Anandamayi Ma
You ever look into someone’s eyes & just know they’re different - with a pure, divine presence in them?
One of the many such saints from our culture is Sri Anandamayi Ma, and here’s her story.
Ma was born as Nirmala Sundari Devi in 1896 in Kheora, present-day Bangladesh. As a child, she was always detached, deeply absorbed, introspective, and often lost in contemplation - which led many people around her to think she was mad.
As per the customs of those days, she was married very young to Bholanath. Over time, after witnessing her performing complex yogic postures and going into deep trance states, he realized that his wife was a manifestation of the Divine Mother, Kali Ma. Miraculously, he became her disciple and devoted himself to serving her.
Despite having little formal education, Ma performed her own self-initiation in 1992 on a full-moon night (Purnima). She later described that, as the guru, she revealed the mantra, and as the disciple, she accepted it - enacting the entire initiation spontaneously, without prior instruction.
She then traveled around Dhaka and across India, meeting people at temples and giving spiritual guidance. It was during this time that she attracted many followers - one of whom, Bhaiji, gave her the name Anandamayi Ma, meaning “Mother filled with Bliss.”
She’s an important figure because she was a living example of two profound life lessons:
First, she always referred to herself as a little girl, saying she always has been and always will be the same. She spoke about the super-consciousness within all of us, saying “All is God.” She never identified with labels, referring to her body as “this body,” and was often in a state of constant samadhi or bliss.
Just being in her calming, humble, and simple presence made people feel light, liberated, and at peace. She never preached complicated doctrines, always offering simple, personal encouragement - often revealing people’s biggest flaws, but accepting them compassionately and without judgment.
She was visited by other yogis, mystics, great gurus, and even political leaders - all of whom said she seemed to be already one with God, always in samadhi.
Second, to realize this God within us, she taught the path of bhakti - living each day with true love and service for God, and serving society. Her Sanyam Saptah retreats emphasized deep meditation, naam jaap, kirtans, and satsangs to foster communal love and spiritual growth.
She left her body in 1982 at the age of 86 but today, if you visit her ashrams in Kankhal (Haridwar), Varanasi, Dehradun, Pune, Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, and Ranchi, you’ll feel her peaceful presence all around.
Her charitable hospitals, institutions, and organizations continue to spread her message of love and peace.