Category: Festivals
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Amma receives student award winners
22 September 2016, Amritapuri On almost every darshan day in Amritapuri many students come to meet Amma. Today was no different but all of those that came today, came to share their joy with Amma for having won various awards. The students won several competitions on a national level in a variety of disciplines. The…
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Onam celebrations at Amritapuri
4-14 Sep 2016, Onam celebrations, Amritapuri For each of the 10 days of the annual Onam festival, ashram residents as well as students took turns making beautiful big pookkalams (floral designs) at the foot of the steps to Amma’s room. Each day when Amma came out for darshan, she would stand there for some time,…
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Ganesh Chaturthi Celebrations at Amritapuri Ashram
5-15 Sep 2016, Amritapuri The Ganesh Chaturthi 10-day festival was celebrated in Amritapuri from 5th to 15th September. For 10 days, a beautiful idol of Lord Ganesh, the remover of all obstacles, was displayed at the Kalari and daily early morning Ganapathy pujas were performed. Each evening too, a special bhajans session took place in…
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Try to make our circle of compassion larger and more expansive
14 September 2016 — Onam Celebrations at Amritapuri Ashram (Amma’s message on the occasion of Onam festival) Amma is extremely happy to see all of you have gathered here to celebrate Thiruvonam with Amma. It shows the bond you have with Amma. May this bond and love be always there between all of you as…
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Sri Krishna Jayanthi at Amritapuri
24 Aug 2016, Amritapuri The festivities began at 7:30 in the morning with a special procession from the Ashram’s cowshed to the front steps of the Kali Temple where the Go Puja was performed showing reverence to all cows. A large number of Ashramites, devotees and visitors took part in the procession and puja, singing…
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The Guru-disciple relationship is an everlasting connection
From Amma’s Gurupurnima message If we try to count from the beginning of the Guru-disciple tradition, tens of thousands of Gurupurnimas’ must have been celebrated by disciples. Celebrations are mere road signs, pointing us in the right direction. To understand the meaning of these celebrations, we need to go beyond the external pujas and traditional…
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Shivaratri is a celebration of sacrifice
Shivaratri teaches us to abandon all other thoughts in contemplation of God
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Be Joyful, Alert, Smiling and Compassionate
January 1, 2016 — Amritapuri (An excerpt from Amma’s 2016 New Year’s Message) Another new year is here. When a child is born into a family, it makes everyone happy, but at the same time, it also makes everyone alert. The parents will be careful that the child doesn’t fall down. They will make sure that…
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Indelible Footprints in the Heart: Amma’s 2015 Christmas Message
December 25, 2015 – Amritapuri Ashram Christmas awakens vibration of goodness, hope and compassion in the human heart, just as the birth anniversaries of other great incarnations and realized beings do. This day reminds us of what it is that that the human heart should be comprised—not with selfishness and hatred, but with devotion to…
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Tokyo Navaratri Festival
25 Oct 2015, Tokyo, Japan The traditional Indian festival of Navaratri was celebrated with a one-day retreat led by Swami Poornamritananda. Just before the ceremony, participants offered various tools, equipment, and utensils in front of goddess Saraswati as part of Ayudha puja. In the morning, everyone participated in a Saraswati puja guided by Swamiji. After…