Former Bollywood actress Mamta Kulkarni, famous for her daring and glamorous roles in the 1990s, has made her to becoming a spiritual leader.
On Friday 24 Jan, Kulkarni was elevated as the Maha Mandaleshwar of Kinnar Akhada, one of the most revered monastic orders of transgender ascetics at Mahakumbh-2025 in Sangam—the holy confluence of Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati.
Mamta’s elevation represented a milepost in her spiritual journey. She underwent the sanyas diksha (monkhood initiation) under the guidance of Acharya Maha Mandaleshwar Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, the head of Kinnar Akhada. As part of the traditional rituals, Mamta performed her own, as well as her ancestors’ and future generations’ Pind Daan—a Hindu ritual symbolizing the severance of worldly ties. After this, she took a holy dip in the Sangam waters, seeing herself for the first time as a spiritual leader.
Accepting the title Maha Mandaleshwar Yamai Mamata Nand Giri, at 52, the actress expressed her gratitude for this fulfilment: “It’s a great honour to me. My journey began in 2000 when I took diksha from Swami Chaitanya Gagangiri and dedicated myself to austerity. Today, I have fully embraced the life of a sanyasi,” she said.
The event was attended by prominent spiritual leaders, including Swami Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, Swami Mahendranand Giri of the Juna Akhada, and Swami Jai Ambanand Giri, who bestowed their blessings upon her.
The spiritual journey of Mamta Kulkarni follows a life filled with dramatic turns. After starring in over three dozen films, including hits like Karan Arjun, she left India in 2000. However, her life took a controversial turn when she faced accusations in a ₹2,000 crore drug case. The charges were dismissed in August 2024 by the Bombay High Court due to lack of evidence.
Having returned to India in December 2024, Mamta now professes to dedicating herself to the propagation and protection of Sanatan Dharma. The transformation from Bollywood stardom to spiritual leadership is quite drastic. Mamta has a very contentious past with links to the underworld and almost disappearing from the public eye for years.
While it is true that Mamta has forgone her Bollywood stardom years back and remains largely aloof from the glamour circles. She also has a lot of murky connections and a dark past. Although the path of spirituality is a personal call however her connection with an akhada and her public appearance now is sure to raise eyebrows. How much of it is genuine only time will tell.