7 February — Kannur, Kerala –Bharata Yatra 2006 Although Kannur means “Land of Kanna*,” the northern Kerala district regularly makes headlines for being the home to politically motivated violence, even brutal public killings. The majority of the district supports pro-Communist parties, which in general are anti-religion and, even more so, anti-”God-man.” In the past, it [Read more... click the article link above]

3 February 2006 — Amritapuri The packing began in earnest only the day before departure–and most of that was done at night. Nine buses named after the Divine Mother–Kali, Durga, Lakshmi, Sree, Mata, Amba, Amrita, Vani and Devi–all had to be loaded. The full night, brahmacharis and devotees climbed up and down the bus ladders, [Read more... click the article link above]

8 – 10 January, Kozhikode, Kerala — Bharata Yatra 2006 They begin queuing up the day before Amma is to give darshan, and they spend the whole night there, entire families sleeping on the hard ground under the open sky. Most of them have been waiting all year for these three days—Amma’s annual visit to [Read more... click the article link above]

6 January —Kottakkal, Malappuram District, Kerala — Bharata yatra 2006 By noon, the chairs were full, by 5:00, the grounds were full and by 7:00 the roads were all blocked. How many people came to see Amma in Kottakkal? When the crowds are this big, it is hard to say: 80,000? 90,000? 100,000? The only [Read more... click the article link above]