Ashramchela

Hari Om

As a chela who lives in Mas’s immediate proximity, he is always at Ma’s side—even when Ma is giving darshan. He often serves as a kind of link between Ma, her chelas, and the ashram’s visitors.

Hari Om is the second chairman of the Duragamyi Ma Ashram Association.

Hanuman

is the pujari of the ashram and leads the daily aarti ceremony. He offers the welcoming words at celebrations and Bhakti Weekends.
As a lead singer, he often plays the harmonium during kirtan and is an experienced drummer.
Hanuman is the first chairman of the Durgamayi Ma Ashram Association.

Ramrani

For Ma, Ramrani as caretaker is the first chela to turn to in both ashrams.
She is responsible for Ashram Brindavon, together with Shivayama for the organization of seva, and together with Hari Har for registrations, visitors, and inquiries to the ashram.
Ramrani also steps in as pujari when the main pujari, Hanuman, is not present.

Vasudeva

is the caretaker responsible for the ashram shop. He does the bookkeeping and, together with Kamallata, handles the purchasing, decoration, and sales. He also looks after the sevaka who offer daily seva in the ashram shop. As a photographer, he also takes care of all the photos taken at the ashram and, together with Krishna, manages the photo archive.
The beautiful photos of all the chelas on this page were taken by Vasudeva.

Sombharibaba

serves as a caretaker and is responsible for the ashram kitchen.
Every day, together with a rotating kitchen crew, he prepares prasad for Ma, and all chelas and visitors to the ashram. At celebrations, the kitchen regularly prepares prasad for over 100 people.
He creates the menu, which changes regularly with seasonal dishes. Furthermore, he orders supplies together with Krishna and Devarati, and organizes the seva in the kitchen.
Beyond his duties as a cook, he leads the kirtan or accompanies it with his unique drumming.

Sombharibaba also serves as pujari in place of Hanuman and leads the aarti ceremony.

Krishnamurti

is a trained carpenter and responsible for all the craft work at Baba Mandir and Ashram Brindavon. As caretaker, he looks after the ashram workshop, takes care of repairs and, together with Shivayama, plans and implements construction projects.
Krishnamurti is one of the chelas who regularly and powerfully lead the kirtan on the harmonium.

Hari Har

is the caretaker for the ashram office. He is responsible for the computers, technical equipment, and the ashram website. Together with Ramrani, he responds to inquiries addressed to the Ashram, oversees registrations, and is a contact person for visitors.
Together with Shivayama, Krishna, and Nandan, he takes care of social media and print publications.
Hari Har also leads wonderful kirtan on the harmonium.
He is one of the yoga teachers at Maharajji’s yoga school in Ulm Dham.

Ananda

is one of Ma’s first chela and supports Ma in many ways—together with Nityadevi, caring for Ma’s rooms in both ashrams, handling sewing work, interior design, and all matters concerning fabrics.
As chokidar, she is present for the visitors at the Baba Mandir.
With her clear voice Ananda also leads the kirtan.

She is one of the yoga teachers at Maharajji’s yoga school in Ulm Dham.

Ambika

is responsible for the temples of the ashram together with Bhavani. She decorates the pujas and keeps the temples clean and beautiful.
Together with Vasudeva, she takes care of the many beautiful pictures of deities and the photos of Maharajji and Ma in both ashrams.
Together with Shivapriya, she takes care of the plants.
Ambika is one of the chokidars at Sri Neem Karoli Baba Mandir.

Bhavani

She helps Ambika in the Ashram temples with decorating and taking care of the pujas. During Bhakti Weekends and celebrations, she writes the schedule posters and also contributes texts for the ashram’s website.
At the Baba Mandir, she welcomes visitors at the reception desk and hands out locker keys to chelas and guests.

Bodhisattva

takes care of preparing the aarti lights every day. He updates the ashram’s schedule in the various online calendars. He is also part of the permanent kitchen crew and regularly helps to prepare the ashram prasad.
With his beautiful voice, he often reads texts during darshan at Ma’s request, as well as the translation of the Doha when we sing Hanuman Chalisa every Tuesday.

Devarati

together with Sombharibaba and Krishna, she manages orders for the ashram kitchen. As part of the kitchen crew, she helps to prepare the daily prasad on a regular seva basis.
Devarati is the mother of Suri, who is growing up in the ashram.

Govind

is one of Ma’s first chelas, along with Ananda and Laxman. He is responsible for the ashram’s accounting and finances and is at the MaHouse every day. Despite his beautiful voice, he rarely gets the opportunity to lead kirtan.
Govind is the treasurer of the ashram association.
He is also one of the yoga teachers at Maharajji’s yoga school in Ulm Dham, which he and Vishnu Digambar founded together back in the 1980s.

