For the last ten days, as per the tradition of the Onam harvest festival, the entire state of Kerala has been ordained with lush, beautiful flower mandalas.
At Amritapuri, each day the floral decoration in front of Amma’s room was unique. Each day, the beautiful arrangement depicted a different scene from the life of Sri Krishna. Each one seemed more beautiful than the last, and yet in truth, none could be said to be the most beautiful – each day, in that moment, that mandala was the most beautiful, and the love with which it had been arranged shone through and lent it that much more beauty and luster.
Traditionally, one spends the final day of Onam at home with the family. But every year, countless families choose to spend the day with their spiritual family and the mother they all share at Amma’s Ashram. That morning, Amma gave a Satsang and led all in meditation and prayers for world peace to all those who had gathered to celebrate Onam with Amma. “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam is the Indian concept that the whole world is one family. The celebration of Onam is closely aligned with this truth. The earth and the sky, the flowers, birds and animals—all of Nature come together as one family and participates in this celebration.” {read more from Amma’s Onam message}
Then, Amma led all the assembled devotees in blissful dance to the tune of ti thi tara th thi tai…
After giving a brief darshan for those who would not otherwise have a chance to receive her embrace, Amma began serving the traditional OnaSadya feast to one and all. Finally, she fed Lakshmi, the ashram elephant.
The ashramites played tug-of-war to the amusement of all. First with two groups of brahmacharis battling each other, then Amma called on the “Aachans” (elderly male devotees) to do the same and finally the brahmacharinis. Amma enjoyed the show along with all those assembled.
In the evening, Amma led bhajans which were followed by beautiful, entertaining and uplifting cultural programs, including many dances and skits, including riveting classical dance and a heartwarming play by the littlest residents of Amritapuri.
The program concluded only at 1:00 am that night. All went to bed with joy in their hearts, having been blessed to spend Onam with Amma and all their spiritual brothers and sisters in a celebration of unity and love.
4 Sept 2017 — Amritapuri Ashram
Amma’s Message on Thiruvonam
Amma bows down to everyone, who are embodiments of divine love and supreme consciousness.
The festival of Onam brings with it a sweet sankalpa—an ideal whose sweetness and novelty never fade with time. Amma is happy when her children come together here on the occasion of Onam. Onam is a celebration of our native culture, arts and games. It symbolises a passage from the darkness of yesterday into the light of the better times of tomorrow.
Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam is the Indian concept that the whole world is one family. The celebration of Onam is closely aligned with this truth. The earth and the sky, the flowers, birds and animals—all of Nature comes together as one family and participates in this celebration.
What is special about a family? Each member of a family supports and protects all the other members. The entire world is sustained through mutual dependency and nourishment. Just look at Nature. Flowers and fruits grow on plants and trees. Bees make honey. Do they make it only for themselves? No. It is also consumed by birds and other animals. Similarly, trees produce life-sustaining oxygen. In return, birds and animals help the trees and plants to germinate and grow. In this way, all of Nature carries the message of mutual assistance, sharing and cooperation. Our ancestors, who lived in harmony with Nature, were the same. Even as they protected their harvest, they left some behind for the birds. They did not destroy all the pests and upset the harmony of Nature like we do today. All they did was control the pests. Today, environmental protection remains only in our discussions. We rarely put it into practice.
Our life should not be just for ourselves. It should also be for the society and Nature surrounding us. Human beings are a higher form of creation; we should see it as our duty to protect the creatures that are weaker than us.
The story of Mahabali is connected to yajna samskara—the culture of sacrifice. In fact, when the young Vamana walks into Mahabali’scourt, a fire yajna is taking place. A yajna should benefit everyone in the world. It should be done without ego, with an attitude of surrender. Giving charity is an essential component of yajna. Charity is given great importance in Indian culture. Why? Because our ancients knew that it is what we give back that is most important. Onam serves as a reminder of the importance of compassion and sharing.
