Mata Amritanandamayi

They call Her Amma and She desrves a post to Herself. I had heard of this lady who hugs people, alot of people, (apparently 26 million worldwide at the last count) and makes things manifest, cures people of illnesses and all that kinda jazz all by hugging and Her Ashram was not far from from Varkala so me and my mate Tracey decided to go on a day trip and pop in for a hug.

When I say Ashram I mean a villiage, this place is home to two thousand people full time and up to ten thousand when Amma is home. She calles Her hugging marathons Darshan and the day I was there she hugged for 18 hours without a break for food or water or wee wee's and apparently this is normal (She has gone for over 24 hours in the past). I wasn't sure what to expect and I didn't really think about it I was being a bit flippant really. When you enter Her temple you can just see a continuously moving crowd on the stage, you can't see Her at all. You get given your ticket and told to que and as we went toward the stage to wait our turn you can just feel this awsome energy, all of a sudden I was nervous and excited and gloriously happy that I was there, looking back it felt a bit like being high on love. As you near the front of the que you can see a crowd of devotees around Her making one massaging Her back while She hugs, another pushing sweets into Her hand that She gives to everyone as pressad (a bit like when you get bread at church) another behind that one wrapping these little sweets, and just loads of people who want to sit and be near Her, its a mental hive of activity. When you get to the front of the que someone pushes you down on your knees and shuffles you in towards Amma and it seems that there are about 5 people all putting your hands/head/feet in the right place, then she grabs your head and pulls it into her bosom, really tight (like your mother would if she thought she had lost you forever and then found you again) She wispers "my darling, my darling, my darling, my darling" into your ear, pushes a sweet in your hand and then someone pulls you out the other side. When I was there I really felt unconditional love from Her, I just wanted to cry my heart out about all the things that I have been keeping in over the years. When I came out of "the bosom" I was teary eyed and a little dissorientated, I was amazed that someone that I didn't know could give me so much genuine love and in just a few seconds. I am not the kind of person to worship a person or deity but Amma is amazing, She sees it as Her work to spread wholehearted and unconditional love throughout the world, She really does love everyone and after meeting her you don't doubt it for a second. Just thinking about it makes me emotional, I intend to go back and stay with her at some point next year maybe for a month or so, everyone who lived there just seemed so happy and content. If anyone wants a hug She is going to the uk in the Autumn to do Darshan for anyone who wants it, if you want a hug check out Her uk website www.amma.org.uk I think or something like that. Dates are not confirmed yet but she will definately be there before the year is out. I highly recommend getting yourself there, its not every day you get to meet a living saint!