Category: AshramDiary
life at the Amritapuri ashram
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Birthday tribute
I woke up this morning listening to the Lalita Sahasra Nama chants through the loud speakers. It’s not from the ashram sound system. It’s coming from the village. I have heard Bhagavatam reading over the loud speakers from the village. But not Lalita Sahasranam. What is it? The villagers are paying their tribute to our beloved Amma on her birthday. Wow. It’s a wonder that these villagers now started praying for Amma. Dhyanamrita 26 September 2006
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A birthday wish
“Mother”—the word is incomparable. No other word is equal to this one. It is pure and full of auspiciousness. It is said that we cannot see God. We can only experience Him. But, Amma, when we experience your love and concern, we feel that we are before God. So we are the fortunate ones. We see God in your form. And experience His love also. Amma, you are really great! We pray for you long life. —Amma’s child from Pune, Lokesh (8 years)
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Kumbha mela
The festival of Kumbha mela in the north of india is world famous…and now, the kumbha mela of south india, the birthday celebrations of our beloved mother and guru, mata amritanandamayi(mother of immortal bliss) is going to take place over the next 3 days, 27th ofcourse being the main day. The kumbha mela tradionally is a religious festival where hundreds of thousands of people come together at the places where the “nectar of immortality” is supposed to have spilt over from the vessel of the Gods…Here, in amritapuri, we find the entire vessel itself! On the occassion of the kumbha…
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Ishwar Tumhi in Hebrew
The bhajan hall is starting to look like the birthday venue that it will be in a few days. The lights, sound system, seating, and everything are geared for a large happening. Tonight along with Amrita-TV, there was also a crew from Israel who are making a kind of reality-TV documentary about two Israelis coming to meet Amma. Amma sang the song Ishwar Tumhi in Hebrew to make her Israeli children happy. I saw some of them seated in the crowd and they really looked blissfully happy, singing along with Amma in Hebrew. It was really delightful. The songs tonight…
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no logic
Sunday night 8.30 pm, amma’s still giving darshan, lots of people left, i made my way upto the stage thinking i could sit around her for about 30-40 mins, normally when the crowds are so much i try to avoid sitting around amma for long because the outsiders also would be yearning for the same chance, but i thought i could sit for sometime and get up. I got a good spot, right behind amma luckily as someone got up as soon as i got there and the helpful stage monitor made sure i got the seat! So i was…
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Birthday Approaching
Since yesterday it has felt like the birthday is really closing in. Amma gave darshan all day and so didn’t make it for bhajans. The whole ashram is preparing for the event of the year. The bridge building and road construction seva is going on full swing. The brahmacharinis were clearing the southern entrance to the ashram from all kinds of debris according to Amma’s instructions until 2 o’clock in the morning. Building of the festive arches and temporary shelters are well on their way. People are starting to pour in. Tomorrow we will have to vacate our rooms to…
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God’s Country
I love my seva. Each week, I take Ashram visitors on a boat trip along the backwaters near the Ashram. Along the way, I serve them chai and snacks. We depart from the Ashram boat jetty and trawl north to a Kali Temple a few kilometers north of here where the backwaters meet the Arabian Sea. It is a colorful, joyful, and extremely interesting adventure which surprises me each time I go. On the way, we pass a Catholic church. The tour leader and boat operator, John, shuts down the motor and we stop. One can hear the birds all…
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walking into a perfume factory
Yesterday in the engineering college, i walk into a classroom and after a while i saw a picture of a little girl on the wall with something written beneath, so i started reading it. Apparently the students of that particular class are all together sponsering that girl, who is 5 yrs old, has no mother and father is absconding…so everyone puts in 10 rupees per month, collected on the first week of the month, which is ofcourse very less for an indivudual but when 60 odd students pool in, it definitely helps ease the little girl’s condition and maybe her…