Category: Festivals

President of India Awards Prizes to Top Essay Writers 26 September 2003 Dhanashree Vinay Renge of Mt. Carmel Girls’ School in Nagpur receives a hug from Amma and an award from the President Upon the conclusion of his address to the more than 100,000 youth assembled in the Amritavarsham50 stadium, Indian President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul…

26 September 2003 Shri. Shankar Mahadevan The tone for the evening was set by singer Sri. Shankar Mahadevan, who enthralled everyone with his renditions of Karnatic pieces, bhajans, abhangs and devotional songs from movies. His rich and vibrant vocals were captivating as was the repertoire he had selected for the evening. Many remarked that the…

Many devotees cherish nothing more than being with Amma when She sings bhajans. Some sit with their eyes-closed in deep meditation, some sing along— maybe reading the lyrics from bhajan books—and others simply sit, witnessing Amma as She gives Herself so fully to the music. Amma sang bhajans in nearly two dozen languages, to the…

“Messiah of Love”: Amma’s Biography in Braille 26 September 2003 Anil K. Dilwali and his family came to see Amma during Amritvarsham50 with a very special gift—108 copies of Amma’s life story in braille. Mr. Dilwali was kind enough to recount us the full story. When Amma was presented with Messiah of Love, Her life…

Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu 26 September 2003 Before beginning Her satsang on the evening of 26 September, Amma asked all Her children in the stadium to chant the peace mantra “lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu” [“may the whole world be happy”] for one full minute, and to imagine that the vibrations of peace were spreading from…

Buddhist Priests Perform Japanese Homa 25 September 2003 On the second day of Amritavarsham50, two monks from very different Buddhist sects performed an integrated homa [fire-pit ritual] based on the esoteric Buddhist practice from the Shingon tradition. Buddhist priests perform a traditional Japanese homa Tendai Buddhist Rev. Takeda Hakusai said, “The homa tradition does originally…

Twirling Ladies, Rockin’ Bhajans & Serious Facial Hair 25 September 2003 Only the promise of Amma’s sweet embrace could have kept the thousands of people in line for darshan from rushing to get a better look at the spectacular cultural performances taking place onstage. Featuring performances by a group of artists as diverse as world-renowned…

Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi Inaugurates Amritakripa AIDS Hospice & Care Centre Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi, India’s Minister for Human Resources, unveils the cornerstone. On 25 September 2003, the hospice was inaugurated in the presence of Amma by Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi, India’s Honourable Union Minister for Human Resource Development. Shri. T.N. Chathurvedi, His Excellency the…

The location seems inhospitable: a steep, muddy hill at a 60-degree incline, a few miles away from Cochin’s oil refinery. But as with the other places Amma has sanctified, miracles seem to be underway here. The land donated by the Kerala State Government in Ambalamugal posses some challenges for construction. The Math must build on…

Mata Amritanandamayi Math – Opens New Care Home for the Elderly 25 September 2003 The Mata Amritanandamayi Math’s second Care Home for the elderly was inaugurated during the Amritavarsham50 Celebration by Smt. K.R. Gouri, Kerala’s Honourable Minister of Agriculture. Smt. K.R. Gouri, Kerala’s Minister of Agriculture, inaugurated the Care Home Located in the beautiful village…