Mahamandaleshwar Hemangi Sakhi Biography

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Hometown: Mumbai, Maharashtra

Age: 46 Years

Marital Status: Unmarried

Bio/Wiki
Birth name	Hemant ^[1]Mahamandaleshwar Hemangi Sakhi
Real name	Himangi Panchal ^[2]Mahamandaleshwar Hemangi Sakhi
Earned name	Mahamandaleshwar Hemangi Sakhi Maa ^[3]Mahamandaleshwar Hemangi Sakhi
Profession(s)	Spiritual Coach, Motivational Speaker
Known for	Being world’s first transgender ‘kathawachak’ (raconteur) of Bhagavad Gita
Physical Stats & More
Height (approx.)	5' 6" (167 cm)
Eye Colour	Black
Hair Colour	Black
Career
Debut	Film: Down-Town
Personal Life
Date of Birth	2 December 1977 (Friday)
Age (as of 2023)	46 Years
Birthplace	Vadodara, Gujarat
Zodiac sign	Sagittarius
Nationality	Indian
Hometown	Mumbai, Maharashtra
Relationships & More
Marital Status	Unmarried
Family
Husband/Spouse	N/A
Parents	Mother- Kanta (a doctor and a model) Note: Her father was a film distributor.
Siblings	She has a younger sister.
Social Media
Instagram	Mahamandaleshwar Hemangi Sakhi
Facebook	Mahamandaleshwar Hemangi Sakhi Maa
Twitter	Mahamandaleshwar Hemangi Sakhi Maa

Some Lesser Known Facts About Mahamandaleshwar Hemangi Sakhi

Her father belonged to Gujarat, and her mother was a Punjabi.

Hemangi Sakhi was born in Vadodara, Gujarat; however, when she was a child, her father shifted to Mumbai from Gujarat and started working as a film distributor in Bollywood.
A childhood picture of Mahamandaleshwar Hemangi Sakhi with her parents and grandmother

When she was studying in the third class, her father suffered a heart attack and died.

After her father’s demise, her mother became quiet and depressed. One day, her mother beat her so much that the neighbours had to come and rescue her through the bathroom window.

Her family’s financial condition began deteriorating after her father’s death, and she had to miss school.

Hemangi Sakhi and her sister began begging for food from their neighbours, who took advantage of their helplessness and made them do all their housework. She would clean their utensils, wash their clothes, and sweep and mop their floors in exchange for two chapatis for her sister at night.

Their relatives stopped visiting them; however, one of their uncles helped them and took them to Vadodara.

After some time, she received some money on behalf of her father from a partnership with Mohan Studio in Mumbai. She used this money to buy a four-bedroom flat in Mira Road, Mumbai.

Hemangi Sakhi shifted to Mumbai from Vadodara after two years.

After her mother’s demise, her grandmother and uncle tortured her for the property papers and jewellery. Her grandmother who lived in Borivali in Mumbai abandoned her.

After that, one of her neighbours offered her a job and sold her to a middle-aged man for sex work. However, at her request, this middle-aged man left her.

When Hemangi was born, she was assigned male at birth, but later in life, she transitioned and changed her name from Hemant.
An old picture of Mahamandaleshwar Hemangi Sakhi

Himangi Sakhi has had a deep attraction to Lord Krishna since childhood and considers him her idol.

Her devotion to Krishna began at the ISKCON temple near her house in Mumbai. She furthered her understanding of Krishna by visiting Delhi and Vrindavan, where she met her first Guru.

After that, Hemangi Sakhi went to the ISKCON temple in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh. She took the initiation there and started studying the scriptures. She learned the Vaibhav and Bhagavad Gita courses. She got deeply involved in the teachings and the land of Braj.
An old picture of Mahamandaleshwar Hemangi Sakhi

She worked for ISKCON by distributing books and doing temple tasks like singing devotional songs. Her stay and food were free there, but she needed money.

One day, Hemangi Sakhi contacted one of her father’s friends and asked for work opportunities in Bollywood. Some people helped her, and she began appearing in films.
An old picture of Himangi Panchal

Whenever she got a film project, she would go to Mumbai. After finishing the work, she would return to Vrindavan.

After making her acting debut with the film ‘Down-Town,’ she appeared in the films titled ‘Shabanam Mausi,’ ‘Mumbai-125 Kilometers (2014),’ and ‘The Guinness of Beauty (2014).’