In Amma’s childhood, when rice grains would be brought home from the harvest, before they were stored in the granary, people from the neighbouring houses would be given a part of the harvest. Depending on the size of the family, three kgs to six kgs of rice would be distributed to them. Around 15 houses would receive a share like this. Before the grains would be measured and put in their vessels, Amma’s mother would first put a little in each vessel with her hands. Only then would she add the measured rice. Regardless, each measuring scoop was still filled to the brim. This was to make sure that the neighbours always received more—not less. In today’s world, this whole mentality of giving has changed. People have become more and more selfish. We have to change this attitude.
The festival of Onam and its celebrations give us the message that prosperity, peace and affluence result when ancient spiritual traditions and the modern world go hand in hand. Mahabali was a good ruler who governed the kingdom in accordance with his people’s wishes. Yet, he was also a perfect devotee. Hence, he gave equal importance to the material as well as to the spiritual growth of his people. He did not see spirituality and material life as separate; he gave them equal place. And it was with this outlook that he showed us how to live. As such, even though he was an Asura king, during his golden reign, love, friendship, equality, wealth, prosperity and honesty prevailed.
When man goes in search of “the modern,” he tends to forget that it is the “old” truths that serve as its foundation. Spiritual values never perish. They are needed equally in all places, at all times. The world becomes beautiful when we understand this truth and lead a modern life while standing firmly rooted in these ancient values. Spirituality should not be pushed away as “some old way of thinking.” It should be imbibed and practiced in our lives. We should never forget the truth that only if there is old will there be new. During the Independence struggles of different nations, many people sacrificed their lives for their countries. Do we call those people “old-fashioned” and criticise them? The foundation of today’s independence is the sacrifice and adversity faced by those people. When new songs and bhajans are composed, do we ever put down the old tunes? The foundation of today is yesterday.
In the same way, a nation’s native culture lies in the values that bind it together; it is these that are the reason for its growth and progress. Hence, without a spiritual outlook, material life will always be filled with conflict and agitation. Such a society will not be prosperous, peaceful or united.
Both God and demons are within man’s mind. When we unleash desires without any control, when we live only to satisfy our selfish victories and wants, man becomes an asura—a demon. But man is capable of progressing in the opposite direction as well—towards God. Although Mahabali was an Asura king, he possessed many divine qualities such as a charitable nature, kindness and compassion. Hence, even though he was born into the Asura clan, Mahabali was divine. It was his inherent divine qualities that made that period a time of peace, unity and equality.
Complete contentment is the highest mental state. This state is what we see in Mahabali. “I have attained all I need. I have seen all, experienced all. I have no likes or dislikes left. I have only one goal: “To return to my Self; to merge into God.” The constant flow of this thought, with deep intensity, is real contentment. This is what we see in Mahabali.
Today we see a human race that is madly running after material pleasure, name and fame—even when it has one foot in the grave. To those who live like this, wreaking havoc in their own lives as well as those of others, Mahabali’s life is the ultimate message.
Today’s Onam celebration has greatly diverged from its original fundamental values. Many people use this as an occasion to party with alcohol, eat meat and watch cheap programmes perverting our culture. Even our iconic Mahabali is now depicted as a comic potbellied character, holding a palm-leaf umbrella.
In reality, the annual return of Mahabali should symbolize our return to the values of Onam. Onam becomes meaningful only when love, friendship, sharing, love of Nature and other values overflow in our lives. Today, the God within us is in the form of Vamana—a dwarf. Through our innocence, sacrifice, austerity and compassion, this dwarf should grow into the giant Trivikrama. We should grow to see God in all the three worlds, and love and serve everyone and everything. Only then will our Onam become the real Onam.
May grace bless my children to have a heart filled with selflessness!
For each of the 10 days of the annual Onam festival, ashram residents as well as students took turns making beautiful big pookkalams (floral designs) at the foot of the steps to Amma’s room. Each day when Amma came out for darshan, she would stand there for some time, bow to the pookkalam and comment about the beauty of the work–for it was not possible to say which was more beautiful.
