Childhood & Family Home

Her family the Shalivahanas were Christian and of noble decent. They are direct descendants of the Shalivahana's royal dynasty, which reigned in the Indian province of Maharashtra from 230 B.C. to 230 years after Christ.Shri Mataji passed Her childhood years in the family house in Nagpur. Nirmala was very happy and was loved by everyone. Most of the time, She was bursting with childhood energy and inspired Her playmates of all different ages in drama, songs and dance. Other times, one might find Her alone in a remote corner of the house, with Her face beaming with inward joy, lost in meditation. She would even go to school barefoot in order to feel Mother Earth.

Sahaja Yoga is the culmination of Shri Mataji's work. She spent her childhood in Mahatma Gandhi's ashram and was one of the leaders in the youth movements during India's fights for independence from the British Empire. Shri Mataji was born with the consciousness that enlightenment is the natural right of every human being, and she developed the method of Sahaja Yoga (meaning, "spontaneous union") to share this experience with humanity. In recognition of her contribution, she was nominated twice for the Nobel Peace Prize.