The story of The Brahma Kumaris began in 1936 in Hyderabad, North-West India. Over a number of years, the founder, known as Brahma Baba, received a body of subtle knowledge (called Raja Yoga) about the soul, the Supreme Soul, the cycle of time and the philosophy of karma.  This meditation technique forges the highest yoga or union, between the soul and the Supreme Soul, offering a path for study and transformational change.

Key facts:

• Founded in Hyderabad, in the province of Sind, (now Pakistan) in 1936 by Dada Lekhraj Kirpalani, later known as Brahma Baba.
• Brahma Baba, a wealthy diamond merchant, experienced a series of powerful visions which revealed striking images of the world passing through a period of immense unrest, as well as images of the change required to usher in a new world for the future. The visions changed his life completely and within a year, he sold his business and established a spiritual university.

Brahma Baba realised early on that it was the qualities of the feminine that were most needed at this time.  He handed over his personal wealth to a group of young women who were entrusted with running the organisation.  From then until now, The Brahma Kumaris is the largest organisation of its kind to be led by women.

  From humble beginnings, the organisation has grown to over one million active students in over 110 countries, each person dedicating their life to the same work of inner transformation in order to bring about change in the wider world.

The role of leadership is shared between a core goup of women: Dadi Ratan Mohini, who is based at the headquarters in Mount Abu, India, is the Administrative Head of Brahma Kumaris; Didi Mohini who is based in New York and coordinates the Americas; and Sister Jayanti who is based in London and coordinates the UK, Europe and Middle East are together the Additional Administrative Heads of The Brahma Kumaris.

Key facts:

• Early on, Brahma Baba nominated a group of 12 young women to assume all administrative responsibilities for the group of almost 400 people which met regularly to study spiritual knowledge and meditate.
• Since then The Brahma Kumaris has grown into the largest spiritual organisation in the world to be led by women.
• From 1950, Headquarters in Mt Abu, Rajasthan India with several campuses including Pandav Bhawan, Gyan Sarovar (Academy for a Better World) and Shantivan.
• There are over 8,500 learning centres in over 110 countries.
• The Brahma Kumaris is an organisation for both men and women. Following the example of the founder, Brahma Baba, men willingly put women ‘in front’.
• For The Brahma Kumaris, the concept of discipleship does not exist. Brahma Baba and all subsequent Heads of the organisation (which are always women) have never positioned themselves as a guru, instead they teach through example by putting the spiritual knowledge into practice.

The Brahma Kumaris is independent of any political or religious affiliation. The worldwide network of Centres of The Brahma Kumaris is run by local volunteers, who are both students and teachers of Raja Yoga Meditation. Each country is co-ordinated at a national level with responsibility for its own governance and finances, under the umbrella of The Brahma Kumaris worldwide.

Key facts  

• The Brahma Kumaris operates on a ‘gifting basis’ offering all its courses, seminars, talks, conferences and retreats free of charge, with participants able to make a donation, if they choose.
• In addition to teaching Raja Yoga Meditation, The Brahma Kumaris centres worldwide offer courses, seminars, conferences and initiatives in personal development and self-transformation.
• Facilitated retreats on a variety of personal empowerment topics are offered to individuals, professional groups and specific communities, and are held at residential retreat centres operated by The Brahma Kumaris on all continents.

The network of The Brahma Kumaris centres worldwide works for positive change at all levels of society by raising awareness of the spiritual dimension of life. This includes the practical application of spirituality in personal development, in community building, and in strengthening resilience for the wellbeing of our planet. The Brahma Kumaris are involved in campaigns that impact civil society - raising awareness of a diverse social agenda, such as climate change, interfaith relations, values in healthcare, along with other special interest groups.

Key facts:

• The Brahma Kumaris is a non-governmental organization in general consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), in consultative status with UNICEF and affiliated to the Department of Public Information (DPI). It is also an accredited observer organization to UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The Brahma Kumaris have had a permanent office at the UN plaza in New York since 1980.
• Since 1992, a Brahma Kumaris inspired initiative, the J. Watumull Global Hospital and Research Centre and 3 other hospitals have been serving the region with a commitment to delivering health care to all irrespective of the patients economic or social standing. There is a mobile health unit which offers free health care to some of the poorest communities in India.
• Since 2017, the main campus, Shantivan, at The Brahma Kumaris Headquarters in Mount Abu, India has been powered by “India One” – a 1 MW solar thermal power plant with solar steam cooking systems, photovoltaic stand-alone systems and solar hot water plants.

The Brahma Kumaris has an oral tradition In which the knowledge received by Brahma Baba is taught in person in seven sessions - the soul, the Supreme Soul and the three worlds, the philosphy of karma, the cycle of time, the tree of life, the eight powers, the spiritual lifestyle.

Key facts:

• The soul is an eternal being, a stellar point of infinitessimal light in the centre of the forehead; the soul is beyond race and gender; and the soul pases through a series of lifetimes.
• The Supreme Soul is identical to all other souls, except that the Supreme Soul never incarnates in a physical body; remains beyond the cycle of life and death; and therefore is constantly filled with all innate powers, qualites, virtues and wisdom. In this unchangeing state the Supreme Soul holds all knowledge of the Truth and is an unending source of love.
• The knowledge of The Brahma Kumaris identifies the present moment as an important time in the history of humanity (known as the Confluence Age), when the seeds of a new cycle of time are planted, and the settlement of the past takes place - a time of immense fortune. 
• The eternal cycle of time passes through four distinct stages - the golden age, the silver age, the copper age and the iron age. And then a fifth age, the Confluence Age which bridges the old with the new.
• Students who want to commit more deeply to these teachings often choose the discipline of celibacy in their life and a vegetarian diet. There is also a spiritual practice of open-eyed meditation and spiritual study in the early morning and evening.