Radhe Tu Badhbhagini Kaun Tapasya Kin, Teen Lok Taaran Tarn So Tere Adheen. (Radhe you are very fortunate, what penance have you done? The salvation of the three worlds is under your control).These words were said by Neem Karoli Baba to Shri Siddhi Maa. Baba Baba Sab Kahein Maiyya Kahe Naa Koye, Baba Ke Darbar Mein Maiyya Kahe So Hoye. (Everyone says Baba Baba, but no one says Maa. In Baba’s court whatever Maa says happens.)
If Neem Karoli Baba was an incarnation of Hanuman Ji, then Shri Maa was herself Katyayani Swarupini (an incarnation of Maa Durga). Baba had said about Shri Maa on his arrival in Nainital – “I have come here for Katyayani (Shri Maa)”.
Shri Siddhi Maa’s Birth
Shri Siddhi Maa was born on 31st March 1928, on the Dashami Tithi of Chaitra Navratri, to Shri Sah and Smt. Revati Devi, in Almora, a city nestled in the lap of the Himalayas, Uttarakhand.
Her childhood name was Haripriya, but her father fondly called her Siddhi. One of her seven sisters, she was her father’s favourite child and used to help him in his shop after school.
One day, in the thirties, people were surprised to see a tall sadhu (Neem Karoli Baba) wrapped in a blanket in Shri Pyarelal Sah’s shop in the market of Almora. They did not know then that Maharaj Ji had come to bless Shri Sah’s seven-year-old little daughter, Siddhi, who would later become his biggest devotee.
Shri Siddhi Maa’s Childhood
Shri Maa grew up in a very cultured and spiritual environment and she too had a very spiritual inclination since childhood. After waking up early in the morning, Shri Maa used to write Ram Ram on a wooden slate with her sisters. She used to compete with her sisters as to who would write the most beautiful name of Ram.
After writing the name of Ram, Shri Maa used to recite Shri Hanuman Chalisa with her sisters and drink Gangajal (water of Holy Ganges River), only after that breakfast was eaten in their house and they used to go to school.
Shri Maa was only eight years old when she used to go to the nearby temples every evening for Aarti with her childhood friend Lakshmi. At home too, Shri Maa kept a picture of Shri Radha-Krishna in a cupboard built on the wall, which she used to decorate with very beautiful flowers.
Shri Maa liked the Shri Raghunath temple of Almora the most, where Swami Vivekananda had also meditated. When she was young, she used to sit on the lap of the idol of Lord Ganesh, avoiding the eyes of the priest. In her childhood, during vacations, she used to play Shri Ram Leela and Shri Krishna Leela (play enactments of Rama and Krishna’s life) with other children in the nearby premises.
Shri Ma had a very compassionate nature since her childhood. Not far from her house lived an old woman named Kaushalya who had no one and she made a living by selling the milk of her cow. After returning from school, Shri Ma used to help Kaushalya Amma by cutting grass for the cow and collecting wood for the stove. After Kaushalya Amma passed away, Shri Ma also performed her Shraddha-Tarpan on the banks of the Falgu River in Gaya.
Neem Karoli’s Baba Meeting With Shri Maa
Shri Ma was married to Shri Tularaam Saha, a well-known lawyer of Nainital, in 1944, who lived with his joint family in Mallital.
One day, Neem Karoli Baba came to visit Shri Ram Saha, a businessman of Nainital. Shri Ma also went to have Maharaj Ji’s Darshan (to see Maharaj-ji) with her family. Shri Ma was sitting at the back, then Maharaj Ji asked her to come forward.
Shri Ma bowed to Maharaj Ji and then Maharaj Ji gave everyone the details of Shri Ma’s Sadhana, how Shri Ma remained above the water like a lotus, how she remained absorbed in the devotion and Sadhana of God even while living in the world and fulfilling her worldly responsibilities.
Maharaj Ji then prophesied that he would build a hut for Shri Ma in Vrindavan. In course of time, Maharaj Ji’s prophecy came true and he built Hanuman Ji’s temple on the Parikrama Marg in Vrindavan and his ashram along with Maa Vrindavaneshwari (Maa Durga) and Shri Ma’s hut.
Shri Ma’s house, Geeta Bhawan, became a place of satsang for the women of Nainital where kirtan and Ramayana recitation started on every auspicious occasion. After the Hanuman temple was built in Hanumangarh, Maharaj Ji also started coming to Nainital to visit Shri Ma. Shri Ma’s family also went with Maharaj Ji to pilgrimage places for darshan. After the death of Shri Tularam Sah (Shri Ma’s husband) in 1962, Shri Ma started living with Jeevanti Ma in Kainchi Dham Ashram.
Shri Jivanti Mataji/Choti Mataji
The day Maharaj Ji gave darshan to Shri Ma, Jeevanti Maa/Chhoti Mataji was also present in the gathering. Jeevanti Maa was a teacher in a government school and her husband had passed away long ago. Shri Jeevanti left her government school after some time and lived with Shri Ma in Kainchi Dham Ashram for decades until her last days.
