Boston, MA — Reputed as a tireless humanitarian, Mata Amritanandamayi, better known as «Amma» or «Ammachi,» visits the Boston area offering free public programs between July 13-16 as part of a 10-city U.S. Tour, where she will receive thousands with her blessing-a healing embrace. Two free public programs will take place at the Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel & Trade Center, 181 Boston Post Rd. West, in Marlborough on July 13th.
Considered a living Saint in her homeland of India, Amma (56) has gained an extraordinary reputation over the last 30 years as a result of her extensive charitable institutions and for her personal outreach. The recipient of numerous humanitarian awards, Amma who sleeps merely a couple hours per day, teaches by the example of her own life, dedicated to selfless social service. Though Amma does not particularly espouse a particular religion, she has been grouped among the twelve most influential religious leaders, including Pope Benedict XVI, the Dalai Lama, the Grand Rabbi of Jerusalem, the Grand Ayatollah, and the Archbishop of Canterbury. Amma is the only woman of the group.
«Mata Amritanandamayi…is fast becoming a world-renowned spiritual leader like Mother Teresa or Mohandas Gandhi.» -Reuters News
Boston Area Free Public Programs: Darshan.
It is expected that Amma will receive thousands for darshan, a Sanskrit term describing «audience in the presence of a holy person». In a significant departure from ancient tradition particularly as a woman, Amma’s darshan consists of a tender embrace. She has been doing this as a natural expression of compassion since she was a teen. It is estimated that Amma has given over 30 million hugs in her life. In India, vast crowds usually assemble to the point where Amma may individually receive and hug over 40,000 people in a continuous sitting. She will never turn anyone away, nor charge any money. The press has dubbed her «The Hugging Saint».
Humanitarian Institutions: «Compassion to the poor is our duty to God»
With official NGO status granted by the United Nations, Amma oversees a vast network of volunteer humanitarian activities of three distinct types: 1) direct aid to the needy, 2) educational institutions designed to help the underprivileged learn to help themselves, and 3) social programs that serve broader society and the environment. The list of endeavors is remarkably long, ranging from 1300-bed charitable hospitals, to the building of over 100,000 homes for the poor, to orphanages, pensions for widows, hospices, a wide array of subsidized schools, to Green Friends, an environmental youth program wherein over 150,000 tree saplings are planted annually. Charitable activities are created rapidly around the world by volunteers. For more information, visit www.Amma.org.
Amma emerged as a leading figure in disaster relief, following the devastating earthquakes that rocked the Gujarat regions of India, where three razed villages were entirely rebuilt. In 2004, her efforts towards Tsunami Relief made international headlines as over $50 million has been contributed to that cause. In the U.S., a million dollar donation was given to the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund. Relief has gone also equally to help the Peru earthquake as well as to relief from Cyclone Aila (Bengal), as well as to the serious flood disasters in Bihar, Mumbai and Karnataka.
**In response to the deadly hurricane in Haiti, Amma is actively overseeing the creation of a charitable orphanage in the suburbs of Port au Prince. Several containers of hospital supplies h
