✦ Celebrity stories, facts and career updates. Explore F4U now →

Home › Biography › Sarla Bedi

Sarla Bedi photo for featured biography, wiki and celebrities profileFeatured Biography

Image source: StarsUnfolded

Celebrities

Sarla Bedi Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 14, 2026 • 3 min read

Request CorrectionClaim Profile

Quick Info

Date of birth4 April 1925

Age88 (at time of death)

BirthplaceSahnewal, Ludhiana, Punjab, India

ProfessionSpiritual leader

NationalityIndian

Marital statusWidowed (at time of death)

SpouseGobind Bedi

FamilyThree sons (Nilam, Deepak, Shalin) and one daughter (Sheetal)

Sarla Bedi Biography

Sarla Bedi was an Indian-born spiritual leader best known for establishing and advancing the Arya Samaj movement in Canada. A pioneer as Ontario’s first女性p

Early life and background

Sarla Bedi was born on 4 April 1925 in Sahnewal, Ludhiana, Punjab. She was the eldest child in her family, growing up with five younger brothers and a sister. During her childhood her family moved to Kenya amid the economic strains of the Great Depression. She spent her youth in a segregated settlement in Kenya, where she developed interests in painting and took part in public debates and lectures about India’s independence movement.

Her plans to study law in England were set aside because of her mother’s poor health and financial pressures affecting her father’s employment. At 18 she assumed greater household responsibilities and later worked as a teacher in Nairobi to support the family and help educate two of her younger brothers. Throughout this period she remained engaged in public discussion around social and political issues affecting Indians.

Career

Sarla and her husband, Gobind Bedi, left Africa and moved to Toronto, Canada, in 1972. In Canada they helped found an Arya Samaj branch — part of a reformist Hindu movement founded by Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati — with a mission that combined spiritual work and practical support for newcomers.

In 1976 Sarla Bedi became Ontario’s first female Hindu priest. In that role she served as a spiritual and community leader, offering guidance and officiating at religious and civic rites. Her work included organizing havans (Vedic fire ceremonies), conducting ceremonies such as mixed-faith weddings, and arranging funerals and memorial services. Under her stewardship the Canadian Arya Samaj focused on social concerns and on helping Indian immigrants settle and connect with cultural practices in their new country.

By the mid-1990s the organization established a permanent home: a Vedic Cultural Centre in Markham, near Toronto. The centre became a focal point for cultural programming and community activities serving both older residents and children, continuing the outreach and educational aims that were central to Bedi’s work.

Public profile

In the Canadian Indian community Sarla Bedi was regarded as a trusted spiritual and social advisor. Her leadership extended beyond ritual duties to community-building efforts that addressed newcomers’ practical needs and preserved cultural traditions. In recognition of her contributions, she was among six individuals honored at the Markham Vedic Cultural Centre on 21 November 2009 for their outstanding service to the growth of Arya Samaj in Canada.

Personal life and family

Sarla married Gobind Bedi, a social activist. The couple raised four children: three sons — Nilam Bedi, Deepak Bedi and Shalin Bedi — and a daughter, Sheetal. At the time of her death she was widowed.

Sarla enjoyed Indian cuisine and is noted to have favored traditional sweets such as gulab jamun while maintaining a generally nutritious diet.

Death

Sarla Bedi died on 15 November 2013 in Toronto, Canada, at the age of 88. Her health in later years included arthritis, and her passing was associated with complications that included hospital-acquired infections.

Latest updates

The Vedic Cultural Centre in Markham, founded by the community Bedi helped build, continues to serve as a hub for cultural and religious activities that reflect the work she and her husband started in Canada.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Sarla Bedi, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded

Accuracy

Request a Correction

Tell us what needs to be updated and share a reliable source so the editorial team can review it.

Ownership

Claim This Profile

If this profile is about you or your client, send your contact details and verification context.

◈

Recent Work

Establishment of Vedic Cultural Centre in Markham

By 1996 the Arya Samaj community in Canada had constructed a Vedic Cultural Centre in Markham to host cultural and community activities.

1996
Honored for service to Arya Samaj in Canada

Recognized as one of six individuals honored at the Vedic Cultural Centre in Markham for outstanding achievements and service to the growth of Arya Samaj in Canada.

2009
✦

Career Highlights

  1. Co-founded the Arya Samaj branch in Toronto with her husband Gobind Bedi after moving to Canada in 1972
  2. Became Ontario’s first female Hindu priest in 1976
  3. Helped establish the Vedic Cultural Centre in Markham by 1996
  4. Officiated at havans, mixed-faith weddings, baptisms and funerals, and provided community support to Indian immigrants
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

?

Frequently Asked Questions

When was Sarla Bedi born?

Sarla Bedi was born on 4 April 1925.

What is Sarla Bedi known for?

Sarla Bedi is known for spiritual leader.

What is Sarla Bedi’s marital status?

Sarla Bedi's marital status is listed as Widowed (at time of death).

Who is Sarla Bedi married to?

Sarla Bedi is publicly listed as married to Gobind Bedi.