12 Facts About Sadhvi Rithambara

Sadhvi Rithambara was born on 31 December 1963 and is a Hindu Vestal, public speaker and nationalist ideologue who is the founder-chairperson of Durga Vahini, the women's wing of the Vishva Hindu Parishad, established in 1991.

Sadhvi Rithambara gained national prominence with VHP in the late 1980s through the Jan Jagran Abhiyan, and in the 1990s during the run up to the Babri Masjid demolition.

In January 2025, Sadhvi Rithambara was conferred with India's third-highest civilian award, the Padma Bhushan.

Sadhvi Rithambara got her diksha from Swami Paramanand, at the age of sixteen and having become his disciple, followed him to his ashram in Haridwar and then, in his tours across India, while being primarily trained in spirituality.

Sadhvi Rithambara entered the Margdarshak Mandal as a member of the Vishva Hindu Parishad, the organisation primarity organised Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Mukti Andolan and related to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

Sadhvi Rithambara gained public prominence through her roles in the Vishwa Hindu Parishad.

Sadhvi Rithambara has been widely noted to be the single most powerful voice behind the whipping up of anti-Muslim sentiments across the nation, in the run-ups to the demolition of Babri Masjid; there was an overwhelming sense of passion, urgency and spontaneity, oft-accompanied by dramatic physical posturing, which instilled a non-rational collective feeling, among the audience.

Sadhvi Rithambara was one of the three key women leaders of the movement, the other two being Uma Bharati and Vijayaraje Scindia; their leadership was largely responsible for the involvement of women in the movement and the form it took.

Sadhvi Rithambara was present during the demolition, cheering the crowd whilst standing atop the terrace of the Masjid.

Sadhvi Rithambara retreated from her public role, soon after the demolition and kept a relatively low profile for a few years.

In 1993, Sadhvi Rithambara attempted to establish an ashram near Vrindavan and Mathura on land that the Uttar Pradesh BJP government had granted her for a minimal fee.

Sadhvi Rithambara's address sparked off a riot and led to several arson, leading to the arrest of 169 people.