Suburban Chicago News.com

'Hugging saint' coming to Holiday Inn Select

SUN STAFF

South Indian holy woman Mata Amritanandamayi, known as "the hugging saint," will offer free public programs Saturday to Monday at Holiday Inn Select, at 1801 N. Naper Blvd. in Naperville.

Amritanandamayi, better known as Amma, will offer blessings during "darshan" programs. Darshan is a Sanskrit term describing "audience in the presence of a holy person." Blessings will be offered in the form of a healing embrace.

Morning sessions for all three days will begin at 10 a.m. with a quick meditation followed by darshan, which will run to mid- to late afternoon. Evening sessions will begin at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and at 6:30 p.m. Monday. The evening programs will include devotional music led by Amma, and the darshan, which will continue until all the people who wish to be hugged have received their blessings.

Amma is considered a living saint in her homeland. She was recognized with the Gandhi-Kind Award for Non-Violence which was presented at the United Nations in Geneva in 2002. Past recipients of this ward include Kofi Annan, Nelson Mandela and Dr. Jane Goodall.

In addition to her blessings, she pursues humanitarian efforts to secure aid for the poor and build educational institutions designed to help underprivileged people help themselves.

SunnyKumar, who is part of a team of organizers bringing Amma to Naperville, said the humanitarian brings a refreshing depth of spirituality.

"Amma's greatest miracle is her unconditional all-encompassing divine love. Her entire life is one of sacrifice and her deep concern for humanity. Post-Sept. 11, where there is so much fear and mistrust, Amma brings a refreshing rush of love, trust, understanding and spiritual depth in a world filled with stress and tension. We are truly lucky, honored and blessed to have someone like Amma in our lives," he said.

For more information, visit www.amma.org.

07/11/03