Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswatiji, President of Divine Shakti Foundation

Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswatiji

PRESIDENT OF DIVINE SHAKTI FOUNDATION

Sadhviji is a renowned spiritual leader and motivational speaker, based in Rishikesh, India. Originally from Los Angeles, California, and a graduate of Stanford University, Sadhviji has lived on the banks of the sacred Ganga river, in the lap of the Himalayas for nearly 25 years engaged in spiritual service, wisdom teaching, sacred action, and deep spiritual practice.

At Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh, where she lives most of the year, she gives daily spiritual discourses (satsang), teaches meditation, provides spiritual counseling and mentoring, and oversees myriad charitable and humanitarian projects and activities.

Sadhviji serves as:

  • Secretary-General of the Global Interfaith WASH Alliance, an international interfaith organization dedicated to clean water, sanitation & hygiene (WASH).
  • President of Divine Shakti Foundation, a foundation which runs free schools, vocational training programs and empowerment programs.
  • Director of the world-famous International Yoga Festival at Parmarth which has been covered in Time Magazine, CNN, New York Times and other prestigious publications.

Sadhviji is a renowned, motivational speaker and best-selling author who gives keynote addresses at large fora, on a wide variety of topics ranging from conscious business to science and spirituality to sustainable development to the keys of happiness and peace in life to all aspects of yoga. Her talks blend the knowledge and logic of the West with the insights, spirituality and wisdom of the East, and she is renowned as a spiritual bridge between the two cultures.

She has spoken at several United Nations events, including with the Secretary-General and Deputy Secretary-General of the UN, and at many high-level international conferences and summits.

She has been featured in CNN, NY Times, Discovery Channel, Travel Channel, BBC, NPR, Times of India, Dainik Jagran and many other renowned news networks.

Sadhviji has received numerous national and international awards and recognition for her work with Water, Sanitation and Hygiene as well as women’s upliftment and empowerment including from the Cabinet Minister of Water Resources, Government of India as well as from the Ambassador of the United States to India.

Sadhviji also serves on:

  • United Nations Faith Advisory Council on Religion.
  • The Steering Committee for Partnership for Religion and Sustainable Development (PaRD), an international body comprising the governments of twelve countries (including United States, UK, and Germany), the United Nations, the World Bank, the African Union, and the world’s renowned faith based organizations.
  • The Steering Committee for the World Bank-United Nations campaign with international faith based organizations of the “Moral Imperative to End Extreme Poverty.”

Sadhviji is the author of By God’s Grace, a biography of her Guru His Holiness Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji and Come Home to Yourself, a book of wisdom teachings published by Penguin RandomHouse, both on the Amazon Bestsellers List.

She was raised in an American family in Hollywood, California and graduated from Stanford University. She was completing her Ph.D. when she left America in 1996 to live at Parmarth Niketan in Rishikesh, India.

She was officially initiated into the order of Sanyas (monastic renunciation) in the year 2000, by His Holiness Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji, one of the most revered spiritual leaders in India and the President of Parmarth Niketan.

She has a Ph.D in Psychology and was the Managing Editor for the monumental project of the 11-volume Encyclopedia of Hinduism. In addition, she contributes regularly for publications including Huffington Post, Dainik Jagran, Speaking Tree/Times of India, Thrive Global, The Pioneer, and other renowned publications.