Category: Mata Amritanandamayi Devi

In Los Angeles this week, thousands of devotees have billowed through a windowless conference room at the Hilton Los Angeles Airport to see her. Mostly, they have one goal: During the guru’s annual sojourn to Southern California they hope to disappear for a short while into her embrace.

“She represents the third wave of Indian gurus to come to this country and establish themselves,” said Karen Pechilis, a professor of Asian religions at Drew University in New Jersey.

It is estimated that this holy woman has given more than 26 million hugs in this role since she was a teen.

The American media have dubbed her the “hugging saint.” This 53 year-old south Indian woman named “Amma” – the word means “mother” in Sanskrit – is actually a religious guru known for the hugs she gives those who seek an audience with her. She is reported to have millions of devoted followers in her native India. But she has a following as well in the United States, where tens of thousands of Americans already sold on the healing power of yoga and meditation, have lined up to see and experience Amma on her annual North American tours. The large open

New Delhi, 22 August (Asiantribune.com): Sudhamani, 51, known as Mata Amritanandamayi (mother of immortal bliss)’ for millions at home and abroad, came under an attack at her South Indian Ashram. She was unhurt. The attack took place on Sunday evening at Kollam in Kerala, where this spiritual guru has her ashram and gives her blessings through her hugs. The assailant was overpowered by the inmates of the Ashram even as the person was just ten feet away from where the “mother’ sat at that time conducting bhajans. He had a knife. But Pavithran denied he had intended to harm Anandamayi.

Mata Amritanadamayi Devi, popularly known as Amma, is all set to start her own television channel. The channel, to be called Amrita, is likely to be commissioned on September 27 this year on the occasion of Amma’s 51st birthday. A company — Amrita Enterprises Pvt Ltd — has been floated to run the channel. It is promoted by a group of Amma’s devotees, quite a few of them being Non-Resident Indians. The total investment in the channel is likely to be around Rs 50 crore (Rs 500 million). “It’s not going to be a religious channel,” says S M C

Crowd drawn to Amma’s open arms at Manhattan Center More than 2000 people lined up to see the 50-year-old known for her hugs. They came by the thousands, from the city and from all over the country, just looking for a hug. But Mata Amritanandamayi – known to her devotees as Amma – is no ordinary hugger. The 50-year-old woman from India, who wears a white sari and diamond-studded nose ring, is nicknamed the Hugging Saint for the embraces that have earned her a worldwide following. By early yesterday morning, more than 2,000 people had packed the hall at the

Amritavarsham-50, the mega four-day celebrations commemorating the 50th birthday of Mata Amritanandamayi, got off to a spectacular start here today. The setting could not have been better as it was a mini UN itself with representatives from 191 countries. Deputy prime minister L K Advani lit the lamp to mark the inauguration of the celebrations which signal certain positive initiatives for a better world. MATERIALISM: Mr Advani, who was overawed by the spiritually charged mammoth gathering, said “Amma” symbolised humanity’s desire to rise above materialism. He said it was one rare occasion when speeches did not matter as the presence