She was declared "Personality of the Year" in 1986 by the Italian government.[6] In 1994, the Administrator of Brasilia, Brazil's capital city, who sponsored her programs, welcomed her at the airport and presented her with the key to the city [7]
As an official guest of the Chinese government, Nirmala Srivastava was invited to speak at the Fourth International Women's Conference in Beijing[8][9], and was awarded an honorary doctorate in Cognitive and Parapsychological Sciences by the Ecological University Bucharest, Romania.[10] She was given a proclamation by the U.S. Congress in 1997.[11]
She has been recognized and greeted by mayors or city officials in North America, including Cincinnati, Ohio in 1992; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1993; Los Angeles, California in 1993 and 1994; British Columbia in 1994; Yonkers, New York in 1994 and 1996; Berkeley, California in 1997 and Salt Lake City, Utah in 2003. [12]
[edit] 2007 Indian flag controversy
In 2007, two images showing the Indian national flag at the feet of Niramala Srivastava were circulated on the Internet through blogs and e-mails which clearly shows the gross and intentional disrespect and insult to the Indian National flag by Nirmala Devi. The picture showed her husband, a former IAS officer and chief of the SCI seated next to her.
Later, Rajendra Kumar, a trustee of Sahaja Yoga Trust issued an apology on behalf of Nirmala Devi stating that the Sahaja Yogis have the "highest and deepest respect" for the National Flag. The apology further stated[6][7]:
| “ | Possibly, at an Independence Day function held abroad, some foreigner Sahaja Yogi brought our Flag and without meaning any disrespect, kept it on the ground. The Flag was respectfully removed immediately on being noticed. Shri Mataji NirmalaDevi asks us all to respect National Flags of all countries. This unintended but serious mistake is greatly regretted. Not even the slightest disrespect to our National Flag will ever be tolerated. To all those whose feelings have been hurt by this wholly unintended and unfortunate error, we express the assurance that we fully share their anguish and we extend our deeply felt and sincerest regrets and unqualified apologies. | ” |
[edit] References
- ^ H.P.Salve, My memoirs (New Delhi: LET, 2000), chapter 1
- ^ H.P.Salve, My memoirs (New Delhi: LET, 2000), chapters 3 and 4
- ^ a b H.P.Salve, My memoirs (New Delhi: LET, 2000), chapter 4
- ^ A message for one and all, The Hindu, April 7, 2003 [1]
- ^ "Shri Mataji has completed Her work" [2]
- ^ http://www.ndtvblogs.com/views/viewcomments.asp?gl_guid=&blogname=Continuum&q_blogid=10741
- ^ Mata Nirmala Devi's Sahaj Yoga Trust apologizes over disrespect to tricolour
[edit] Bibliography
- Mataji Shri Nirmala Devi, Meta Modern Era (New Delhi: Ritana Books, 1997) ISBN 81-852-500-19
- H.P.Salve [Shri Nirmala Srivastava's brother], My memoirs (New Delhi: LET Books, 2000)
- Gregoire de Kalbermatten, The Advent (Bombay, 1979: reprint: New York: daisyamerica, 2002) ISBN 1-932496-00-X
- Gregoire de Kalbermatten, The Third Advent (New York: daisyamerica, 2003; Melbourne: Penguin Australia, 2004; Delhi: Penguin India, 2004) ISBN 1-932406-07-7
[edit] External links