Arrangement of Maharaj-ji’s Ashrams after his Mahasamadhi
Maharaj Ji took Samadhi in Vrindavan in 1973. A day before leaving his body, Maharaj Ji gave his book in which he used to write Ram Naam daily to Shri Maa in Kainchi. Perhaps it was a hint given by Maharaj Ji to make Shri Maa his spiritual successor.
After Maharaj Ji’s Mahasamadhi, when his devotees were filled with despair and disappointment, it was Shri Maa’s resolve and unwavering devotion towards Maharaj Ji that again made the Hanuman temples and ashrams established by Maharaj Ji functional, mainly while staying in Kainchi Dham.
Maharaj Ji, while staying in his hut in Kainchi, had also prophesied that one more temple would be built here. It was Shri Maa’s resolve that made Maharaj Ji’s prophecy come true and Maharaj Ji’s temple was built in Kainchi Dham, which today people come to visit from far and wide.
When Shri Maa lived in Kainchi, she would not send anyone away disappointed without giving her darshan. She was an epitome of compassion and used to say that people come from such far-off places and it is not right to send them back disappointed without giving them darshan.
Renovation of Neeb Karori Dham – The place where Baba Neem Karoli performed spiritual penance for years, by Shri Maa
Shri Ma used to ask Maharaj Ji to take her to Neeb Karori Dham, where Maharaj Ji had meditated for years. Maharaj Ji would then say to Shri Ma – You will go and as soon as you go, thousands of people will come there and they will laugh, dance, sing and even cry in front of you.
Maharaj Ji’s prediction came true. Shri Ma did not go to Neeb Karori while Maharaj Ji was alive, but after his Samadhi, in the eighth decade, Shri Ma went to Neeb Karori village. There she tried to find Maharaj Ji’s cave in the fields – in which he used to sit and meditate – by getting it excavated through a tractor with the help of the villagers, but was not successful.
Then an old man came and said to dig where Shri Maa was standing and when the digging was done, Maharaj Ji’s cave was found where he used to do penance, along with that his havan kund, havan ash, Gauri-Ganesh worshipped by Baba, tongs and other things were also found which Shri Maa took to Kainchi Dham.
Maharaj Ji’s prediction also came true, as soon as Shri Maa came to the village, thousands of people started coming to her. Festivals, bhandaras (giving consecrated food to people) and religious kirtans started being organized, everyone started chanting, “Mataji ki jai, Mataji ki jai.” Everyone started coming to Shri Maa and taking blessings for the relief of their problems and welfare and in no time, Neeb Karori Dham was also renovated.
Shri Maa’s Spiritual Powers
The whole world is aware of the divine powers of Maharaj Ji, therefore I will describe the spiritual powers of Shri Maa here. In the words of Maharaj Ji – Shri Maa is the form of Katyayani (Maa Durga), wherever she goes, there will be only auspiciousness.
1) Once Shri Siddhi Maa went to visit the Dwarkadhish temple in Gujarat, even after much flattery, the priest there gave her a room to stay in the temple for only one day and asked her to vacate it in the morning.
When the priest went to Siddhi Maa in the morning, he saw Dwarkadhish Lord Shri Krishna in Maharaj Ji’s picture. Then the priest bowed down to Maharaj Ji’s picture and Siddhi Maa, apologized to Shri Maa and asked her to stay as long as she wishes.
2) Once in Kainchi Dham Ashram, after Maharaj Ji’s Samadhi, Jeff Scholes, the founder of e-bay, came with Dr. Larry Brilliant. Shri Ma gave him a white stone in the shape of an oval shaped Shiva linga, usually found on the banks of a river.
After this Jeff Scholes became emotional and his eyes became moist. When asked the reason, he told that on his world tour he had met a fakir in Afghanistan who had told him that when someone gives you a white stone, then understand that your journey is complete.
3) Once a German citizen came to Shri Ma’s camp during the Kumbh Mela. He was a partner owner of the German car company Mercedes Benz. He spoke to Shri Ma somewhat rudely, but Shri Maa’s compassionate look was enough to change his heart
He started praying to Shri Ma to stay in her proximity for his entire life to serve her. Then Shri Ma blessed him and asked him to return to his field of work. He again went away after receiving Shri Ma’s blessings.
Shri Maa’s Teachings
Shri Maa always told her followers to live a pure, simple and austere life devoted to the service of humanity and always have faith in god. She also emphasized the importance of chanting Ram Naam (Name of Ram), saying that chanting the name of Ram is very magical and brings about a change in one’s whole life, very few know about the secret power of chanting Ram Ram.
Shri Maa’s Mahasamadhi
Shri Ma took Samadhi at a place called Tirtham in Nainital on 28 December 2017. Her temple vigrahas are located in Kainchi Dham and Hanuman Setu, Lucknow.
May the blessings of Shri Maa and Maharaj ji always be with you. May they always protect you and guide you on your spiritual journey. Jai Siyaram!
