Category: Celebration

  • AYUDH celebrates India’s Independence

    AYUDH celebrates India’s Independence

    15 August 2004 — Amritapuri “Bharat is the spiritual centre of the world, its spiritual heart,” said Swami Jnanamritananda on the evening of the 57th anniversary of India’s independence. “Bharat is not just a handful of sand. It is the Mother. Just as a mother feeds her child from her breast, so too this Mother…

  • Guru Purnima with Amma in Amritapuri

    Today marked the second time in 15 years that Amma has been in Amritapuri for Guru Purnima, the day of paying homage to the lineage of Guru. And as Amma only arrived in India three days ago, it is as much homecoming as holy day – with thousands of devotees taking their first darshan of…

  • Festival Days

    6 Oct 2001, Amritapuri The festival atmosphere at Amritapuri stretched from Wednesday to Sunday morning, when Devi Bhava, begun the previous night at 8:00 pm, finished close to 11:00 am. In the days preceding Amma’s Birthday, the Ashram was transformed into a city of light. Local devotees teamed up to build several impressive structures, both…

  • Midnight celebrations – Krishnasthami

    After bhajans all the devotees took their dinner and, as Amma returned to the auditorium, settled down to watch a evening of performances including a dramatic, musical staging of the Bhagavad Gita, produced and performed by ashramites. Directly after the performances concluded, the reciting of the Srimad Bhagavatam, the Purana which describes the life of…

  • Janmashtami – Krishna’s birthday

    Janmashtami – Krishna’s birthday

    As always on Sri Krishna’s birthday, today was a day of great festivity at Amritapuri. The celebrations began at three o’clock in the afternoon with a parade to the local Krishna temple. The procession was headed up by some of the ashramite children costumed for the day and carrying an ashram banner, followed closely by…

  • Vishu celebrations

    April the 14th, 2001, marks the New Year in the Hindu calendar. The focal point of the Vishu celebrations in Amritapuri was the Kalari, where Amma first started Krishna Bhava in 1975. The vishukkani (literally, ‘first sight of the year’) was kaleidoscopic display of elaborate floral arrangements and a platter of fruits. In Indian tradition,…

  • Reports of the celebration

    Reports of the celebration

    On the evening of the 18th there was a talk by Swami Poornamritananda, which was followed by a soul stirring bhajans led by Amma. The devotional singing by the famous Hindustani singer Anup Jalota at 10 p.m. transported the devotees into heights of devotional ecstasy On the morning of the 19th, at 5 a.m. there…

  • Boat Race: The Jayanthi Jalotsovam

    The villages of Vallikavu and Parayakadavu were transported into a grand mood of gaiety and festivity when the Amritamayi Jalotsov boat race was celebrated to commemorate the birthday of Mata Amritanandamayi Devi. On Monday, 18th September, the race was held for the third consecutive year on the Kayamkulam backwaters. Vallam Kali (water festival) is a…

  • Vishu celebrations

    April the 14th, 2000 was new year’s day in the Hindu calendar. Amma was away on Her tour of North India and the residents used this time to completely restore the old Kalari (temple), where Amma first started Krishna Bhava in 1975. The roof was replaced and internal renovations were carried out. Flowers, harvest fruit…