The Life of Shri Mataji

BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD

Nirmala Salve was born on March 21, 1923 to a Christian family in Chhindvara, India. Her parents were Prasad and Cornelia Salve. Seeing the beauty of their child, they called her Nirmala, which means “immaculate.”

India had been under British rule for nearly 200 years. Her parents played an important role in India’s liberation movement. Her father was a member of the Constituent Assembly of India and helped write the first constitution. He was a renowned scholar, master of 14 languages, and translated the Koran into Marathi. Her mother was the first woman in India to receive an Honors Degree in Mathematics.

As a child, Nirmala lived with her parents in the ashram of Mahatma Gandhi. He saw the wisdom of this child and sought her advice on spiritual matters, affectionately calling her Nepali.