Any confluence of rivers is holy for an Indian.

Three Triveni Sangamas became blessed by Amma this India Tour time. How is that?

Some of our river- sisters had cherished a dream for a long time. When Amma comes on tours Amma blesses different landscapes with Her presence, Her touch, Her sight and so on. River Kaveri was the luckiest of them all; on Her annual south India tour Amma mostly always stops by the Bhavani with Her children and spends the evening. Each time She has stopped, myths and legends abound the incident. You could browse on the web. The fact is that Bhavani is historically a very holy spot where River Kaveri joins Her tributary Bhavani. Amma’s first evening stop during this year’s North India tour was at Bhavani.

Kaveri meets Amma regularly on yet another spot. That is at Gosai Ghat, off Mysore city. Kaveri playfully becomes two before the historical city of Srirangapatna, and soon joins as before, making the town an island. The latter spot is one of Amma’s favourite stops.(Kaveri plays a similar game at Sirangam in Tamil Nadu, and both these island towns have temples for Sri Ranganatha in reclining position, as Anantasayana.) This time, unlike other times, Amma was travelling from Bangalore to Mysore, and She didn’t forget to meet Her friends, birds, trees, plants, rocks and waters of the confluence. Amma sang several songs. Amma saw the water birds returning to roost, in groups of dozens at a time, lined up like children. Amma said, “Just as we are going homeward, these birds also are flying to their homes. This was last but one stop with Amma on the tour. Also, after Mysore, about a third of the ashram children were returning since their turns ended.

Last time around, when the holy river-sisters met in the heavens, discussions came up. Kaveri really didn’t mention the social turmoil caused among her children in the states she flows; but she remembered to recount the pleasantness Amma granted to her serene surroundings by stopping by her, along with white clad hundreds of Her world children, singing God’s glory, distributing Prasad, praising Mother Nature for her bounteous gifts in Satsang etc.

Ganga and Yamuna, the glory of ancient India, had indeed many stories to exchange with fellow river- sisters. But this time they felt ‘left out’ when they heard Amma’s early visit to Bhavani. ‘Amma comes to North India as well. Amma passes by the two rivers several times as She travels on road from Delhi to Kolkata. But well, Amma has not stopped by us.’ Why, the two sisters even have seen Amma’s caravan of two dozen vehicles driving fast on the fly-over bridge overlooking the Prayag at Allahabad. “But, never has She come down to meet us,” wailed the two some.(Prayag is the north Indian term for Sangama in South India, both meaning confluence of rivers.)

Someone said, “Amma regards all and everything as holy. Even the backwaters She regards them as Devi. She bypasses Vrindavan, She bypasses Kashi, what to say of other places! She preaches to make one’s heart Vrindavan or Kashi…. But She accepts everything and rejects nothing.”

“In that case She will not refuse to come to us,” the two sisters felt comforted.

Ganga and Yamuna took vows. They prayed that Amma visits them and bathe in them and makes them holier. Their prayer consummated during the grand Maha Kumbha Mela celebration, in 2013, Jan.

Amma was invited to visit the place; Amma’s feet touched the land of Kumbha Mela. Amma bathed at the confluence. Amma dipped hundreds of Her world children in the waters of the confluence. And the whole world celebrated it.

– Sandhya, Bharata Yatra 2013