Category: Onam

  • Everyday a celebration

    Amritapuri, 1 September 2006 During the past few days, the Ashram has been buzzing with celebrations surrounding Ganesh Chaturthi and Onam.  While each morning has seen a new Pookkalam (flower design) created for Onam by students of  Amrita University,  the  evenings have been resounding with bhajans being sung at the Kalari in honor of Ganesh.…

  • Onam: Unity of hearts is the beauty of the society

    Onam: Unity of hearts is the beauty of the society

    15 September 2005 — Amritapuri “All of you look like a beautiful pookkalam,” Amma said, looking down at the 10,000 or so people who had gathered at Amritapuri to celebrate Onam. Later, in her satsang, Amma explained that pookkalams, the multicoloured flower-petal mandalas of Onam, symbolize the confluence of hearts in society. “Pookkalam represent the…

  • Onam celebration in the pool

    Onam celebration in the pool

    Amma painted in response was of a world wet with life–one where boys and girls lepta into the backwaters and splashed about, making as much noise as they wanted, singing together, dancing together, running, laughing, knocking down fruit from the mango trees.

  • How to make a Pookkalam?

    How to make a Pookkalam?

    September-2005 Each morning for the past 10 days, students from Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham have presented Amma with a beautiful pookkalam at the foot of the steps to her room. The tradition of making pookkalams [flower-petal mandalas] is as ancient as India herself. It is considered auspicious to create small pookkalams outside one’s home each morning…

  • The 10 days of Onam begin

    The 10 days of Onam begin

    6 September 2005 — Amritapuri When Amma came down the steps from her room, the first pookkalam of Onam was waiting for her. Designed in the colours of eight different varieties of flowers by students from Amrita University, the pookkalam showed many of the cultural hallmarks of Kerala: the green painted face of a kathakali…

  • How Amma celebrated Onam in her childhood

    How Amma celebrated Onam in her childhood

    5 September 2005 — Amritapuri When a leading Malayalam newspaper reporter from Kerala recently asked Amma to tell him about her Onam memories of long ago, an unforgettable satsang poured forth. In talking about Onam and the village life of her youth, Amma found the perfect medium to share her vision of life, a vision…

  • A rapidly spreading celebration

    A rapidly spreading celebration

    Amritapuri — Saturday, 28 August 2004 “What is it that is ancient and yet ever new?” Amma wanted to know. She was sitting on Her peetham before some 12,000 devotees, all of whom had come to celebrate Onam at Her ashram. Amma’s voice was casual, like that of a teacher posing questions to a group…

  • Onam 2004

    Onam celebrations were held in Amritapuri in August of 2004. Students from Amrita University made a pookkalam (flower-petal design)everyday for ten days in front of Amma her house.

  • Onam celebrations

    Onam at Amritapuri was a day of many surprises. In the morning, Amma announced that She would hold the morning darshan program in the new hall where only bhajans and Devi Bhava darshan are usually held. Talking to the devotees present, Amma said, “You have been able to see the ashram as your own home.…

  • Onam at their home

    31 August, 2001, Amritapuri Onam at Amritapuri was a day of many surprises. In the morning, Amma announced that She would hold the morning darshan program in the new hall where only bhajans and Devi Bhava darshan are usually held. Talking to the devotees present, Amma said, “You have been able to see the ashram…