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Mystic Draws Thousands in NYC

Some say India’s ‘hugging saint’ can heal with her touch.

Mata Amritanandamayi, during her three-day appearance in New York City.

NEW YORK, June 10 — Wrapped in a white sari with a diamond stud in her nose, a small Indian woman touched thousands of New Yorkers this week with her signature embrace. Mata Amritanandamayi attracted everyone from mystics to the curious. And for three days at Columbia University, she hugged one and all.

CLOSE TO 3,000 people — young and old, healthy and sick — waited barefoot for hours to kneel before Amma and lay their heads against her incense-scented chest. She listened to their woes or wiped away tears, and then squeezed each person tightly while massaging their backs and whispering blessings like “darling daughter” or “son, my child” over and over again in their ear. She finished each embrace by throwing rose petals and handing out a Hershey’s Kiss and an apple.

The “Hugging Saint,” as the media have called her, is also known as Ammachi, or “beloved mother,” and Amma, or “mother.” She held a three-day program this week in New York, where anyone could line up to receive “darshan,” Amma’s hug, her expression of compassion and empathy.

Though Amma is not considered a faith healer, some people believe her touch can ease physical pain and suffering. Couples who have not been able to get pregnant claim she has helped them to conceive, while others say she has eased the seizures of epileptic children.
The Indian mystic and charity worker is nearing the end of a 10-city tour throughout the United States. Her final stops will be in Boston and Washington, D.C., before she returns to her home in India.

HOURS OF HUGS

Amma’s programs are pretty much the same at each stop: They start with a discourse translated by her swami, or “monk,” from her native Malayalam — she doesn’t speak any English — followed by devotional singing, meditation and, most importantly, hugs.

The hugging lasts throughout the day and all night, with Amma taking only a four-hour break between day and evening sessions. Each night, Amma stays until everyone who wishes has received her embrace. She has hugged up to 18,000 people in one day, sometimes sitting for 20 hours at a time.

“She might be the hardest working person in the world,” said her spokesperson, Rob Sidon, who left his job at a marketing company five years ago to volunteer with her.
“She does this nonstop and is constantly giving,” said Sidon, who met Amma when he was vacationing in India. “She inspired me to volunteer and serve social causes. Before, it had always seemed like something other people did.”

While waiting hours for one’s number to be called to line up for an embrace, people meditate, snack on Indian dinners and desserts outside the hall, or even help out with chores.

WORD OF MOUTH

Most people hear about Amma through friends and word of mouth.

“It was a magnificent experience, and I’m not a believer,” said Geane Thompson, who had just embraced Amma for the first time. “I saw a documentary where a man goes to India and before he leaves he sees her. Then, my friends told me about her, so I decided to come. I can’t put this feeling into words. It’s like when you meditate. You have to experience it yourself.”

“My friend had told me about these incredible transformation stories for years, but I was resistant to visit Amma,” said Stefanie Weiss, who has now seen Amma on many occasions. “The first time, I walked in and after 10 minutes I looked at Amma and cried uncontrollably and I had no idea why. Since meeting her, I’ve felt connected, like I can’t hide from anything. There’s a darker side, too, in this process, but it’s only what you can handle.”
Weiss’ friend, Sherene Schostak, added, “Whatever your issues, they tend to become magnified.”

FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

Amma was born to a poor fishing family in Kerala, a remote coastal area in southern India.
She is said to have been born with a bluish hue to her skin, which made her an outcast. At the age of 10, her father pulled her out of school and forced her to be a family slave.

Despite her tough upbringing, Amma worked tirelessly and helped others as a young mystic. At first, many Indians did not appreciate her affectionate and unorthodox hugs, but eventually she won people over with her love and service to the poor. Today, she is considered a living saint in her homeland.

Sometimes compared to Gandhi because of her service to the poor, Amma’s goal is to help alleviate human suffering wherever possible. To this end, not only does she offer her hugs, but she also has created multiple humanitarian and educational institutions.

Her largest endeavor is the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, an 800-bed hospital and research center in India that gives state-of-the-art medical treatment to the poor. The Mata Amritanandamayi Mission Trust, which is based in her hometown, also helps the poor.

Amma also created the Gujarat Earthquake Relief Effort, in which she organized relief teams to help rebuild destroyed villages, and has offered pensions for widows.

In addition, Amma has sponsored numerous community projects in the United States, from soup kitchens to battered women shelters.

In recent years, the West has begun to recognize Amma for her efforts. In 1993, she was elected as one of the presidents of the Centenary Parliament of World Religions in Chicago. She has also been a featured speaker at the United Nations at the invitation of Secretary General Kofi Annan.

‘COMPASSION IS THE ANSWER’

When asked about the world’s troubles, Amma replied: “I am very sure that compassion is the answer to many of the problems that the world is facing today.”

She feels it is the responsibility of each nation and their leaders to fight against antisocial behavior. “It is the leader’s job to judge, and not be patient with people,” said Amma. “Patience can be a sign of weakness. But, my part is to be a mother, to forgive and forget. Sept. 11 was the manifestation of negative energy and ego,” said Amma.

“Many have asked me whether they should move from New York,” she said. “I tell them to be in the present, since tomorrow or yesterday can never be today. If we live in fear, we go towards death. Fear will take us to the graveyard. In the present, you can find real happiness.”

NBC’s Kristina Dell is an editor based in New York City.