On the final day of the Onam festival, Amma was welcomed by Panchavadyam – traditional Kerala drums – to the stage. After Amma gave her Onam message {news} , she sang two bhajans,(Bandalo Bandlo and Radhe Govinda Gopi Gopala) and asked everyone to clap and dance along with her. At the end Amma danced to the tune of Baduga music.
After giving darshan for a short time, she started giving OnaSadya – the traditional Onam feast – to all those present. Last but certainly not least to receive her OnaSadya was Lakshmi–the ashram elephant, who was fed by Amma herself. Amma gave Lakshmi giant rice balls, payasam, pappadam, and avil one by one, as well as banana clusters. Then Lakshmi played her favourite game – she was given buckets of water, from which she sprayed water on all those assembled, giving those nearby quite a bath.
That evening, Amma sang bhajans, transporting all into a realm beyond.
After dinner, ashramites staged a number of performances, including dances and dramas, for the delight of all. Amma sat for all the performances along with the rest of the ashram residents and visitors. By midnight, Amma sang “Love is the way” in English and the crescendo – “Aya he sara jaha yaham”. With prayers for peace of the whole world, this year’s Onam celebrations came to an end.
-Kannadi
14 September 2016 — Onam Celebrations at Amritapuri Ashram
(Amma’s message on the occasion of Onam festival)
Amma is extremely happy to see all of you have gathered here to celebrate Thiruvonam with Amma. It shows the bond you have with Amma. May this bond and love be always there between all of you as well. It is said that the relative of a devotee is another devotee alone. It is this message of unity and love that Thiruvonam brings to us.
Onam presents a role model of the relationship between the government and the governed. Mahabali desired nothing but the welfare of his subjects. His people, too, loved their king. The festival of Onam presents the bond between them—their unity, love and equality—before our eyes. How should rulers be? How should citizens be? Onam presents a perfect ideal of this, which is essential in today’s world.
Onam is the celebration of human relationships. It is the time when relationships among family members, friends and relatives get strengthened. We live in an age where all human bonds have become weak. Husbands and wives are becoming estranged from one another. Mother-child relationships, father-child relationships, teacher-student relationships and relationships between neighbours are all becoming weaker. Onam comes to us bearing the message of reviving these relationships and strengthening them. Onam becomes Onam only when this is achieved.
However, Onam is not a celebration of human relationships alone. It is also a celebration of the bond between Nature and humankind. Beyond that, it is also a celebration of the bond between God and humanity. What sets Onam apart from other celebrations is its completeness. Onam is a festival that includes all aspects of life. Children, women, young people, and the elderly all have their respective roles in the festival. The celebration is relevant at the family level as well as at the societal level. Similarly, it also impacts our immediate surrounds, Nature as a whole, as well as our own bodies and minds. Onam is also the festival of cultural values and art forms.
Moreover, Onam is the story of the transformation that came over Emperor Mahabali. Although a righteous king, Bali took great pride in his own abilities and good qualities. When his guru, Sukracharya, warned him that Vamana—the dwarf boy who stood before him—was in reality Lord Vishnu, a battle ensued within him. Either adhere to truth and lose his all his name and position or try to safeguard his name and position by turning his back on truth. Mahabali chose the former path. It was the path of renunciation.
In the end, when the dwarf Vamana grew in size and measured the earth and the heavens in two strides, Mahabali’s pride crumbled to pieces. In order to keep his word and uphold the truth, he surrendered his own self. However, that defeat became his success. It is Nature’s infallible law that he who renounces everything achieves everything. Mahabali became like gold that has been purified by fire. He rose to becoming purnam—whole—and attained immortal fame.
The battle that arose in Mahabali’s heart takes place within every human being as the battle between good and evil, the battle between positive and negative emotions, the battle between selfishness and selflessness. Those who choose the path of righteousness are fortunate. Mahabali’s story is a message to the modern man who prides himself on his own abilities, yet staggers without answers when faced with life’s challenges.
Mahabali was an asura—a member of a race of demons. Prahlada was also an asura. Vibhishana was a rakshasa—a different type of demon. Regardless all three became perfect beings. This proves that goodness exists within all of us, and if we try, we can awaken it.
