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."

In her youth Nirmala Srivastava stayed in the ashram of Mahatma Gandhi. Like her parents, she was involved in the Indian independence movement; as a young woman she was a youth leader, and participated in the Quit India Movement.

Shortly before India achieved independence in 1947, Nirmala married Chandrika Prasad Srivastava.They have two daughters, Kalpana and Sadhana.

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. 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.

A knowledge of the roots

Sahaja Yoga is a method of meditation which brings a breakthrough in the evolution of human awareness. It was created by Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi in 1970 and has since spread all around the world.

In Shri Mataji's own words: "Global unity of mankind can be achieved through this awakening that can occur within each human being, so that transformation takes place within us. By this process a person becomes moral, united, integrated and balanced. One actually gets the experience of the feeling of the all-pervading divine power as cool breeze. "Know thyself" is the main theme of all the scriptures - it becomes evident and one reaches the absolute understanding of oneself.

Thus one becomes peaceful and joyous in life. One becomes collective as a drop falling into the ocean of compassion. This method works for the multitudes and not individually. Of course one cannot pay for the experience of Divine Love. Moreover, it is the last breakthrough of our evolution. This is the actualization of such transformation, which is taking place now, worldwide, and has been proved and experienced by hundreds of thousands in over 85 countries."