Category: Festivals
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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…
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Birthday presents
6 October, 2001 While Amma would never take anything for Herself. She does make use of every opportunity to give to others in so many ways. This was even more evident on Her birthday. As she gave a laddu to each of the sixty thousand devotees who came for Her darshan that day, these are…
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Amma’s Birthday Celebrations 2001
6 October, 2001 Radiating divine bliss and peace to all humanity, the birthday celebrations of Mata Amritanandamayi Devi were held in the Amritapuri Ashram on 6 October, 2001, in a festive atmosphere of fervent devotion, exuberant joy and deep gratitude. The beautifully decorated Ashram was filled to overflowing with devotees from around the world, who…
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Amritanandamayi Jayanthi Jalotsav
5 October, 2001 Racing boats cruising through the water, paddles splashing vigorously, sending droplets flying through the air like silver beads, and tumultuous cheers by thousands of viewers lining either shore of the Kayamkulam backwaters, transported the villages of Vallickavu and Parayakadavu into a great mood of gaiety and festivity. After prayers for invoking God’s…
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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…
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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…
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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.…
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Rakhi: its meaning and significance
Raksha Bandhan is a popular festival celebrated across the country. Irrespective of caste and creed people from all walks of life participate in this festival. It is celebrated on the full moon day of the lunar month Shravana (Shravana Poornima) which also coincides with Upa-karma (changing the sacred thread for the brahmins, Avani Avittom in…
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Christmas at Amritapuri
On Christmas Eve at Amritapuri, Amma joined Her children in the darshan hall for an evening programme featuring dancer Nandini Venkat performing South Indian classical bharata natyam depicting nava rasa (nine moods). The dance was preceded by a musical performance by several of Amma’s western children, included traditional Christmas carols in Italian and Latin, including…