Today we judge people as great or otherwise based on the wealth they possess or their fame or position in society. Once these are lost, their “greatness” is also lost. This is the law of the world. But this is not true in spirituality. One becomes great only when one loses their identity with “I” and “mine” and the resulting attachments. This is when man becomes God. When Mahabali surrendered everything to the omnipresent Vishnu Consciousness, he transcended the boundaries of “I” and “mine” and attained the Supreme. This is the principle behind the story.
Discernment is the “switch” that turns on the light of knowledge.
Mahabali’s reign marked a golden era where people didn’t tell lies and there was no deceit or slander. However, today, the situation is the complete opposite. The age we live in seems to have only one slogan, “My own happiness! My own gain!” This attitude will only lead us to darkness and sorrow. There is a belief that King Mahabali visits his subjects on Thiruvonam and enquires about their welfare. The real principle behind this belief is that we should awaken from our stupor of selfishness and view the world around us through the eyes of Mahabali. It is the little acts of love and respect that we show towards our fellow beings that fill our lives with joy. When each one of us thinks what we can do to make others happy, then naturally our hearts will fill with joy. This was all Mahabali really wished for. He just wanted to his subjects experience peace, prosperity, happiness and contentment. He never wished anything for himself. Mahabali’s vision for his subjects was like a mahatma’s vision for the world as a whole. It was a vision devoid of selfishness.
There is a lesson to be learned from each and every experience in life. But we need sraddha and viveka—attentiveness and discernment—to be able to recognise the lessons life is trying to teach us. Discernment is the “switch” that turns on the light of knowledge. Those with discernment are able to understand the message behind each positive and negative experience in life and accept everything that comes their way with a smile.
For Onam we have the tradition of wearing new clothes. Along with that, let us adopt the tradition of making new decisions that are for social good. Children, you enjoy traditional Onam songs and games for Onam. Make this joy permanent by learning to live a life founded on spiritual principles. For Onam, we compete to make the largest and most beautiful pookkalams. At the same time, let us also make a floral design in our heart using flowers of love, flowers of patience, flowers of self-sacrifice and flowers of humility. Let us try to make our circle of compassion larger and more expansive. If we do this, we can make life itself a huge Onam celebration.
Every year Onam is a time for great celebration here in Amritapuri and this year was no exception. Early in the morning the hall was full of people in anticipation for the day’s festivities. They didnt have to wait long as Amma arrived on the stage before 10am and gave her Onam message to a packed crowd.
Speaking to the assembled devotees Amma said “All of us are experiencing our own little pains and sorrows in life. Nevertheless, amidst all these, we still usher in Onam with joy. How is it possible? Happiness is a decision. If we so decide, we can create an empire of happiness. This is because happiness is our true nature. The lamp of happiness is ever aflame in our hearts. We must take care not to block this light with the closed curtain of our desires.” {read more}
At the of her talk Amma lead the hall through a joyous rendition of Bandalo Bandalo and asked everyone to clap their hands with those around them.
Then Amma served a special onasadya meal to all the thousands of people in the ashram which took several hours. All ate in the hall together as one big family…even the biggest of ashram resident. As it has become a yearly tradition, Amma served Lakshmi the elephant the large portion of Onam prasad.
Later in the evening after bhajans, Amma came back to the hall to participate in the cultural programs. A huge variety of performances delighted the hall performed by ashram children, residents, westerners and brahmacharis. All finally reached a crescendo when around midnight Amma led everyone in singing – La Le Lale La Le. The whole hall was cheering, singing, and swaying with the music to bring an end to amazing day.
For the past ten days of Onam, portico in front of Amma’s house were daily decorated with different floral designs. Ashram residents, devotees and students did the Pookkalam.
“There are things that awaken enthusiasm and freshness whenever we think about or experience them,” Amma remarked in her Onam address this morning. This is certainly true about the annual Onam festival in Amritapuri. People from all over Kerala, India and abroad returned to their spiritual home, Amritapuri, to spend the harvest festival day in Amma’s presence, and the bhajan hall spilled over from all sides as people gathered for Amma’s morning program. Every one was seen wearing new set of dress especially teenagers in saris and dhotis.
