There was a time in this country when there was a terrific line of distinction between higher-lower, touchable-untouchable. Today, we should take pride in the fact that a person like Amma, who was not born in one of society’s upper echelons, has become the centre of sraddha [faith] and prem [love] for even the upper echelons of society.
Sri. Narendra Modi
Chief Minister of Gujarat – 2004
Amma has brought these spiritual heights not just to India but to the whole world. The whole world has accepted her as its ‘Amma.’ By establishing her organization throughout the world, she has projected India to the world—through her life, through the various activities of her ashram.
Sri. Narendra Modi
Chief Minister of Gujarat – 2008
Amma has taught us the religion that takes us from ‘I’ to ‘we’; the religion that joins ‘self’ to the ‘whole’; the religion that teaches us to look at a needy person not with sympathy but with compassion; the religion that teaches us that we should share whatever we have with the others.
Sri. Narendra Modi
Chief Minister of Gujarat – 2008
Kerala may be the centre of Amma’s activities, but her spiritual consciousness enfolds all of humanity, the entire universe is her field of action.
Sri. Narendra Modi
Chief Minister of Gujarat – 2004
Amma is a pearl in India’s Guru tradition.
Sri. Narendra Modi
Chief Minister of Gujarat – 2004
What Swami Vivekananda said 150 years ago – ‘I can see today right in front of my eyes – that In coming days, my Mother India will emerge as the world leader.’ Today, I have to believe those words as the truth. 26 Sep 2013, Amritapuri : Amritavarsham60
Sri. Narendra Modi
Chief Minister of Gujarat
I feel that Amma is not an individual. Amma is the visible form of India’s grand mission. Amma is the visible form of fulfilment of hopes and desires of crores of poor people.
Sri. Narendra Modi
Chief Minister of Gujarat
26 Sep 2013, Amritapuri : Amritavarsham60
Amma is laying the foundation of Modern India.
26 Sep 2013, Amritapuri : Amritavarsham60
Sri. Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Gujarat
Amma has taken this Swachha Bharat campaign very proactively on her own shoulders. Inspired by various great people and humanitarian leaders like Amma, this campaign has gained immense strength and has transformed from being a campaign into a mass movement.
Sri. Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India – 2018
What has attracted me most is Amma’s simple teaching through Amma’s simple language, that even the common man can understand and benefit from.
Sri. Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India
27 Sep 2016, Amritapuri
These two qualities have been her strength – Devotion to God and Dedication to the Poor; is thus, the message which I have personally taken from my association with Amma. 27 Sep 2016, Amritapuri
Sri. Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India
I was very struck by how much of what is generated, how much of the money that is mobilized, actually goes and benefits directly those in need. Amma acts on the spontaneous and instinctive. And that has given a lot of speed and momentum, cut out the bureaucracy, and made it possible to inspire people and to move with them to actually provide timely and quality support to those in need. And I think international NGOs and UN agencies have something to learn from the work of Amma and what she has been able to build.
Olara A. Otunnu former President, UN Security Council
—Olara A. Otunnuformer President, UN Security Council; former Chairman, UN Human Rights Commission -in 2006 when he visited Amritapuri
Amma expressed a peace and love that touches the fundamental aspects of human life. She is attracting lots of people all over the world through Her message and Her character. She expresses these components that are the foundations of the future world we are committed to make with UNESCO and the World Parliament. She is a great leader and we are honoured that She is addressing the closing ceremony.
Felix Martin, Director General of UNESCO, Parliament of World’s Religions
— Felix Martin,Director General of UNESCO
Parliament of World’s Religions, Barcelona, 13 July 2004
Rev. Dr. William E. Lesher, Chairman of the Trustees, Parliament of World’s Religions
Amma is a very important religious leader and we are very honoured to have Her here as the keynote speaker on our closing ceremony. Amma is very loving, She exudes love and affection for human life and She does it in such a way that people understand the message that She brings. The Parliament is meant to build bridges between religions and peoples. Amma is a great example of unity and love to all of us. Personally, I feel that Her embrace is more than just a handshake, it’s is more that a kiss.. more than a kiss of peace! It is a vigorously down to earth hug… And it is powerfully familiar!
