Month: February 2003
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On The Road to Pune
23 Feb 2003, Pune The caravan of buses pulled over to the side of the road near a tiny hamlet named Bharvati. Many children were washing their family’s clothes at a pump near the road. They froze in midair at the amazing sight of five orange buses and many Western faces. While we waited for…
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A prayer from the heart of India
21 February 2003, NagpurThe state of Maharashtra has an exalted history; as recently as the 13th century it was said that one could find a mahatma in every village in the state. The city of Nagpur, aside from being a major city of Maharashtra, is also the geographical heart of the nation. North and south,…
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A walk to remember
19 Feb 2003, Nagpur On the way from Hyderabad to Nagpur, the North Indian tour group stopped along the banks of the river Godavari, about two kilometres off the main road. The river Godavari is considered one of the seven sacred rivers of India. The group waited patiently for Amma to join us; some skipped…
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Dreams come true
19 Feb 2003, En route to Hyderabad A long journey in the hot plains led us to a cool evening chai-stop at a quiet temple yard by the road. The setting sun made his presence felt by brightly outlining the cloud that hid him. Amma sat amidst Her children facing the temple water-tank. Soon She…
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Prana pratishta in Bangalore
Amma was going to breathe life, breathe Divinity, into an inanimate stone. Her vital force is the vishwa shakti, the universal energy
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Kalasha sthapana in Bangalore
12 February 2003, BangaloreAt 8:30 this morning Amma performed the Kalasha Sthapana for Her newest Brahmasthanam Temple, installing the stupika at the apex of the temple’s roof. Gongs, bells, traditional panchavadyam drums and horns accompanied the continuous chanting of the mantra “Om Sivasaktyaikya Rupinyai Namah” (Salutations to the One who is the union of Shiva…
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Anandavady
9 February 2003, Mananthavady Amma calls it Anandavady, the Blissful Garden. Not without reason. Mananthavady is a town among the hills of the southern tip of the Western Ghats. The ghats are known for their precious forests and beauty. Amma’s Brahmasthanam Temple, built atop one of the hills, is visible from a distance in all…
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How to change the world
There was once an old man who was looking back on his life. He sat in a tea shop with his friends, telling them his story. ‘When I was a young man, I was arrogant and thought I knew it all. I felt I could do anything, and wanted to change everyone. I would pray…
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In the hills of northern Kerala
8 February 2003, Mananthavady The first stop of Amma’s 2003 North Indian Tour was in Mananthavady, deep in the rolling tropical hills of Northern Kerala. The ashram itself is perched atop one such hill, with a view opening out into a forested valley, dotted with the lights of homes nestled among the trees. The area…