Amma began the day with an address reminding everyone of the eternal spiritual values Onam signifies, and the importance of keeping those values alive in our daily life. Afterwards Amma led a series of bhajans, ultimately asking the devotees to stand up, forget all their sorrows and dance blissfully, imagining they were dancing with their own beloved form of the Lord. After prayer and visualization for world peace, Amma gave darshan for some time and then served a traditional Onam meal as prasad to each and every person in the hall. The serving alone took more than two hours. Amma did not forget to serve the ashram resident with the biggest appetite – Lakshmi the elephant.
Every day, for the last 10 days, the portico in front of Amma house was decorated with different designs of flower mandala (pookkalam). Today when she came to the stage for the celebration, she bowed down to the pookkalam, which was the image of baby Sri Krishna.
Later Amma returned to lead the evening bhajans, which were immediately followed by a series of cultural programs by students of Amrita University and Amrita Vidyalayam, as well as a percussion-driven performance by Amma’s western children, calling to mind the rhythm and joy of a service-oriented life. To conclude Amma sang three bhajans – Deena nathe deena vatsale, Nishayute neerava neelimayil and a new fast one Guvadi vaani sunlo, reminding us to follow the words of Great Masters.
Everyone went to bed with full bellies and full hearts, inspired and rejuvenated.
There are certain things in life towards which attraction never ends. These are the good things that awaken enthusiasm and freshness whenever we think about or experience them. For example, the sea. No matter how many times we look at the sea, we never feel it’s enough. There is an aspect of eternity in the sea. It’s the same with the sky. The bonds we feel with the place where we were born and towards Nature in general are also like this. We always see newness in them. It’s the same with the bond and attraction we feel towards Onam.
There is something in Onam that touches and awakens goodness and happiness in us. For a Malayali*, the mere thought of Onam awakens enthusiasm and feelings of celebration. Maybe we feel this attraction because of how intertwined Onam is with our eternal culture and Nature itself.
Certain aspects of Onam are unique. It is a chain that links together the past, the present and the future. We celebrate Onam to remember the good times that have been lost to antiquity—memories of an age when prosperity, equality and brotherhood prevailed. Onam also awakens expectations for the return of such an age in the future. Onam belongs to the present as well because when we celebrate it we forget everything and live in the here and now.
At the same time, Onam is not just an occasion to celebrate and enjoy. It’s also an occasion to remind us of the importance of certain values: the importance of sharing, of protecting Nature, of humility and self-sacrifice, the importance of surrendering ourselves to God, the importance of being charitable and of performing our actions in a spirit of yajna. These are some of what Onam teaches us. In fact, questions like “Did Mahabali really exist?” and “Was there even a Kerala in Mahabali’s time?” are not that relevant. The important things are the values and teachings that Onam conveys. Our celebration of Onam will only truly become meaningful when we put in effort to firmly imbibe these values in our life.
In our country, festivals are not mere occasions for celebrating and enjoying. They are means to help us transform every aspect of our personal and social lives into things that will advance us towards Self-realization. More than being for our enjoyment, their aim is to help us spread dharma, values and the remembrance of God in society. It’s painful for Amma when she sees how far people are straying from this goal. Worse yet, the tendency to use festivals like Onam as mere occasions to drink and make merry is increasing every year.
Even though Mahabali was a very good person, he had some shortcomings. His attitude was, “I’m a great emperor. I’m the ruler of the three worlds. No one does as much good as I do.” In reality, we do not have any power of our own. Mahabali did not understand that it is only because of divine grace that we are able to accomplish anything. Vamana asked Mahabali for three feet of land. Mahabali replied, “I’m the owner of the three worlds. Don’t ask me for such trivial things. Ask for anything, and it will be given to you.” This is the attitude many develop when they start gaining fame, position and prosperity in life. It’s not enough if we perform good actions; we have to do so humbly, without ego. Remember, even Olympic champions have to lower their heads when standing on the podium to receive their medals.
