Tag: Onam
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Everyone lives as one
“maaveli naadu vaaneedum kaalam maanusherellaavarum onnupole” The time when Mahabali ruled the country, All of mankind lived as one. Each Onam {news}, Keralites throughout the world sing these words. Amma says that the meaning is not that everyone was equal in terms of money or capabilities, but that society functioned with the harmony that comes…
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Forget all differences and make life joyful
Amma Celebrates Tiru Onam 5 September 2006 — Amritapuri “All of you know stories about Onam and Mahabali {story}. There is no point in repeating them. But there is an important message behind the Onam celebrations,” Amma told the 10,000-plus devotees who’d come to Amritapuri in order to celebrate Tiru Onam. Amma then explained how…
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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…
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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.
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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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Dance in the bliss of the remembrance of the lord
28 August 2004, Amritapuri Several thousand devotees came to Amritapuri for the traditional Onam festival. Amma sang and danced, gave darshan and served prasad lunch to more than 7000 people. For ten days preceding the festival, students of Amrita Institutions who reside at the ashram made large flower mandalas at the base of the steps…
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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…
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Onam celebration at Parippally
20 August 2004 — Parippally, Kerala For Malayalees all over the world, the coming of the fall month of Chingam brings with it sweet childhood memories—of time spent with family, of eating nice meals and, for many, of collecting flower petals with which to make colourful mandalas. All these are part of the month’s 10-day…