Nirmala Srivastava, also known as Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, was the founder and guru of Sahaja Yoga, a new religious movement. She was born on March 21, 1923, in Chindawara, Madhya Pradesh, India. Her father, Prasad Salve, was a scholar, and her mother, Cornelia Salve, was the first woman in India to receive an honors degree in mathematics. Nirmala Srivastava claimed to have been born fully realized and spent her life working for peace by developing and promoting a technique for self-realization.

In her early life, she was involved in the struggle for Indian independence and was jailed for participating in the Quit India Movement in 1942. She studied at the Christian Medical College in Ludhiana and the Balakram Medical College in Lahore. In 1947, shortly before India achieved independence, she married Chandrika Prasad Srivastava, a high-ranking Indian civil servant. They had two daughters.

Nirmala Srivastava passed away on February 23, 2011.

Nirmala Srivastava founded Sahaja Yoga in 1970. Sahaja Yoga is described as the pure, universal religion integrating all other religions. She claimed to be a divine incarnation, specifically an incarnation of the Holy Spirit or the Adi Shakti of the Hindu tradition. Sahaja Yoga has been categorized as a cult by some.

In her later work, Nirmala Srivastava set up charitable organizations and promoted classical music and fine arts. She gave public lectures, pujas, and interviews until 2004 when her official website announced that she had completed her work and Sahaja Yoga centers existed in almost every country.

Nirmala Srivastava received honors and recognition throughout her life. She was declared "Personality of the Year" by the Italian Government in 1986 and was invited by the United Nations for four consecutive years to speak about achieving world peace. She received honorary memberships and doctorates from various institutions and was honored in different countries, including being awarded honorary Italian citizenship in 2006.