The Wall Street Journal                       

September 23, 2003

Indian State's Tourism Boosted By "Hugging Saint" Fest

DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

COCHIN, India (AP)--Kerala, the southern Indian coastal state that calls itself "God's own country" because of its lush jungles and beautiful beaches, is getting a boost in tourism from a Hindu religious leader who draws hundreds of thousands of devotees just for her hug.

Birthday celebrations for Ma Amritanandamayi from Wednesday through Saturday in Cochin, a city in Kerala, are being billed as one of India's biggest spiritual gatherings.

Organizers say more than half a million people from across the world are expected to attend Amritanandamayi's 50th birthday celebrations this week. That would push tourist arrivals in the state to a record 10 million this year, officials have said.

Known as "Amma," or "Mother," Amritanandamayi is famous for spending up to 18 hours a day hugging her followers. At last count, more than 30 million people had been given her blessing through hugs.

"It is boom time for tourism in Kerala. We owe a lot of it to Amritanandamayi," Kerala's tourism department director, Alkesh Kumar Sharma, told The Associated Press on Friday.

"Pilgrim tourism is a new area that Kerala tourism is promoting these days," he said.

Kerala is already one of India's hottest tourism destinations because of its jungles, rivers and beaches. The state is also known for its clean and well-operated infrastructure.

Hotels and resorts are packed. Travel operators say they are struggling to cope with the rush.

"All the flights are booked for a week from Kerala. Most trains are fully booked. We had to buy seven new cars to take some of Amma's worshippers who want to go on pilgrim tours across Kerala," said Varghese Kurien, managing director of tour operator Alpha Tour & Travels.

Almost 7 million tourists visited Kerala last year, and 5.5 million in 2001, boosting a sector that provides employment to 700,000 people, tourism department officials said.

The World Travel and Tourism Council predicted last year that tourism in the state would grow by 11.6% per year over the coming decade.

-Edited by Mary de Wet

Updated September 23, 2003 5:40 a.m.