The high and mighty, poor and rich, young and old are lining up in Kochi for a gentle hug, a soothing word and a tender kiss.
The hope of an embrace from 'hugging saint' Mata Amritanandamayi has the coastal Kerala city bursting at the seams.
Domestic and international airlines are fully booked for a week; foreigners have landed in chartered flights; special trains are ferrying devotees; and hotels are fully packed as more than half a million followers of Amma have come to the city, which has a population of less than a million.
What brings people like President A P J Abdul Kalam, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Reliance chief Mukesh Ambani, Sycamore founder Gururaj Deshpande, US Senator Larry Pressler and actress Linda Evans to Amma?
"It is her hug," says French filmmaker Jan Kounen. Kounen should know, for he and long-time friend and French producer Manuel de la Roche are busy at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium -- the venue of the four-day birthday celebrations of Amma -- shooting for a film, Another Reality.
"Her hug has fascinated me. I am exploring how a simple woman from Kerala has become a world saint through her gentle touch. You know, through her hug she connects us to the spiritual world," Kounen added.
Like him, hundreds of thousands of devotees silently queue up as Amma comes to one of the many specially arranged podiums to meet people.
In the last three decades, Amritanandamayi, born in the coastal village of Parayakadavu in Kollam, has hugged more than 30 million people.
A Los Angeles Times journalist once asked Amma: "Why do you hug people?" She replied: "This question is like asking the river, 'why are you flowing.'"
Evan Jones, a physiotherapist from the United States, says she fell in love with Amma because "her gentle touch electrified me".
"The biggest thing about Amma is that she does not have a religion. Her religion is that of love and compassion. Her spiritual empire is love and service," Jones says.
Agrees Beverley Noia, an American who was professor of comparative religion at a New Mexico university. The idea of god always perplexed her. One day, she met Amma during one of her US visits. "I saw in Amma a real mother. I found that she is the answer to universal motherhood," says Noia who abandoned her job and joined Amma's ashram in Kollam eight years ago.
Noia says Amma has proved that religions and languages are no barriers for spiritual fulfilment and human service.
In 1993, Amma addressed Parliament of World Religions in Chicago; in 1995, she spoke at the Interfaith Celebrations at the Cathedral of St John the Divine, New York; in August 2000, she addressed the Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders at the UN General Assembly; and in October 2002, she spoke at the UN World Conference of Women's Religious and Spiritual Leaders in Geneva.
"All these addresses were in vernacular Malayalam. But people understand the power of love, though she talks in Malayalam," says Jones.
What will Amma say when she addresses the CEOs and business leaders who have come from all over the world? One of her close aides says Amma will teach them the fine of art of combining business with social service and spiritual energy.
One of Amritanandamayi's aides says that in the last three decades, she "has built up a spiritual and service empire that include educational, charity and medical institutions across India and abroad".
Today, at the age of 50, Amritanandamayi heads huge projects --estimated to be worth Rs 1,500 crore -- to help the sick and poor across the country. The ardent CEO followers of Amma will definitely take note.
Really i dont believe that she is something divine...she is hiding so many things.She was a prostitute in her earlier life.The inside of asram is a mystery for all.Her wealth is not audited.When she goes to foriegn countries and coming back without security check her articles are going.Some people acuuse this as kidneys, narcotics and gold is transacted behind this divine face.
i want to tell only one this, she is an ordinary woman, audit her transactions sources of money... divinity should not be at the expence of national security.
34 comments:
As the leader like the follower....
have you ever experianced her darshan?
you are hundred percent correct..I am her neighbour
Kerala is a very fraudulent state and the presence of fraud here cannot be discounted...
What is this HUG all about? Is it greater than God Almighty?
Bull CRAP!
I would feel better when my girlfriend hugged me ...
why do some of us are screaming against the blogger.. If anybody think she is divine let her punish this blogger and if she can change the attitude of a person by hugging let her hug all leaders of all nations or at least let our Prime Minister and our CPM secretary Pinari get hugged by her.
If you dont think so, why you want to worry about that much. If you are trying to close your eyes and telling that there is darkness, then darkness is only for you ok. First of all open your eyes and see the truth then critisise. As my experiences with Amrita and her Ashram, first of all its a well audited non profitable charitable institution and also well mannered, provides various services to the needy people in different ways, house project, tsunami victims, pension to widows and old age people like so many. One of Amrita's neighbour also commented right, at the time of Tsunami her neighbours are stayed in her college and crying for food and shelter to her only. If you dont like, dont go to that way but dont blame the good people and its services.
May God bless you to get better sense to live in this beautiful world.
Suraj, Kuwait
Mr SV. You are 100% correct, don't know why people are so mad about these like frauds.
How many experiences are here in front of us? How many frauds? They are just cheating the people by making big noises with their small helps.
If we calculate the revenue they get from their assets they made from the money of innocent people, the help they are doing is very small.
It's shame all these things are happening here in our own educated Kerala.
I ve heard wt u said before...how can u say this is true though???
she is really fake...
i dont thin there is any spiritual think with her....
Very simple rule of life:
If you have nothing good to say, say nothing at all.
Those who speak anything negative, even if true, bring streams of negativity into their own life.
You onely get out of people, what and who you are inside.
Good luck with your life and your karma.
Ya you are correct. She is only a woman who has no devine powers or any basic education. I feel pitty for the followers. I remember the character "mookkan"(the long nosed one) by Basheer.
