Amma, Mata Amritanandamayi Devi
19 February 2005, Sri Lanka When Amma visited the Tamil tsunami-relief camp in the Ampara district of Sri Lanka on 17th February, 15 Tamil Tigers—soldiers of the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam)—came for Amma’s darshan, as did 20 soldiers from the Sinhalese government’s Special Task Force (STF). The Sinhalese and Tamil armies have been […]
16 February 2005 — Azhikkal Village, Alappad Panchayat, Kerala After giving darshan in tsunami relief camps in Pondicherry and Tamil Nadu, Amma travelled all night to reach the Ashram at around 8:00 in the morning on February 15. This morning—less than 24 hours later—She left for Sri Lanka, where She is to visit more tsunami-wrecked […]
13 February 2005 — Lechakkupam, Nagapattinam District, Tamil Nadu Amma had been visiting tsunami relief camps from the morning itself. Many a times those with Her had tried to get Her to cut short Her programme in some way, but Amma was not open to suggestions—She just said, “You don’t understand their sorrow.” The programme […]
12 February 2005 — Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu, en route from Bangalore to Nagapattinam “My house, my life, my belongings, my children—all disappeared in the blink of an eye,” Amma said. She was talking to Her disciples and devotees about the tsunami during a stop in Dharmapuri. Amma was going to the Nagapattinam district to give […]
8 February 2005, en route to Bangalore, Karnataka On the way from Mysore to Bangalore, Amma decided to treat Her children to one more unforgettable moment. In the historic region of Srirangapattanam runs the sacred river Kaveri. It is a place that has been blessed by Amma’s presence many times in the past, yet every […]
29 January 2005, Amritapuri Amma took the photograph, looked deeply into the eyes of the four-year-old boy it pictured and gently kissed his forehead. She then took the next photo—this one of a girl in pig tails—and did the same. There were around 70 in all, so it took some time. These were photographs of […]
28 January 2005 , Amritapuri Advaita it is such a simple word. It means “not two.” But within this simple conjunction is cradled the entirety of spirituality. It is the reminder that things are not diverse, as they seem, but One. Man and Nature? Not two. Creator and Creation? Not two. Inside and outside? Not […]
26 January 2005 ,Amritapuri Today marks one month. One month since the tsunami came. One month since everything changed for millions in South East Asia. 250,000—this is the death toll. But what about the number of people sent into mourning? What about the number of people rendered homeless? What about the number who lost their […]
16 January 2005,Amritapuri The family consisted of a grandfather, grandmother, father, mother and young boy of about three. As the family approached Amma for darshan, the boy told his family, “I want to ask Amma a question, but you cannot laugh.” They all promised. Soon the entire family was in Amma’s arms. As Amma looked […]
10 January 2005 — Amritapuri Walking down Beach Road must be much like it is to walk down some scenic path in Sarajevo or Baghdad. On one side, nature glistens with its eternal promise of renewal. On the other, the houses look like they’ve taken mortar fire. It’s a road of ghosts, of disappointed dreams, […]