Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Who is Hemangi Sakhi Ma, world's first transgender Bhagavad Gita raconteur, taking on PM Modi?

Mahamandaleshwar Hemangi Sakhi Ma has been fielded by the Uttar Pradesh chapter of (ABHM) from the Varanasi constituency against in the Lok Sabha Elections 2024.  

The Hindu right-wing outfit will contest 20 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, including Varanasi, in the upcoming polls. Polling in Varanasi will take place on June 1 in the last phase of . 

The Congress has fielded its Uttar Pradesh state unit chief from Varanasi. In 2019, Prime Minister Modi seat with 63 per cent vote share. Rai finished third behind Shalini Yadav of the Samajwadi Party then.

The are contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha elections as part of the INDIA bloc.

Sakhi was born in Baroda in Gujarat, according to reports. Her family shifted to Mumbai as her father was a film distributor. Sakhi is known to have studied in a convent school for a brief period. She left the school after her parents died. She has also acted in a few films and appeared in popular TV shows. 

Sakhi's devotion to  Lord Krishna started at the ISKCON temple near her home in Mumbai. She eventually landed in Vrindavan. Later, she came to be known as Hemangi Sakhi Ma — the world’s first transgender ‘kathawachak’ (raconteur) of Bhagavad Gita.

She has performed , Ram Katha, and Devi Bhagvat Katha in many venues across the world, according to her Facebook page. 

In February, 2019, her coronation as Acharya took place. She was also 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.