—Rev. Dr. William E. Lesher,Chairman of the Trustees, Parliament of World’s Religions
Parlament of World’s Religions, Barcelona, 13 July 2004
Mata Amritanandamayi represents a long line of women seers, saints, social reformers who have transformed the collective psyche of India by their sheer presence. Their experience of the inner life of reflection and introspection, of tapas [austerities] and sadhana [spiritual practice], has, as it had to, manifest itself in diverse ways of public action for the good of humanity.
— Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan,former secretary of the Department of Arts, Ministry of Human Resources of India
during Amritavarsham50, Kochi, Kerala, 25 September 2003
Sri. Ashok Singhal, President of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP)
My first feeling of Amma—right from the beginning—was that some great Mahatmas are born for changing the destiny of the world, and She is one. They have come for a purpose. They are not ordinary. They are Parameshwara Himself. They come with a purpose.
—Sri. Ashok Singhal,President of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP)
New Delhi, 17 March 2004
Sri. P. Parameshwaran, Director, Bharatiya Vichara Kendra
In Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, we have the embodiment of both motherhood and spirituality mingled in one single human presence that embraces the entire globe as it is, without any discrimination, in one single sweep of unbounded love and limitless acts of compassionate service.
— Sri. P. Parameshwaran,Director, Bharatiya Vichara Kendra
during Amritavarsham50, Kochi, Kerala, 25 September, 2003
Ms. Dena Merriam, Vice Chairwoman, Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious & Spiritual Leaders
It [Amritavarsham50] has been phenomenal. Of all the religious and spiritual gatherings I have been to around the world, this is something special. To have such an energy coming from one religious leader, this is of a magnitude I have not seen.
—Ms. Dena Merriam, Vice Chairwoman,
Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious & Spiritual Leaders
during Amritavarsham50, Kochi, Kerala, 26 September 2003
Sri. Bawa Jain, Secretary General, World Council of Religious Leaders
Let Amma’s love and compassion roll like a tidal wave and engulf the whole world, flowing so that no child who is hungry and without a mother will go on suffering.We will be with you wherever you want us in your service, Amma.”
— Sri. Bawa Jain,
Secretary General, World Council of Religious Leaders
during Amritavarsham50, Kochi, Kerala, 24 September 2003
Ms. Yolanda King, Daughter of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
I had the blessed privilege and honour to meet Amma and receive darshan during Her U.S. Tour. It was a moment of transcendence, for I was able to grasp for the first time the essence of true fulfilment and agape [unconditional] love. What I cherish about Amma is that she not only talks the talk and is the embodiment of unconditional love, but She expresses that love in action. She walks the talk. Mahatma Gandhi urged us to ‘be the change we wish to see in the world.’ Amma is the change she wants to see in our world. She is a profound living example for all of us.
—Ms. Yolanda King, Daughter of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Director, Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Non-Violent Social Change
during Amritavarsham50 Kochi, Kerala, 25 September, 2003
Dr. P.L.O Lumumba, Renowned advocate and Human Rights defender
We come to celebrate and acknowledge a personification of love. Amma, your selfless desires, your selfless actions are your greatest testament and commitment to man.
— Dr. P.L.O Lumumba Renowned advocate and Human Rights defender
(Kenya) 14 April 09
Di Kerr, Elder from Australia’s Wunrundjeri Aborigini Tribe
Amma, you are an inspiration to a lot of people, and if we all took one page of your book of life, we can be better people, and being better people, we can have a better world.
— Di Kerr Elder from Australia’s Wunrundjeri Aborigini Tribe:
Melbourne, Australia, 6 April 2008
Ms. Linda Evans, American actress
We all need heroes, people like Amma, who remind us of how great we can be when we’ve forgotten.”I think Amma is truly doing more for women than any other being on earth.”
— Ms. Linda Evans, American actress during Amritavarsham50, Kochi, Kerala, 24 September 2003