Category: Darshan

Age is never a barrier when you have strong faith and belief. This couple, Mr. and Mrs. Ramu, hailing from Kozhikode, Kerala, are in their mid-80’s. They recollected that the first time they met Amma was way back in 1986, when Amma came for bhajans at Azhakodi Devi Temple in Kozhikode.
They have been coming here for all of Amma’s Birthday celebrations ever since. They say that, these 21 years, meeting Amma frequently, whenever she is in the ashram, and also every year on the occasion of Amritavarsham, had brought in more peace and calmness in their life.

Mrs. Sarojini Ramu talks about one of her experiences when she came for Amritavarsham50. An auto ran over her leg and she was taken to a nearby hospital but she insisted she shouldn’t be admitted. She says- “I said to the doctors that I came for Amma’s birthday so I want to go for it no matter what”. When she reached one of her relatives’ house in Kochi to stay for that night, they also warned her that her swollen leg will only get worse by the next morning but she replied- “Amma will take care of me as she has always done in the past”. The very next day when she woke up to get ready for the event, her entire leg was healed. A proof of a child’s unwavering faith in her mother?

This year when she came for Amritavarsham64, she got a sprain in her leg. Her husband suggested visiting a doctor and getting it fixed. He felt that, otherwise, she will not be able to walk for the next few days. Again, she refused saying “Why go to a normal doctor when you have the very best doctor sitting on the stage?” She applied some of Amma’s balm and the very next day the leg was healed. Of course, she adds that such things may have happened due to her intense desire not to miss Amma’s birthday; and that this does not mean that doctors and medicines are not needed!

– Anirudh.R, Sangeetha and Shehnaz

 “In 1989, while I was reading Sree Rama Krishna Vachanamritam, I always regretted to have not been born during the time of Lord Rama. Then I came to know about Amma through one of my friends and I thought I should meet her. I was then working in Oman. I came to meet Amma and then after that I never had to go in search for another Guru. Amma always says that

“Picha nadakunnu makkal, Amma othu nadakunnu koode, Uthamarayulla makkale,ningalku nithyadha bodham kayvara”
(When babies learn to walk, mother walks with them. My ideal kids – May you be blessed with awareness always)

What actually happens is that we surrender ourselves to Amma believing that she would never let go of us and nurture us forever. The purpose of her life is always to give us all her love and she is full of compassion. I am so content to be in this holy land and do seva as a volunteer for Amma’s birthday celebrations every year, for the last 28 years.” says Surendran from Thrissur.

– Anirudh.R., Sangeetha & Shehnaz

Who doesn’t like those hot peanuts to pass time? Let’s meet Mr.Selvam, hailing from a village in Theni, Tamil Nadu. He has been coming for Amritavarsham for the past 4 years.

He sets up his peanut cart near to the Engineering College every year. He talks about the first time he came to set up stall along with his brother-in-law. The atmosphere, he says, was unlike any other place he had seen earlier.
He says that every year the number of people who arrive for the function kept on increasing and the coordination and planning has never seemed to fail. “It seems like there are more Tamilians and other state people here than Keralites during Amma’s birthday”-says Selvam. Seeing a lot of his natives has made him more comfortable, it is a feeling of being at home.
“When we come for Amma’s birthday, we do have some earnings but more than that after Amma’s darshan we return with immense joy” concludes Selvam.

– Anirudh.R, Tony Ajith and Poonthamil

“I still remember the first time I saw Her, that inexplicable calmness on Amma’s face.” –Charlie Mathi

Charlie Mathi, a diploma holder in mechanical engineering, is a native of Tirunelveli, Tamilnadu. He has been putting up a handicraft stall for the past 7 years on the occasion of Amritavarsham. Being a diploma holder, why has he resorted to this handicraft selling? He says “I am a diploma holder, my villagers have always been discouraging me from making handicrafts. They mock me for not working in a field in accordance with my studies and such reactions from people make my parents feel embarrassed as well.

However, my parents stood by my side (as they always do, in other issues too) and said that I was doing something that other villagers couldn’t do, so they were jealous of me. But even then I couldn’t continue to stay there and do this business. I left my village and came to Kayamkulam to meet Rajvalsan a friend of mine. He suggested to meet Amma.

I came for Amma’s darshan and opened up to to her about my problems in my hometown and she said that if I kept running away from my problems fearing them, I would never be able to overcome them. I then made a decision to stick to my passion and live with my parents in my hometown. ”He returned to Tirunelveli and comes to Kayamkulam only during the birthday festive season.
He makes idols of Lord Krishna, Ganapathy and Saraswathy in coconut shells and sells them for a price of Rs.60 each. “My parents are happy and I have now found a way to live my life without giving up my passion” says Charlie. Needless to say, he is happy.

