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By Hanne
It was a beautiful Sunday in February 2019 when I decided to visit Amritapuri Ashram. What is the Amritapuri ashram, and why I wanted to go there? The Ashram is Amma’s Ashram. Sri Mātā Amṛtānandamayī Devī, also known as Amma, is an Indian spiritual leader, saint, and guru. She is known for her selfless love and compassion toward all beings. Her entire life has been dedicated to alleviating the pains of the poor and all those who are suffering physically and emotionally. Amma inspires, uplifts, and transforms through her embrace and spiritual wisdom. That Sunday was the day I met Amma.
The day I met Amma
Amritapuri Ashram sits in the small fishing village Parayakadavu on Kerala’s coast, about 90 minutes drive from my home in Varkala. And on that particular Sunday morning, I felt like I needed a break from my day-to-day in India. I had a solid feeling to be connected to something greater. Amma means mother in Telugu and Malayalam languages. So, maybe I wanted to have some motherly connection on that day. 🙂
The whole trip was a little bit unexpected cause all of a sudden, I just felt that I needed to breathe a different kind of atmosphere. It is why I didn’t know what was waiting for me because I didn’t do any research about the place beforehand. I knew that that Sunday would be the last one for almost a month that Amma would be at her Ashram.
At about 9.30 in the morning, I was there. I wandered around in wonder, and then I went to the Western canteen to meet Finnish Rishi, Taavi Kassila, who is traveling around the world with his teacher Amma. We spent time together drinking morning coffee on the beach, talking about Amma and life in general.
What is Darshan?
When we returned to the Ashram, our paths part. I sat down in the shadows of a beautiful and very empowering Neem tree. People were coming and going, and I was just sitting there journaling, listening to the silent sounds of the nearby temple. Despite all the fuss around me, I found the atmosphere still remained very harmonic, calm, and soothing.
For afternoon tea, we met again with Taavi. He told me how Darshan, the hugging, is proceeding. The word Darshan comes from Sanskrit and means divine vision. Darshan also often refers to a meeting of a master or holy person. Before the ceremony, Darshan, there would be a meditation session in a great hall led by Amma. Because we had a lot of time before that, we went to see the house where Amma was born.
It was little after five in the afternoon when I heard the bell ringing. It was a sign that Amma is coming to the big hall. People were gathering around to these two lines forming an alley for Amma to enter the room and her place. The ambiance was waiting.
Special moment
When Amma finally walked into the hall, I couldn’t help myself; it was a really emotional moment for me. And there is no word I can use or ability even to express myself about this experience. The meditation session began when Amma got into the front of the room and it lasted for about 45 minutes. Right after that, the Darshan started.
Luckily I was very near Amma, so I didn’t have to wait that long for my turn. Of course, Taavi was also giving me advice on how to act. People, who were assisting Amma, asked what the language is that I’m speaking and where I come from. When I was there in Amma’s arms, she whispered something into my ear which I didn’t understand. Despite that, the moment was really significant, full of love, and above all, really special to me.
Afterward, we exchanged a couple of words with Taavi before I went back to the car, ready to return home. I intended to stay in the Ashram for only a few hours; however, I stayed there for an entire day. Based on this extraordinary experience, I recommend visiting the Ashram for everyone. Not only will you experience something special, you will get the unique experience of meeting Amma yourself.
Love is our true essence.
Love has no limitations of caste, religion, race, or nationality.
We are all beads strung together on the same thread of love. To awaken this unity and spread the love that is our inherent nature,
is the true goal of human life.
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Hanne Nousiainen
Yoga teacher • Personal Trainer
Hanne Nousiainen
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