6 September 2005 — Amritapuri
When Amma came down the steps from her room, the first pookkalam of Onam was waiting for her. Designed in the colours of eight different varieties of flowers by students from Amrita University, the pookkalam showed many of the cultural hallmarks of Kerala: the green painted face of a kathakali dancer, the long black hull of a backwater racing boat, a lit oil lamp, as well as a nirapara and chotta [Kerala’s horn of plenty]. This was all done under the words: Sneha-purvvam, Ammaykkaay: “To Amma, Full of Love.”
Each morning for the next 10 days, a different group of students will offer a pookkalam at the bottom of Amma’s steps.