When someone writes a great book, can the pen claim any greatness? If a judge sentences someone to be hanged, is the pen responsible for the verdict? No, the pen is just an instrument. We should be aware that, similarly, we are all just instruments in God’s hands.
The Onam festival is an expression of unity. When everyone comes together to draw and decorate the pookkalams, to cook the feast, to take part in the Onam dances and games, all differences fade away. Unity is the pillar of progress and harmony in society. It is not enough if we are united on Onam. We need to be able to abide in such ideals throughout our lives. But what we see in today’s society is only selfishness and self-imposed segregation.
Onam is also a celebration that reminds us of our dharma towards Mother Nature. Not so long ago, the Onam pookkalams were decorated with so many varieties of flowers. Thumba, thechi, mandaram, hibiscus, jasmine and many other varieties of flowers could easily be found around many of the houses. But in recent times flowers are seen less and less. As such, we see people using colored powder, coconut flakes and sawdust to color their pookkalams. Soon, we may even see pookkalams made of plastic flowers. These may be colorful, but they will lack the beauty and fragrance of real flowers. In olden times, nearly every house had a swing. Now the tree on which the swing was tied has disappeared. Today, in order to sit on a swing, children have to go to a park. To prevent such situations, we have to put in dedicated effort with the spirit of unity.
Let us try our best and leave the rest to God’s will.
—- * Malayali – One who speaks Malayalam, the language of Kerala state.
As always the day of Thiruonam was a festive occasion in Amritapuri. Accompanied by Panchavadyam musicians Amma made her way to the stage in the morning to the delight of the packed hall that had come for the festivities.
Amma started the celebrations by sharing her Onam message in which she said, “Onam sankalpa is a time of sweet memories of the past and beautiful dreams of the future. Normally human life is full of sorrow. Amidst all this sorrow, we dream of a future filled with happiness. It is not mere dreaming. There were times like that—times when people lived in love, harmony and unity. It was a time when no one lied or cheated anyone. It was the time when a king ruled with only one goal—the welfare of his people. We dream with longing for the return of such a time. With the return of Onam, we become nostalgic for the values that are fading away before our eyes.”
“Most of our festivals are in remembrance of avataras of the Divine Power: Rama Navami and Sri Krishna Jayanti are all examples of this. And Onam is also a day when Lord Vishnu incarnated as Vamana. Regardless, in our celebration of Onam, the focus is not on Lord Vishnu’s avatara but on the return of Mahabali—the asura king—returning to check the welfare of his subjects. This is not without significance. It shows us that where we begin doesn’t make us great. One can be born a god or one can be born an asura. What makes one great is the renunciation of selfishness. The stories of Mahabali and Prahalada are examples of this ideal.”
“Most of you know the story of Mahabali. When Lord Vamana covered the three worlds with two steps, there was no place for him to take a third. But Mahabali still had something he considered his own. That was his ego. That is the reason why Mahabali offered his head and requested the Lord to place his foot on it with his third step. In this way, he managed to keep his promise to the Lord. Surrendering everything he considered his own, Mahabali attained perfection. Like Mahabali, we also have a kingdom—a kingdom comprised of our ego and selfishness. We have to offer that at God’s feet. If we are able to do so, then every day will become an Onam.”
After sharing her message with everyone, Amma guided everyone in a brief meditation and then asked everyone to get up on their feet and sing and dance with all their hearts, forgetting all their worries. First Amma led everyone singing Bandalo Bandalo, followed by Madhava Gopala and finally Tannana Tanne as the whole hall rocked in celebration.
As soon as the singing ended Amma gave darshan just long enough to allow the stage to be converted into an Onam Sadya (prasad lunch) serving station. Once all the dozens of huge pots of rice, sambar, avial, papadams, banana chips, payasam, etc were ready on the stage, Amma shifted from darshan to serving prasad to everyone. It took more than 2 hours to serve all the 1000’s of people who had packed the hall. Once all the human ashramites got their prasad, the largest ashram resident waited patiently in the hall for her serving…Lakshmi the elephant. Amma lovingly and playfully served Lakshmi handful after handful of everything on the menu. At the end rather than washing it all down with a bucket of water, Lakshmi decided to spray all the onlookers with her trunk sending everyone ducking for cover.
