Biography of Sadhvi Geetananda Giri
Sadhvi Geetananda Giri was born on April 25, 1954, at Swedru in the Central Region of Ghana. Originally known as Mabel Dadzie, she is one of six children of her parent Hanson Dadzie, a civil servant, and Beatrice Abeka, a baker. Sadhvi Geetananda Giri began her elementary education at a public school in Koforidua and continued to Twedaasi Middle School in Tema
, where she successfully completed in 1969. In her quest for further education and knowledge, Sadhvi thus enrolled at the Ghanata Secondary School at Dodowa in the Eastern Region of Ghana, where she attained her Ordinary Level Certificate. After completing her course of study, Sadhvi began her professional career by seeking and gaining employment with the Department of Birth and Death Registry. In a notable career that spanned decades, Sadhvi rose to the position of senior registration officer and given a Metropolitan head of birth and death registry in Ashaiman municiapality. Undeniably, Sadhvi endeared herself to diligence and hard work by contributing her quota to the progressive improvement of the mandate and service delivery of the Birth and Death Registry. Sadhvi Geetananda Giri curiosity for deeper spiritual awakening became very apparent even from the early years of her life. Growing up in Accra, the capital city of Ghana, Sadhvi became a member of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana and worshipped at the Tema Community 5 branch. Despite her devotion to her Christian principles, her insatiable desire to seek further spiritual experiences led her to seek, and learn, about other religions. Her continuous journey to searching for her truth was met with Divine coincidence when her brother introduced her to Hinduism. She subsequently joined the Hindu Monastery of Africa, Ghana in 1983, and in the year 1985 enrolled on a discipleship course organised at the Monastery under the Divine guidance of His Holiness Swami Ghananand Saraswati. Sadhvi Geetananda Giri continued her path of spiritual devotion by worshipping at the Hindu Monastery of Africa. After the attainment of Maha Samadhi (eternal transition) by Swami Ghananand, Sadhvi Geetananda Giri continued her absolute obeisance to Swami Satyanand who became the second head of the Hindu Monastery of Africa, Ghana. In her eagerness to know the truth in her spiritual life , Sadhvi Geetananda Giri was initiated as a Brahmacharini in 2018, by Swami Satyanand Saraswati and was given the monastic name Brahmacharini Adimata. Not long after her initiation as a Brahmacharini, His Holiness Swami Satyanand attained Maha samadhi (transited into eternal glory). With the absence of her foremost spiritual guidance, Sadhvi embarked on a journey to India to seek further enlightenment. Her deep-seated desire to continue on the path of spiritual awakening was made possible when she was admitted to study Advaita Vedanta course at the most prestigious Chinmaya International Foundation the birth place of Adi Shankaracharya under the Divine tutelage of Swami Advayananda. du After the completion of the programme, Sadhvi had the opportunity and privilege to travel, meet and learn from other prominent Swamis across India. As the very popular adage goes “when the student is, ready the master appears”, so was the case when the undying devotion of Sadhvi Geetananda Giri towards the Hindu Dharma opened the Divine opportunity to meet with Swami Govinda Deva Giri, who initiated her into the Holy Order of Sannyasin of Adi Shankaracharya lineage on the auspicious day Mahashivaratri which fell on the 18th of February, 2023. Soon after her initiation into the Holy Order of Sannyasin, Sadhvi Geetananda Giri returned to Ghana, armed with the commitment to impart and spread the tenets of Sanatana Dharma across the country and the entire African continent. Sadhvi Geetananda’s Giri journey to monkhood has been long and yet she stands on the verge of history of becoming perhaps the first female of Black African descent to attain this Divine feat. Engulfed with her desire to uplift humanity from ignorance to spiritual enlightenment, Sadhvi Geetananda Giri pledges her absolute devotion and obeisance to her Guru Swami Govinda Deva Giri who initiated her into the Holy Order of Sannyasis, Swami Advayananda who taught her doctrines of Advaita Vedanta, Swami Satyanand Saraswati, who opened the door for her journey into a life of selfless service as a Brahmacharini and Swami Ghanananad, who initiated her as a disciple.
