Kumari Basanti Manihar
Kumari Basanti ji Manihar (M.A., B.Ed.)) was born on September 28,1942 in Jodhpur, in a very respectable, prosperous and well-educated family of Advocate Shri Harkalalji Manihar and Smt. Sirekanwarji. She was the grand-daughter of the reputed Advocate Shri Sohanlal ji Manihar. She was of simple, virtuous and philanthropic thoughts since childhood.
In the year 1964, Maa Basanti Manihar came in spiritual contact with Bhaiya Shri Nandkishore Sharda who was her maternal cousin. While discussing spirituality with Bhaiyaji, she firmly decided that she would also follow the spiritual path under his guidance. Her father permitted her onto the spiritual path only after thoroughly examining her and Shri Nandkishore ji Sharda through extremely tough spiritual tests. In 1964, under the guidance of Shri Shardaji, Kumari Basanti Manihar (reverently addressed as 'Maa' by all) renounced all material comforts, devoted herself to Divine Mother ‘Maa Jagatjanani’, performed divine spiritual practices and received divine eternal knowledge from Bhaiya ji. In fact, she was always showered with the divine blessings of Bhaiya ji and Divine Mother Maa Jagatjanani.
Bhaiyaji has mentioned the following about her in his diary-
For a long time, Bhaiya Shri Nandkishore Sharda, Maa Basanti Manihar and Maa Madhubala Advani performed ‘sadhna’ in Maniharon Ki Haveli, Kabootaron Ka Chowk, Jodhpur, with full devotion and concentration and attained the highest state of ‘sadhna’.
In 1995, on the auspicious day of Basant-Panchami, the construction of ‘Manidweep’ got completed and with the wish of divine Mother “Maa Tripurasundari’, the ‘Maa Family’ shifted to “Manidweep” from “Maniharon Ki Haveli” on June 10, 1995. The divine ‘sadhna’ of Bhaiya ji, Maa Basanti Manihar and Madhu Maa continued incessantly over here also.
After Sri Nandkishore Sharda left for heavenly abode in 2003, Maa Basanti ji took care of all the works initiated by Bhaiyaji very efficiently and carried them forward in such a meticulous way that the seed sown by Bhaiyaji took the form of a huge tree. She operated all the trusts very efficiently. She made two resolutions – the first resolution was to propagate Bhaiya ji’s extremely simplified divine knowledge for the welfare of the masses, which she followed throughout her life even in the most adverse circumstances, and the second resolution, that as long as I am alive, I will continue to do ‘satkarma’, which she did till the end.
In order to make Bhaiyaji's divine knowledge accessible to the general masses, Maa Basanti ji first published the book "Manidweep Ka Adhyatama Purush - Shri Nandkishore Sharda" in 2003. This divine book contains the memoirs of about 300 dignitaries of Jodhpur on the personality and works of Bhaiyaji, and portrays his divine philosophy of life, his contribution towards propagation of education and his spiritual philosophy. Thereafter, the ambrosial knowledge imparted by the Divine Mother to Bhaiyaji, was published in the form of book "Wonderful World After Death" (Hindi and English language) by Maa Basanti in 2003. Subsequently, she published the book "Maa Tripurasundari Ke Laadle Chakradhari Yug Pravartak Adhyatma Yogi Shri Nandkishore Sharda" based on Bhaiya ji's personality, life, spiritual practices and work in 2015.
Through the Sunday Morning classes, Maa Basanti ji inculcated high moral values in the college girls and transformed their personality. She increased their self-confidence, instilled unwavering devotion and faith in God and created interest towards education. Consequently, positive thinking generated in the girl students and virtues started developing in them. A mass revolution in the field of education started taking form. Educated, cultured girl students are now becoming good citizens.
In the Sunday evening sessions conducted for the benefit of adults, Maa Basanti ji, through the process of coordination between Spirituality and Materialism (based on the divine knowledge and “Buddhi Vivek Yog Sadhna” propagated by Bhaiya ji) would explain the objectives of human life and solve the difficult problems of the seekers so quickly that they started living a blissful life full of enthusiasm and prosperity despite living in the materialistic world. She made the family life of all the truth seekers very blissful, without which the spiritual journey cannot begin. By making positive changes in the thought process through the practice of “Buddhi Vivek Yog Sadhna” and changing the attitude of seeing things, she laid the foundation of spirituality in the common family man.
