NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Norcross, GA, May 13, 2025: Sadhvi Ritambhara, a Hindu spiritual leader known for her oratory skills and activism during the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, addressed a gathering at the Global Mall’s Impact Conference Center to promote Shree Sarvamangla Peetham—a planned spiritual and cultural complex in Vrindavan that aims to preserve India’s ancient heritage while supporting social welfare and women’s empowerment.
The event, titled “An Afternoon of Blessings, Inspiration & Seva,” was organized by the World Hindu Council of America and hosted by Global Mall owner Shiv Aggarwal.
Sadhvi Sathyapriya introduced Sadhvi Ritambhara, or Didi Maa, as she is called among her followers, describing her as a trailblazer who fearlessly championed the Ram Janmabhoomi movement during a time of immense challenge. “Today it is easy to speak of Hindu Dharma and the idea of a Hindu nation,” she said. “But Didi Maa spoke at 25 events a day, waking up a country when few dared to. It is due to that struggle that Lord Ram has now come home to Ayodhya after 500 years.”
Didi Maa called upon the diaspora to become ambassadors of India and upholders of Sanatana Dharma. Thanking Shiv Aggarwal for organizing the gathering, she emphasized that the karmabhoomi (land of action), like the United States, is just as sacred as the janmabhoomi (birth land). “Wherever you go, you create a new Bharat,” she said. “Because Bharat is not just geography—it is a thought, a philosophy, a way of life.”
Didi Maa’s talk highlighted several key themes: pride in Hindu heritage, unity among Hindus worldwide, and the importance of preserving traditional values in a changing world. Expressing concern over the erosion of cultural norms, she remarked, “We now celebrate women who drink, smoke, and disrespect parents. Is that the direction we want to go?”
She called for the celebration of self-respecting women (swabhimani nari), drawing on stories from Indian epics. “Why do we use labels like widow, divorcee, childless, orphan?” she asked, recounting how questions about social injustice first stirred her consciousness as a young girl.
Didi Maa also spoke about her ongoing mission—Vatsalyagram, a sprawling 52-acre campus in Vrindavan that offers a loving home and holistic care for abandoned and marginalized children and women.
At Vatsalya Gram, destitute women are offered shelter, sustenance, healthcare, and vocational training. Programs such as Udyamita train women in tailoring, handicrafts, food processing, and digital skills to help them achieve financial independence. Women are also integrated into family-like units called Vatsalya Parivars, which include surrogate mothers and grandmothers, creating a nurturing environment and restoring a sense of community and dignity.
Through the U.S.-based Param Shakti Peeth of America Foundation (PSP), her current tour is raising funds for Shree Sarvmangla Peetham, a major spiritual and cultural center under construction at Vatsalyagram.
Once completed, Shree Sarvmangla Peetham will feature a 2,500-seat congregation hall, a digital museum, a library, a yagyashala, and a visitor gallery. Envisioned as the world’s first Sanskritik Tirtha (cultural pilgrimage site), it will depict India’s four Yugas and incorporate architectural elements symbolizing the three Gunas—Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas.
“Feeding someone is not difficult,” said Didi Maa. “But giving someone the means to live with dignity—that is the real seva.” Vatsalyagram, she shared, has already helped raise hundreds of children, many of whom are now engineers, lawyers, and doctors.
Sadhvi Ritambhara also referenced the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir. “They say terrorism has no religion,” she remarked, “but then why did they ask the tourists for their religion?”
Host Shiv Aggarwal praised the growing unity among Hindu Americans and expressed support for recent political efforts to counter Hinduphobia. Georgia State Senator Shawn Still, who introduced the Hinduphobia Bill, was also present at the event. “This is the power of our collective voice,” Aggarwal said.
Johns Creek City Council member Dilip Tunki and Consul Nishi Arora, Head of Chancery from the Office of the Consulate General of India, Atlanta also attended the event.
Lunch and mahaprasad were served after the talk, as attendees gathered in a spirit of community and reflection.
