Saradamani was born on Dec. 22,1853, she was the wife of Ramkrishna Parmahansa whom she married in 1862. When she was 16 years old, Saradamani joined her husband in Dakshineshwar, Bengal, where Ramakrishna was a temple priest. Three years later Ramakrishna declared that his young wife, whom he now called Sarada Devi, was the avatar of the Divine Mother of the Universe. After Ramakrishna's death in 1886, Sarada Devi gained acclaim as a saint in her own right. She spent many years on pilgrimages, in meditation and sadhana (spiritual practice), and in ministering to the small group of young disciples of Ramakrishna who were led by Swami Vivekananda.