“Jaya Jaya He Mahishasuramardini Ramya Kapardini Shailastute…” Village crows continue their own version of the chant while Ashramites line up for chai after morning Archana. Roosters crow, and waves crash against the rocky breakers. Another day begins in Amritapuri. Sri Pati – USA 9 September 2006
As a result to requests I post the lyrics to Bhaktavatsale Devi here. They are of course very approximate. Writing Malayalam with roman letters and without proper transliteration codes is only indicative of the correct pronunciation. Anyhow as Amma says, if the child does not know how to intone “mother” correctly, it does not mean […]
After being absent from the bhajan hall for sometime, Amrita TV was again present tonight filming the bhajans. Lights, cameras, and all sorts of equipment were aimed at the stage bathing Amma in light. I thought to myself that is their anything Amma will not put up with for the happiness of Her children? So […]
Recently, Amma requested that Her Western devotees meditate together by the sea from 6:30-7:30am and 5-6pm daily. After morning Archana and Chai, a number of Westerners can be seen making their way to the seaside. We take a path that goes through some of the neighboring village, and along the way are local vendors selling […]
Living Hindu saint embraces thousands published: Thursday | September 7, 2006 Do you need a hug? How about 75,000 hugs in less than a day? A bit much? Well, if you’re Amma, the living Hindu saint of hugs, then it’s all in a day’s work. Amma, which means ‘divine mother’, is the nickname given to […]
Though the rainy season has supposedly passed, here in Amritapuri, it seems to have never ended. When I first arrived on August 14th, it rained every night for a week. Long, steady downpours that leave ankle deep puddles all over the Ashram. After that week of downpours, there seemed to be a break. But then […]
Today as Amma was coming for bhajans, She took a detour to the east-side of the bhajan hall where the Indian Shop and the two story building adjacent to it have been recently demolished to make more space for Amma’s upcoming birthday crowds. “Demolished!”, some people who have not yet heard about it might exclaim. […]
This was my second meeting with Amma. I had gone to the Chicago O’hare International Airport to receive her, as had many others that day. In the last one year, I had already heard many powerful stories about Amma that clearly pointed to her being a Self-realized saint, no less than God Himself! While a […]
Arriving for the first time at Amma’s Ashram in India after 35 hours with hardly any sleep, two delayed flights, and a two-hour dirve on Indian roads was quite a shock. When somebody asked me for my first impressions I mostly answered: “Crowded, plain, and even though I have my Mom with me, I feel […]