Mata Lal Devi Ji, Model Town

Her Holiness, Godly Personified, with unlimited heavenly powers, Mata Lal Devi Ji is popularly known as "Pujya Mata ji" among her devotees. In her own words, "I am Dharam Maa to all those, who come to visit this temple and Almighty has destined me to serve them all". This version of Pujya Mata Ji shows her greatness and unquestioned trust in God.

Pujya Mata Ji was born on 21st February, 1923 at Kasoor, District Lahore, now in Pakistan, in Marwaha Khatri family. She was the fourth child among her four brothers and three sisters. Her father, Shri Har Jas Mall was a businessman and her mother Shrimati Maya Devi was a pure religious minded lady and the whole family has having faith in Lord Krishna and his teachings then.

Spiritual personality of Pujya Mata ji was being depicted since her birth. On her birth, doctor advised not to feed the child on mother's milk due to mother's illness. Her father started to feed her on cow's milk and Pujya Mata Ji never cried for it. This was the first sign of her contentment about worldly things.

When Pujya Mata Ji was about 9 months, her family members along with her went to the temple of Chintpurani in Himachal Pardesh. On reaching before the sacred entity, as the family was offering the prayer, Pujya Mata Ji was enlightened with the sacred spirit of Goddess Chintpurani and the priest, present there, declared that this child is not a simple one, but blessed with great heavenly powers. All the members of family astonished to listen so. Having experienced so many miracles of Pujya Mata Ji's power, the family started to regard Pujya Mata Ji as goldy mother, even so much so all the family members, including parents and all elders began to address Her Holiness as "Mata Ji". When she crossed the childhood, it is stated by her elders that Pujya Mata ji used to lock herself in a room for meditation and remained inside the room for weeks together without taking anything except a little water. On hearing the wonderful things about Pujya Mata Ji, the people began to come to Her "Darshan" and for the solution of their respective difficulties. This was a start of the present mission.

So far as Pujya Mata ji's personal life is concerned, she was "Bal Brahamchari" meditation round the clock was the diet of her soul and worldly attraction means nothing to her. More for the readers, she never tasted the food-stuff and a little water, milk and fruit was sufficient for her to live on. Moreover she never demanded to eat anything. If any nearby devotee requested her to take something, it depends upon her own sweet-will whether to take or not anything but no compulsion of anyone. This is in nut shell, conclusion of her satisfaction about worldly things.

After partition of India in 1947, Pujya Mata Ji selected Amritsar City in the Punjab for her sermon, while other family members settled at Jalandhar (Punjab). She resided with her devotee, Bhagat Pindi Dass, a Railway Guard in railway quarter in "MAAL GODAM". Here Pujya Mata Ji was carrying on a very simple routine "a kirtan" by ladies on Tuesday, by men on Sunday evening and the "Jagran" on Ashtami of "Shukla Pakash" of every month in the presence of Pujya mata Ji with Holy Spirit of Bhagwati Chintpurani. This "Jagran" was attended by many devotees with their respective wishes to be fulfilled with the blessing of pujya Matai Ji's mission, which is being celebrated before and after partition now in Lal Bhawan and the number of devotees raised from hundreds to thousands. During "NAVRATARAS" Lal Bhawan remained crowded with devotees from early hours of morning to late hours of night.

In 1953, Pujya Mata Ji shifted her residence to Gagar Mal Sarai, near Bhandari Bridge, Amritsar. Here Pujya Mata Ji did some extension in daily routine. Kirtan is carried on daily and "Shrimad Bhagwat Katha" started in the morning. The powerful magnetic presence of Pujya Mata Ji was being felt in the local public and the number of devotees started raising rapidly. Meanwhile a plot was purchased in Model Town, Amritsar with available sources.

In July, 1956, Pujya Mata Ji, purified this land, by observing the "Ashtami Jagran", on simple wooden stage, which turned this barren land into a magnificient Lal Bhawan of Pujya Mata Ji. Many statues of gods and godesses are established here according to the Veda's rituals with a sacred seat of Pujya Mata Ji in the centre. A great attraction of it is a "Gufa Vaishno Devi Ji". Thousands of people, irrespective of caste, colour and creed visit it daily and it is kept opened from 5:00 am to 11:00 pm. In the routine the visitor offers a little garland of flowers and in return he gets a few petals of flowers as the "Parshad" to eat, which is the panacea and solution of all problems. Free food is served to visitors and a charitable hospital also provides the medical facilities. Birthday of Pujya Mata ji is celebrated on 21st February every year, as an Annual function and Gala-Day of Lal Bhawan.