Kamallata

is the right hand of Vasudeva and an integral part of the ashram shop team. Together, they place orders and make purchases for the ashram shop. Along with Bhavani and Hari Har, she is responsible for texts on the ashram website and translations into English.
Kamallata regularly serves as second singer, she has been singing kirtan for decades.

Krishna

supports Sombharibaba in caring for the ashram kitchen as the second cook.
In the Baba Mandir, he broadcasts the live streams. In the ashram office, he takes care of the posters announcing celebrations and other events together with Hari Har.

Laxman

is one of Ma’s first chelas. Almost all of the photos from the early years were taken by him.
He is responsible for the ashram’s weekly purchases, coordinates the craftsmen at Brindavon Ashram, and often engages in maintenance and repair work himself.
For decades, he has been taking care of everything related to rental agreements, insurance, electricity, water, gas, etc. – in both ashrams – thus being a great support to Ma.
Laxman is the secretary of the ashram association.

Mahavira

coordinates the kirtan singers and often leads the kirtan with his unique voice. When he is not singing himself, he skillfully accompanies the kirtan with the drum.
At the reception in the Baba Mandir, he welcomes visitors.
Mahavira is one of the yoga teachers in Maharajji’s yoga school in Ulm Dham.

Nagama

a longtime chela of Ma, who came together with Uma. She is part of the permanent kitchen crew that prepares the daily prasad. Together with Uma she prepares the small boxes blessed by Ma, in which we give prasad to the many visitors of the ashram.
Nagama is the one who closes the door of Ma’s bus when Ma leaves the ashram.

Nandan

is a trained carpenter and product designer and, together with Krishnamurti, takes care of repairs and renovations in the ashram. Under Ma’s guidance, he designed many of the beautiful temples in the ashram and helped build them together with Krishnamurti and Nirmaladevi.
With Hari Har, he creates short videos to announce upcoming celebrations, and clips capturing moments from the events, to be shared on the ashram’s social media channels.
Often Nandan is the second singer to lead the kirtan — but his main calling is being Ma’s apprentice.

Nirmaladevi

as a trained painter, she carries out most of the painting work in both ashrams and also helps with many other manual tasks.
She is one of the chelas who leads kirtan on the harmonium, and as a musician she regularly plays the drum. On Hanuman Jayanti, the night of 108 Hanuman Chalisa, she is the one who never fails to carry us all along with her singing—even at 4 in the morning.

Nirmaladevi is one of the yoga teachers at Maharajji’s yoga school in Ulm Dham.

Nityadevi

together with Ananda she looks after Ma’s rooms in both ashrams and takes care of all sewing tasks for Ma. With her lovely sense of color, she helps to decorate and arrange rooms in both ashrams and is responsible, along with Ananda, for all tasks related to cloth and fabric.
In the Baba Mandir, Nityadevi regularly serves as a chokidar and often as the second singer leading the kirtan.

Shivapriya

takes loving care of all the plants in both ashrams and in Maharajji’s yoga school.
For every celebration, she prepares the delicious sweet Indian prasad.
With her beautiful deep voice, Shivapriya leads the kirtan as the second lead singer.

Shivayama

is responsible for seva planning in both ashrams together with Ramrani. Alongside Krishnamurti, she organizes all matters concerning the Baba Mandir, including planning and supervising renovation and construction projects. She also tends to the building’s upkeep and the care of the garden.
Shivayama also regularly leads the kirtan—we will never forget how Ma sang to Baba with her on Gurupurnima 2025.

Shubham

is living in the ashram as Ma’s chela for a period of time, while finishing the last phase of his engineering studies.
If his studies permit, he regularly practices seva in the ashram kitchen.
Shubham always delights us with his lively kirtan. With his warm, easygoing nature he is a wonderful addition to the ashram.

Trishula

takes care of the laundry for both ashrams. She helps to keep all the pujas beautiful with fresh flowers.

Trishula is also an integral part of the kitchen crew and helps to prepare the daily prasad in the ashram.
With her beautiful voice, she is often the second lead singer in kirtan. Each year at Vesakh, she recites the Heart Sutra with Hanuman — much to Ma’s joy.

Uma

came to the ashram with Nagama and became Ma’s chela many years ago. She is also part of the kitchen crew and regularly helps prepare the daily prasad. Together with Nagama, she arranges the small boxes that are blessed by Ma and in which the many visitors to the ashram receive prasad.
In her quiet manner, Uma is a vital pillar of the ashram.

Yamuna

serves as the second pujari, assisting Hanuman during aarti at celebrations and standing in for him as pujari when needed.
She is one of the singers in the ashram, regularly leading kirtan and singing with her beautiful voice, much to Ma’s delight.
Yamuna is part of the core team of chelas who look after the ashram shop.