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A chai stop
13 January 2002, Madurai Last night on our bus ride from Trivandrum to Madurai, Mother had the buses pull over. Earlier, She seemed to have orchestrated the perfect travelogue. She is quite a tour guide! We got to see elephants being lead down the road, water buffalos being bathed and scrubbed in rivers by their…
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An ordinary lunch stop?
13 January 2002, Madurai Sometimes travel stops with Mother hold delightful surprises, precious and unique events — like the time last year when She sang under a full moon, and then practically danced, arms outstretched, to Her car. But much of the time these stops are what would pass for ordinary family outings were it…
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Thousands of smiling and satisfied faces
30 January 2002, Thiruvnanthapuram When Amma arrived in Trivandrum for the 2002 Brahmasthanam programs, devotees flocked to catch a glimpse of Her as She drove by. She went to the balcony of the Ashram and personally rolled prasad of vibhuti and candy while brahmacharinis handed the packets out to devotees rushing forward. She spent at…
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Matruvani Loading Seva
Students of Amrita Institute of Computer Technology who live on the Ashram campus engage themselves in various sevas in the Ashram. One among them is to help out in the loading of over 200,000 copies of Matruvani, the Ashram monthly magazine. The magazines are sent to the postal service for dispatch to waiting devotees. The…
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Feeling like Christmas
25 December 2001, Amritapuri When you wake to the sound of tropical birds, and soon find yourself sweaty from the heat and humidity, and when you look out over the palm tree tops to the Arabian Sea as you hear the Names of Devi wafting upwards from the temple below, it takes a little time…
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Amma’s visit to Kozhikode – 2001
22 December, 2001 As you may know, Amma spends more than half of every year travelling across the globe, that all of Her children might see Her at least once a year. She has been everywhere from Reunion Island to Russia, from Singapore to Santa Fe, and of course to cities and villages big and…
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The hungry hands of Kozhikode
Amma stood there and looked out over all those faces, all those hands, and the only way to say what happened is: love poured from Her Face, Her Eyes, Her Self.
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Letting go and laughing
15 December 2001, Amritapuri On Onam, Ram found Mother’s hand-washing basin on the table beside Her and proceeded to snort up a trunkful, spraying water onto everyone in the vicinity. He certainly delighted in the laughter and attention that ensued; but what he didn’t know was that he was actually beginning a new chapter in…
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Amma returns to Amritapuri
2 December 2001, Amritapuri Even last night, the ashram was awash with anticipation. Last minute preparations were concluded, brahmacharis and brahmacharinis returning from branch ashrams and visitors streamed through the gates, and everywhere could be felt a palpable sense of joy. Everyone knew that the very next day, their Mother was returning. By noon, brahmacharinis…
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Arrival and departure
Amma walks among Her Children 26 November 2001 Wherever Amma travels in the world, the basic shape of Her programmes is the same: She generally arrives by car, stops briefly at the entrance to the venue for the traditional Indian cultural greeting for respected persons (a pada puja and a garlanding), then walks down a…