Shivani Verma

Shivani Verma (born in Pune),[1] on May 31, 1972, better known as Brahma Kumari Shivani or Sister Shivani or BK Shivani,[2] is a Brahma Kumaris teacher at the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University.[3][4][5] She has also been conferred with the prestigious Nari Shakti Award by the President of India in 2019. For her excellence in empowering Spiritual Consciousness, she was honored with the Women of the Decade Achievers Award by ASSOCHAM’S Ladies League in 2014. In 2017, she was appointed as a Goodwill Ambassador by the World Psychiatric Association. She conducts motivational courses through public seminars and television programs. Since 2007, she has become increasingly popular in India and among the Indian diaspora through her YouTube channel- BKShivani and for her leading role in the pay-to-broadcast television series Awakening with Brahma Kumaris, which aired daily on Aastha channel.[2][6][7]

BK Shivani and Suresh Oberoi appearing on the television program Awakening with Brahma Kumaris in Bangkok

Biography

Verma's parents, began following the Brahma Kumaris when she was a child. She was however not initially interested in it. In an interview, she said "For two years, I saw the impact on them. They asked me to come with them, but that didn't work. The more they would ask me, the more I'd block."[2] After two years, she began to attend sporadically – every two weeks at the age of 23.[2]

She is married and has a software business in Gurgaon with her husband. She completed her undergraduate in computer engineering at the Savitribai Phule Pune University, and her masters in Software Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. [2][3] Vishal Verma. Initially, she worked backstage at the production of Brahma Kumaris television presentations in Delhi, where senior teachers would record the teachings. Then in 2007, due to the unavailability of other teachers, she was asked to start answering the viewers' queries herself.[8] This led to a television program launched in 2007, titled Awakening with Brahma Kumaris, in which BK Shivani was interviewed by co-host Kanu Priya.[3]

Her TV series of conversations with Suresh Oberoi was adapted into a 2015 book Happiness Unlimited: Awakening With Brahma Kumaris.[9]

BK Shivani now travels in India and abroad, including the United States, France, UK and Canada,[10][11] appearing at charitable events ranging from the promotion of organ donation[12] to parenting programs,[13] as well as Brahma Kumaris events.[11] On organ donation, in 2015 she said "We are taught that karma done today will benefit our family for a long time. So, it shouldn't take us long to decide to do 'daan' of our body's organs."[12] She is a goodwill ambassador of the World Psychiatric Association.[14]

See also

References
  1. "Women of the Decade – Year 2014 – India – B K Sister Shivani". ASSOCHAM Ladies League. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  2. "Being normal, being spiritual". Mid Day. 12 December 2010. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
  3. Ahuja, Aditi (7 June 2010). "Studying engineering helped me think logically: Brahmakumari Shivani". The Indian Express. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
  4. "Instead of thinking of changing the world,change oneself: Sister Shivani". Jharkhand State News. 18 March 2014. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
  5. "Criticism, negative reactions disempower children: BK Shivani". Hindustan Times. 22 February 2014. Archived from the original on 27 March 2014. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
  6. "Profile : Sister BK Shivani". Life Positive. Archived from the original on 27 March 2014. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
  7. "BK Shivani Ji Profile". Aastha TV. Archived from the original on 27 March 2014. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
  8. "'Ensure that your happiness doesn't depend on others'". The Times of India. 9 March 2010. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
  9. Verma, Shivani; Oberoi, Suresh (1 May 2015). Happiness Unlimited: Awakening With Brahma Kumaris. ISBN 978-8182748262.
  10. "From the community: US Brahma Kumaris Welcomes Sister Shivani to a Tour on 'Awakening'". Chicago Tribune. 19 June 2017. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  11. "Awakening with Sister Shivani in Vancouver". Brahma Kumaris of Canada official website. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  12. "Greatest gift, say spiritual gurus as doctors allay fears". The Times of India. 11 August 2015. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
  13. "Brahma Kumaris in association with New Delhi Times organizes spiritual program at India Islamic Cultural Centre". New Delhi Times. 23 November 2015. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
  14. "Our Goodwill Ambassadors". World Psychiatric Association official website. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
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