Known globally as India's "hugging saint mother ", Ms “Amritanandamayi”, which literally means "Mother of Absolute Bliss", was born to a low caste Hindu family in a poor fishing village in Parayakadavu, Kollam, in the southern Indian coastal state of Kerala. Amma began hugging devotees at an early age, and is said to have hugged at least 21 million people over the past three decades. In the 1980s, Amma founded her ashram to receive followers and offer them her healing hugs. There have been times when she has hugged over 20,000 devotees in a row over 20 hours at a stretch. Devotees find it blissful and soul-soothing, and Amma says her hug is her character and “karma to console those who are sad.”
Amma served as president of the Centenary Parliament of World Religions in Chicago in 1993 and also spoke at the United Nations. She was awarded the Gandhi-King Award for Non-Violence in 2002. Today she heads a global spiritual empire, is known as the messiah of the poor and downtrodden, and has followers ranging from Hotmail founder Sabeer Bhatia, US senator Larry Pressler, and Jr. Martin Luther King’s daughter Yolanda King.
An array of eminent personalities, including President A P J Abdul Kalam, Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Deputy Prime Minister attended the four-day event at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium at Kochi. Some of the speakers included Kenya's Deputy Minister for Environment Dr Wamgari Maathai, spiritual leader Hanne Strong, Malaysian Deputy Minister for Local Government Datuk Kayveas, Assistant to UN secretary general Bawa Jain, Director of US Department of Religion at the Chautauqua Institution Rev Dr Joan Campbell and Yolanda King, Director of the Dr Martin Luther King Jr Centre for Non-Violent Social Change. Thousands of foreign delegates from the US, Canada, England, France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Spain, Finland, Argentina, Brazil, Mauritius, Japan and Singapore were present at Amritapuri, the global headquarters of Amritanandamayi in Kerala.
During the conclave, Amma announced a free meditation technique, called the I AM Technique or the Integral Amrita Meditation system that helps one detach the self from worldly worries and sorrows caused by loss or death and distance oneself from problems.
A host of social service and charitable projects were announced: 100,000 free houses for the destitute and homeless throughout India, and a new care-home for the elderly and a charitable hospital for the tribals. A hundred and eight dowry-free marriages were performed in the presence of Amma, 25,000 devotees and admirers pledged their eyes for donation after death, and several publication on Amma’s teachings were released.
For the millions of devotees and admirers of Amma across the world, this was not just a birthday celebration, but “a confluence of cultures and nationalities is a prayerful occasion, a sincere effort to bring forth the light of peace and harmony in this age of materialistic darkness.”
In this spirit, the Mata Amritanandamayi Math hosted four historic summits during the Amritavarsham 50 Celebrations: “Religions Embracing for Peace & Harmony”; “Embracing Universal Motherhood for Peace & Harmony”; “CEOs and Business Leaders Embracing the World for Peace & Harmony”; and “The Future Generation Embracing Selfless Service for Peace & Harmony”
As Amma says, “In these times strength is found in unified action and the unifying force is love. If we can open our hearts and minds to these voices—in whatever form they appear—there is no limit to what we can achieve.”
