Liz Hodgkinson

Dadi Janki a Century of Service Liz Hodgkinson

Dadi Janki, the unusual subject of this biography, presides over a unique global spiritual empire run and led by women. Born in 1916 into a traditional Hindu family, she was expected to follow the standard pattern for Indian women of the day, which was to succumb to an arranged marriage at the earliest possible opportunity and then disappear from view. But she had other ideas. Since the age of two, she has only ever wanted to connect to one being, and that is God. She never sought nor desired any other relationship and she managed to escape her unwanted marriage in order to dedicate her life to spiritual study, service and contemplation. She joined the Brahma Kumaris, then in its infancy, in 1937, and for many years, ran centres in India. In the early 1970s, the decision was taken to try and introduce the movement to the West and Dadi Janki arrived in London with no real idea how she would do it. Her task was made especially difficult as she arrived not speaking any English, with no money, no influence and nowhere to live. But with God as her constant companion, she never gave up and within 20 years of being in London, had established the Brahma Kumaris as a respected, influential, worldwide organization. This is the story of how she did it.