100% correct. She is fake
each and everyone will die and she too she cant save her sure then how will she save others... foolish peoples not using their brains before hugging a prostitute :(
SHE IS MAKING MONEY AND ONLY THAT'S THE AIM. DONT' HE FIND ENOUGH PEOPLE IN INDIA TO COMFORT AND HELP. WHY ALWAYS IN AMERICA, BEACASUSE SHE LOVES DOLLAR. WHY SHE IS NOT GOING BIHAR, RAJ, ETC.. ALWAYS AND TO WESTERN. IS SHE NOT FOUND INDIANS TO KEEP AS AIDE, ONLY WESTERN LADIES. AND THSE LADIES ON VISIT VISA AND DOING RELIGIOUS WORKS , SHOULD BE PROCECUTED
the fact is that, hugging preference goes to westerners first. i have a friend who is a worshiper of this lady and tried to meet and get a hug several times but couldn't at last he also understood that the preference is for westerners :)
Many have commented that Amma is something special, yea she is, the only thing that makes her special is her financial riches which she has accumulated from innocent people who are mad or brainwashed by her and her disceples
Imagine how amma was able to reach this financial Position?
See My example! Regarding the her Hospitals
Many people all around the world donate a huge money to amma, it is not only for amma, they might be giving them to help the people as amma might hav told them she is having hospitals in kerala and she treating them freely or at low charge.
(personal experience : the medicines in amrita hospital kochi edappally ponnekara, is much expensive eg, albumin could be bought for Rs 2500-3500 from medical shopes but it is sold for Rs 6000 in the hospital!!!) this is just a personal experienc
But amma is collecting some fees from the hospital + low tax from government + the charity fund , It seems the hospitals are in a GOODPROFIT
Did amma work? Obiviously YES,
The easy way to make money is nothing but smugling,if amma isnt smugling then why the hell she(her people, vehicles etc) arent being checked
I saw a person commented that amma's properties and everthing is being audited, its a strange thing and i dont believe it, and ok, if itz being audited too she would simpli tell that she has got charity money from foriegneers
How amma has connections with people like ministers and others having high position ???
Firstly, 99% of ministers and high posted people hav reached their position with MONEY!!! They are making money exploiting their positions , Amma's role is hiding their money, she can do it as no is gonna ask her from wer the money has come, n if any asks she wud say nothing but foriegn money!!!
And some good people like ManmohanSigh n APJ AbdulKalam might have been went there along with their friends or Amma might have invited them, itz howeva not a big deal
Its true that she is helping people, but helping is nothing but a mask to cover her TRUE IDENTITY!!!
really my friend i should appreciate you for your effort ...some people like should think in this way and explore every mysteries...one of the persons who had commented here that he agrees with you that she was a prostitute in her early life and he knows it because he was a neighbour of her ..infact these kind of bloody human god should be to the spotlight and should be prosecuted for their masky life...i dont think a god like her needs a BMW car to travel....bloody hell......
How can we compare this to pope and nuns having child abuse scandals. church people killing nuns for having affairs.
she is fake
i can say she is a slut
it is for sure dat once dis divine slut shal also seek d help of almighty for life
she wil for sure beg for health like sai baba dis
dnt forget thath too amma devotees
you raskal, you don't know to differentiate between holy ganga water and drain water. your brain is filled with filth.
There are so many Fake Swamis, Ammas and Shree Shree's around us. Please use your Common sense and stay away from these satanic forces.
Take the case of Amritananda Mayi, its a known fact that she started her career as a prostitute, even now she is displaying her acquired career skills by hugging, saying that its divine.
I bet that flesh trade is taking place in her so called Ashram around the world.
I am rather surprised to find such irresponsible comments on someone without even actually going there and experiencing what is wrong or right.That is the principle of natural justice. There are people even today criticising Mahatma Gandhi for his lady escorts.Mind has many levels of emancipation and all may not be able to appreciate or understand it.Best thing is to actually and personally verify before condemning anyone.When Jesus did miracles many condemned Him. And one can see what happened after his crucification.
To criticise is easy.But to start a movement is difficult. There are frauds in religious and spiritual fields.But all are not to be painted with same brussh.
Don criticise people if u doesn't know the value of these people better don't spread these negative thoughts. u stupid people dont understand the real saints if any one is ready and praises u a lot u will go behind and just believe in those fake people . pls as a request dont spread these negative comments about her.
Whoever you are you are totally sick
you.dont knw anything
how could you even say something like this to amma
if someone would say something like this to your mother how would you feal?? Tell.me
she is like a mother to me and toany others
keep your bloody negetive thinking in yourself
Whoever you are you are totally sick
you.dont knw anything
how could you even say something like this to amma
if someone would say something like this to your mother how would you feal?? Tell.me
she is like a mother to me and toany others
keep your bloody negetive thinking in yourself
any way they have lot of organisations-but all business.I had a experience.In cochin hospital one nearby boy had accident but they didnt admit him because there was a delay in paying money. The boy died in front of the hospital.So please dont talk about shit charity.
I am a eye witness.
Swantham amma pranavedanayumayi pidayumbolum avar kamam kodu pulayukayanennum chilar vicharikkum.atharakkare kurichu enthu parayan.amma kshamikkatte avarodu
What is the problem with this blogger
Are u mad
because amma is a divene person and no can abuse her like that
I have heard from so many that she was a prostitute and then finally came up as a cover up charity. I am also from the same city as she is.
Leave alone religious organizations of any hue,any organization having loads of money is a potential breeding ground for jealousy,greed,lust,in-fighting,power struggle....
amma is a great woman. telling things about her this way is not at all correct.what ever may have been her past. circumstances made her. that does not alone make a person bad. there are so many with clean history who are actually not good at heart. who is perfect. she defenitely has touched my heart in a positive way.i believe she is divine.
ohm nama shivaya.
amma is a great woman with divine power. I believe this just I believe in god.
nama shivaya.
amma is a great woman with divine power I believe in this just like I believe in god. please dont make the world even dangerous place to live by killing the positive people as amna.
namah shivaya
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