In the evening Amma returned for bhajans and then shortly after dinner to enjoy the myriad of cultural programs on the main stage. International visitors, ashram residents and students and staff of Amrita University all offered entertaining dances, dramas and music to the delight of the crowd. Just before midnight to cap off the day’s celebrations Amma led one more song- Varde Varde Maiya, sending everyone to bed with completely full hearts.
Onam is a very special celebration day in Amritapuri. Amma’s generosity and love are displayed on this occasion in deeply touching and utterly charming ways.
It was a very rainy day, and everyone expected Amma to come to the stage at around 9:30am, but she surprised everyone by showing up to the stage at 8:50am. With a beaming smile of love and joy, perfect expression of the Onam moods, she delivered her Onam message, which was displayed simultaneously on screens in English for the non-Malayalam speakers. The hall was fully packed with thousands of devotees.
After her talk {news} Amma asked everyone to stand up and put all their worries aside and dance and sing in joy together. She then led everyone in dancing to Bolo Bolo and Tannana Tannane. After singing and dancing all sat with Amma for a few minutes in meditation.
After the meditation, Amma gave darshan for a bit more than one hour, allowing the Ona-Sadhya to be brought to the stage and ready to be served. Big heaps of plates were brought to both sides of the stage, as well as several large pots containing all the different items making up the prasad lunch. Using both her hands, Amma was sliding the plates into the hands of the devotees coming up the ramp from both sides. Alert and fully focused on the faces of all coming up to her, she acknowledged each one’s presence with a gentle smile, or a look, or a gesture or a word. The plates passing continued for over 2 hours, until everyone, including all the ashram residents were served.
While food was being served, the hall, was full of people enjoying their Onam lunch. A small army of volunteers were directing traffic, allowing groups of people in turns to sit on the tables and chairs and enjoy their sumptuous Onam meal, while others with buckets filled with extra rice and curry made sure that everyone had as much as they wanted. Smiles and joy were on every face, as “Happy Onam” greetings were shared with cheerfulness.
As Amma was finishing the distribution of Prasad to all, Lakshmi, the young female elephant of the ashram was brought to the side of the hall. Amma reached to Lashmi, tapped her and caressed her trunk lovingly, while exchanging words with the mahout, inquiring about Lakshmi’s well being. For the next 10 minutes or so, Amma fed Lakshmi handfuls of paysam balls, banana chips, jaggary sweets, papadam, rice and curry. Lakshmi enjoyed every single feeding. Amma would lift her hand up, waive the food and place it gently deep into Lakshmi’s mouth who would answer with a happy swing of the trunk. Full of compassion and playfulness, Amma would hide handfuls of prasad behind her back, as Lakshmi, indulging in the play, would bring her trunk behind Amma’s back searching for the special treat. At the end, a big bucket of water was brought forward, as the giggling devotees standing in front of Lakshmi while pushing backwards. They knew what was to come. After drinking some, Laksmi filled her trunk with water and splashed it towards the joyfully screaming crowds in front of her.
It was way past 3pm, when Amma left to her room, leaving thousands of happy human hearts and a one special elephant heart relishing on what they had received and enjoyed.
Amma then returned to the hall for bhajans at 6.30pm. After the bhajans Amma came to the hall for the final time to enjoy the cultural performances. All groups participated: little children, youth, adult women, brahmacharis… Indians and westerners… all had something to offer with happy songs, colors, love and inspiration.
It was close to 11pm when the performances ended, but Amma wanted to sing one more bhajan. Amma led everyone in singing Bandalo climaxing with fervent “Mata Rani Ki’s” and “Jay’s”.
Thus concluded a memorable Onam at Amritapuri. A day to remember and cherish! Amma’s joy and generosity offered to all in abundance!