– Anirudh.R, Tony Ajith and Poonthamil

Bangle shops are very catchy and attractive aren’t they? And we see a lot of them during festive seasons. Mr.Abhilash (a bangle seller from Kottarakara, Kerala) shares with us, why he came to Amritavarsham’64. He first came for Amma’s darshan 6 years ago with his friend Ratheesh. Abhilash didn’t have any idea of why so many people were following Amma and neither did he find any relevance to it.
He says “I saw the long queue waiting for Amma’s darshan, I kept looking at Amma when She spoke to each person and during every interaction, She remains pleasant and calm.

I wondered how she remains so energetic the whole day! It was my turn then- I couldn’t explain what my feelings were, she hugged me and said that happiness comes when you feel you do the right things (that is, when your conscience is clear). I felt refreshed” Amma seemed to have answered the question in his mind!

Abhilash puts up his bangle shops in Kottayam, Kollam, Ernakulum and Trissur during several festive seasons. “I have been coming to Amritapuri since 2012 and setting up my stall during the occasion of Amma’s birthday. Every time when I come back during Amma’s birthday I still remember the first darshan I had” says Abhilash.

– Anirudh.R, Tony Ajith and Poonthamil

Seven years in a row selling chickpeas at the same spot (in front of the Amrita School of Business parking space) on the occasion of Amritavarsham meet Mr.Nagaraj from Theni, Tamilnadu.

He is a man who had to fight poverty and found it very difficult to have one square meal a day. It was then that he ventured to set up a stall at Amritapuri seven years ago on Amma’s 57th birthday (2010). He says it was a turning point in his life when he fortunately got an opportunity to have Amma’s darshan.
It was a new revelation when he met Amma; he told Amma about all the problems he was facing in life. Amma replied “Son, every aspect of life can be perceived in two different ways: (i) being sad about everything or (ii) being positive about it and taking it as a challenge”.
He says Amma’s words made him think. He chose the second option – that of taking everything as a challenge with a positive mindset.
It was a new beginning in his life, says Nagaraj. This attitudinal change, along with faith in Amma, he says, has helped him expand his business and overcome problems in life. Every year during Amritavarsham he feels the urge to meet Amma and thank her for the change she has brought in his life. Nagaraj concludes by saying “I now have peace of mind, which I got after seeing Amma”

– Anirudh.R, Tony Ajith and Poonthamil

Lakshmi from the village Palamedu, Madurai district of Tamil Nadu, shares with us her experience with Amma. She was overwhelmed when we asked her about Amma.

She said “The first time I came here, we were really broke and had plenty of financial problems. My son had studied Electrical Engineering but he was jobless; we did not have any income to satisfy our hunger. I told Amma all my problems and she hugged me and said, everything would get better soon. A week later my son got a job and we were slowly coming out of our financial crisis.

However things took a turn for the worse when my son fell ill and doctors said that he needed surgery to remove kidney stones. We were in such a situation where we couldn’t afford such a surgery. I cried and prayed to Amma. When my son was admitted in the hospital, some of his friends managed to pool in money for his surgery – I do not know how they managed to do it!

I couldn’t believe it … Amma had again saved my son. From then onwards I save money to come for Amma’s birthday every year and this is the 10th year I’m here to meet my Amma.”

– Anirudh.R., Tony Ajith and Poonthamil

Hailing from Chennai, Mr. Venkateshwara Rao was working as a railway guard when he heard about Amma way back in 1985. On a friend’s suggestion he came for Amma’s darshan on her birthday in the year 1991. After coming back home from the darshan, his life was not the same anymore. He started cherishing his solitude with remembrance of Amma. Mr Rao says  “After reaching home I started to hear Amma’s voice constantly ringing in my ears and every time I closed my eyes I could only see Amma”. He started coming frequently for Amma’s darshan.

He wanted more people to know about Amma and the experience he had received. So he shared his experience of Amma’s darshan with the people in his village and started to organise trips to bring them to Amritapuri and experience Amma first-hand. He bore the expenses of the trip for the people he brought from his village.

Having known Amma all these years, and having had the experience of bringing all his problems and worries to her, he says “Amma is my guide who inspires me to make the right choices in life”

– Anirudh.R., Tony Ajith and Poonthamil