In 2015, a Telugu film called ‘Third Man,’ based on her life, was released. Hemangi Sakhi appeared in a lead role in the film.
Himangi Panchal (in blue dupatta) on the poster of the film Third Man

Her last film was a Hollywood film for which she earned Rs. 2 lakh after working for 20 days. She then bought land in Vrindavan with this money.

Ashish, a student at a dental college in Vrindavan, used to come to the temple in Vrindavan. Hemangi Sakhi fell in love with him for the first time. They both used to serve in the temple together, but after a few months, people started talking about their relationship.

She had not hidden her transgender identity. After some time, the temple leader found out about her identity and asked her to leave immediately. She tried to explain by mentioning stories from mythology, but they did not listen.

Hemangi Sakhi then went to Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan and swore that she would not return to the land of Braj until her honour and respect were restored.
Mahamandaleshwar Hemangi Sakhi

Her journey of narrating Bhagavad Katha began in Mauritius, where she recited Bhagavad in English.

Later, Hemangi Sakhi was appointed vice president by the ISKCON Temple Committee and has since travelled to various countries and states in India to recite Bhagavad Katha.
Mahamandaleshwar Hemangi Sakhi while preaching at an ISKON temple

She narrates Bhagavad Katha in multiple languages, including Hindi, English, Punjabi, Gujarati, and Marathi.

After that, Hemangi Sakhi moved to Mumbai from Vrindavan. She started doing devotional singing and gatherings with her ISKCON friends there. She then recited the Bhagavad Gita in India for the first time during a Navratri festival organised in Borivali and then in Mira Road.

Her popularity increased, and she began visiting many other countries including Mauritius, Bangkok, Singapore, and Dubai to recite the Bhagavad Katha. She also organized special programs on Janmashtami.
Mahamandaleshwar Hemangi Sakhi while preaching Bhagavad Gita

In 2019, she was honoured with the title of Bhagwatbhushan Mahamandaleshwar by the Akhil Bharatiya Sadhu Samaj. She was conferred the title of Acharya Mahamandaleshwar by the Adya Shankar Kailash Peeth, Uttar Godavari dham.

She was bestowed with the title of Mahamandaleshwar in 2019 by the Pashupatinath Peeth of Nepal, and later, received the same title during the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj from Acharya Mahamandaleshwar Gauri Shankar Maharaj.
Mahamandaleshwar Hemangi Sakhi while initiated at Kumbh in 2019

After that, the Kinnar Akhara invited her. When she went to Braj in Uttar Pradesh, people carried her on their shoulders. She cried at Banke Bihari temple, feeling that her honour had been restored.

Apart from teaching the Bhagavad Gita and Shiva, Mahamandaleshwar Hemangi Sakhi also preaches the stories of Purana and Garuda Purana.

Many renowned Hindi and English newspapers often interview Mahamandaleshwar Himangi Sakhi and publish her story.

When it was announced that she would sit in Kumbh as the Kinnar Mahamandaleshwar for the first time in Vrindavan, her land allotment in Vrindavan was cancelled due to protests from the Kinnar Akhara. Later, she got the land allotted.

Then, Mahamandaleshwar Hemangi Sakhi was invited by Nirmohi Akhara to the Kumbh Mela in Haridwar and was declared a Mahamandaleshwar. She also conducted religious discourses there.
Mahamandaleshwar Hemangi Sakhi while promoting Hinduism across the world

Under her supervision, an International Ardhanarishwar Dham in Varanasi was then established.

After that, Mahamandaleshwar Himangi Sakhi faced threats, including a kidnapping attempt and pressure to make statements that could provoke violence. However, she performed the Jalabhishek in Gyanvapi. She then began writing the world’s first Kinnar Purana.

A film titled ‘Mahamanleshwar’ has been made about her.

In 2021, she appeared in the television reality show ‘X Yor X’ on the V channel and the show ‘Zindagi Life Show’ on IBN 7 channel.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Mahamandaleshwar Himangi Sakhi contested from the Varanasi constituency on the ticket of All India Hindu Mahasabha. She competed in the constituency against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the election.

In her free time, she likes playing the guitar and singing.
Mahamandaleshwar Hemangi Sakhi while playing a guitar

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