The process leading to the beatification has been the shortest in modern history. In early 1999 -- less than two years after her death -- the Holy See waived the normal five-year waiting period and allowed the immediate opening of her canonisation cause.

In December 2002, the Vatican certified a miracle attributed to the 'Saint of the Gutters'. The miracle related to a tribal woman, Monica Besra, who reportedly recovered from a stomach tumour after wearing a medallion with Mother Teresa's photograph.

rediff.com looks at the life and times of the woman who devoted her life to the poorest of the poor.