Just like 2 years back, no major tours have been scheduled for the December-March period and the ever growing number of visitors and residents have been enjoying a blessed and stretched extended period near Amma, right here in Amritapuri… where it all began 40 years ago.

The darshan days are busier than ever with large number of seekers and devotees from all over the world reaching Amritapuri on daily basis. There are the old-timers, the regulars and an increasing number of groups and new comers. Free from the time constraining tours, Amma welcomes all with her usual extremely generous disposition, interacting with all around her with laughter, cheerfulness and care.

Some of the old-timers had secretly hoped that the numbers of international visitors decrease this season, as many had come for the big celebrations of Amma’s 60th Birthday last September. But it has not been so. The Christmas/New Year crowds have been as big as the previous two years and now that Amma is staying at the ashram most of the people are just staying too to enjoy Amma’s presence for longer and longer…

One of the most cherished moments are the Monday and Friday meditations and question/answer sessions with Amma on the beach. Amma interacts with everyone, helping us patiently to slowly grasp her insightful spiritual messages and making them of practical use in our daily lives. Each of her words is translated into English by either Swamiji or Shubhamrita. The weather has been pleasant too, not really hot or particularly humid. The beach scenery is dream-like: Last September/October, the government started building shore-breaks (short piers) along the coast to help minimize the erosion on the beach… This seemed like a measure to protect the rocks that had been piled on the shore in the previous years for the same purpose. While on the European tour, we heard that the shore-breaks had helped get some sand again to the shore, but we had no idea it would be as wonderful as it is now: Between each two shore-breaks a huge amount of sand has assembled and now there are two very large sand beaches right by the Ayurveda building. Forty meters of beautiful strips of sand behind the original rocks, where the waves used to hit! Enjoy the above photos…

– Priyan