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Dadi Janki (Brahma Kumari) Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 4, 2026 • 3 min read

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Quick Info

Date of birth1 January 1916

Age104 (at time of death)

BirthplaceSindh (now in Pakistan)

ProfessionMotivational Speaker and Spiritual Teacher

NationalityIndian

Dadi Janki (Brahma Kumari) Biography

Dadi Janki (born Janki Kripalani) was a longtime spiritual teacher and administrator of the Prajapita Brahma Kumaris Godly Spiritual University. Born in 1–

Early life and background

Janki Kripalani, known widely as Dadi Janki, was born on 1 January 1916 in the Sindh region, an area that is now part of Pakistan. Raised with a strong religious atmosphere, she listened to traditional spiritual texts from an early age. Although she entered an arranged marriage as a teenager, she later embraced the celibate spiritual life of the Brahma Kumaris.

Career

Dadi Janki met the founder of the Brahma Kumaris movement, Dada Lekhraj (Brahma Baba), while still young and was drawn to the group he was forming, originally called Om Mandli. Despite family resistance she left home in 1937 to join the community and devote herself to spiritual service. Over the following decades she traveled across India helping to establish centers and teach the organisation's practices. After the partition of India, the Brahma Kumaris relocated from Karachi to Mount Abu; Dadi Janki continued her work there and was mentored by senior sister Mateshwari (Mamma).

Following the deaths of key founders and leaders in the 1960s, responsibility for running the organisation passed to a group of senior sisters known as the Dadis, among whom Dadi Janki was a principal figure. In 1974 she accepted an invitation to visit London, helping to launch the Brahma Kumaris' first European centre despite initial hesitation about English-language communication.

Her public activities included long international journeys to spread the movement's teachings. In 1997 a charitable trust named the Janki Foundation for Global Health Care was established in London. Dadi Janki continued to lecture and represent the organisation at events worldwide, traveling tens of thousands of kilometers for spiritual work; in 2019 she covered more than 72,000 km in India and abroad.

Recognition and roles

Scientists at the Medical and Science Research Institute at the University of Texas studied Dadi Janki's brain activity and reported an unusually steady mental state during a variety of everyday and cognitive tasks. Over the years she received honours for humanitarian service, including the Grand Cordon of the First Order of Al Istiklal (the Medal of Independence) from King Abdullah II of Jordan in 2004.

After the passing of Dadi Prakashmani in 2007, Dadi Janki became the chief administrator of the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University (also referred to as Prajapita Brahma Kumaris Godly Spiritual University). In 2015 she was appointed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a brand ambassador for the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan campaign. Academic recognition included an honorary doctorate awarded by GITAM University, Visakhapatnam, in 2017.

Public profile

Dadi Janki authored several books, including titles such as Companion of God, Wings of Soul, and Pearls of Wisdom, and she was the subject of multiple biographical works. Under her leadership and through the efforts of many teachers, the Brahma Kumaris grew into an international organisation with thousands of centres worldwide.

Her teaching attracted a diverse following, and she shared stages with other well-known Brahma Kumaris teachers. Public figures and celebrities in India have been among those influenced by her work.

Personal notes

Physically, Dadi Janki was about 157 cm (5 ft 2 in) tall and described as having black eyes and salt-and-pepper hair. She followed a vegetarian diet, enjoyed reading, cooking and playing musical instruments, and had an educational background reported as up to the 4th standard.

Death

Dadi Janki died on 27 March 2020 at Global Hospital in Mount Abu, Rajasthan. She was 104 years old.

Latest updates

Beyond organisational leadership and publishing, Dadi Janki’s legacy includes the international expansion of the Brahma Kumaris and the establishments that continue to operate in over 130 countries. Her later years were marked by travel, public speaking and recognition from both civic and academic institutions.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Dadi Janki (Brahma Kumari), send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded

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Recent Work

Companion of God

One of several books authored by Dadi Janki.

Wings of Soul

One of several books authored by Dadi Janki.

Pearls of Wisdom

One of several books authored by Dadi Janki.

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Career Highlights

  1. Joined the Brahma Kumaris movement in 1937 and helped expand it across India.
  2. Visited London in 1974 and contributed to founding the first European Brahma Kumaris centre.
  3. Declared chief administrator of the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University in 2007.
  4. Awarded the Grand Cordon of the First Order of Al Istiklal by King Abdullah II of Jordan in 2004.
  5. Appointed brand ambassador of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan in 2015.
  6. Received an honorary doctorate from GITAM University in 2017.
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Dadi Janki (Brahma Kumari) born?

Dadi Janki (Brahma Kumari) was born on 1 January 1916.

What is Dadi Janki (Brahma Kumari) known for?

Dadi Janki (Brahma Kumari) is known for motivational Speaker and Spiritual Teacher.