Category: Festivals
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Sri Krishna Jayanti
26 August 2005, Amritapuri Just before midnight–the time of Sri Krishna’s birth–Amma went to the stage. A puja was performed as the “Srimad Bhagavatam” in Malayalam was read describing the birth of Sri Krishna. Amma sang “Agatanayi Agatanayi Krishna Devan,” “Radhe Govinda Gopi Gopala” and “Govinda Gopala.” She then gave a satsang about the life…
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Krishna talk: kids on Sri Krishna
26 August 2005, Amritapuri On Krishna Jayanti, Amritapuri is full of little Krishnas, Radhas, and various gopikas. Many of them, in fact, are from the West. They participate in the uriyadi, the pot-breaking game; walk in the Krishna procession with all the Ashram cows; put on small dramas about Krishna’s life; do dances and sing…
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Guru Purnima Celebrations
21 July, 2005 Amma is currently in Boston. After evening darshan (21st morning 4 a.m.), Amma’s pada puja were performed on the same stage. Swami Amritaswarupananda and Swamini Krishnamrita Prana did the pada puja of Amma. “We must take birth in love, lead this life in love and at last get merged in love. This…
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A dance of joy on a silent night
24 December 2004 — Amritapuri To celebrate Christmas, Amma’s Western children sang carols, performed classical music, put on a play about Jesus’ life and did two dances—one involving fire and one inspiring Amma Herself to raise to Her feet. The evening didn’t end until past 1:00 a.m. Christmas morning, with Amma distributing chocolate-cake prasad to…
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Celebrating the glory that is Amma
Tuesday, 28 September 2004 — Amritapuri It was nearing three o’clock in the morning, and Amma had been giving darshan for 14 hours straight. “They are not singing in all the languages,” Amma suddenly said, referring to the brahmacharis and brahmacharinis sitting on the stage behind Her. “Get the microphone. I will sing, and they…
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Amma’s 51st Birthday
Monday, 27 September 2004 Out of their immense gratitude for the infinite love and compassion Amma has showered upon humanity, Amma’s children from around the world will soon be making the pilgrimage to Amritapuri in order to participate in Amma’s 51st Birthday Celebrations. This year, the festivities will return to Amma’s place of birth, Amritapuri…
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Mass marriage for impoverished couples
Monday, September 27, 2004 — Amritapuri Amma’s 51st Birthday Celebrations Srinath and Lakshmi (names changed) never dreamed this day would take place—the most memorable day of their lives. But on September 27, this very poor couple were married at Amritapuri Ashram by none other than Amma Herself. Their wedding took place along with those of…