Five days after the death of Nirankari Head Hardev Singh, his wife Savinder Kaur has been declared the next spiritual head of the Nirankari Mission.

In her late fifties, She will be the first woman and the fifth in line to head the sect founded in 1929 and has over 10 million followers today.

The sect followers have accepted her as their ‘Guru’ and are relieved as the speculation over the succession plan has ended.

An alumnus of Convent of Jesus and Mary School Mussoorie, Savinder Kaur is originally from Farooqabad in Uttar Pradesh. She married Hardev Singh in 1975 and since then had been accompanying her husband to every congregation home, getting equal respect and love from their followers.

An official announcement was made in New Delhi on Wednesday evening by Rev HS Upashak in the presence of thousands of devotees of the Mission.

The President of the Sant Nirankari Mandal Rev JRD ‘Satyarthi’ presented the white scarf.

In her brief message immediately after taking over Savinder Kaur told the sect followers to take a pledge to remain in harmony with each other and take forward the Nirankari mission as Baba Ji (Hardev Singh) wished.

Her anointment marked the end of the longest term of 36 years held by one sect head.

Sudeeksha, the youngest of the three daughters of deceased Hardev Singh, was earlier tipped to lead the sect. Before that, the name of Baba’s elder son-in-law Sandeep Khinda was also discussed. He is survived by his wife Savinder Kaur and two other daughters – Samta (eldest) and Renuka.