About Amma

Through her extraordinary acts of love and self-sacrifice, Mata Amritanandamayi, or Amma (Mother) as she is known, has endeared herself to millions of people around the world.

Tenderly caressing everyone who comes to her, holding them close to her heart in a loving embrace, Amma shares her boundless love with all-regardless of their beliefs, who they are or why they have come to her. In this simple yet powerful way, Amma is transforming the lives of countless people, helping their hearts to blossom, one embrace at a time. In the past 38 years, Amma has physically hugged more than 28 million people from all parts of the world. In some places, she has embraced 40 to 50 thousand people in a single programme, sitting almost 24 hours to do so.

Her tireless spirit of dedication to uplifting others has inspired a vast network of charitable activities through which people are discovering the beauty and sense of peace that come from selflessly serving others.

Amma teaches that the Divine exists in everything, sentient and insentient. Perceiving this underlying unity in all things is not only the essence of spirituality but also the means to end all suffering. Amma's teachings are universal. Whenever she is asked about her religion, she replies that her religion is Love. She does not ask anyone to believe in God or to change their faith, but only to inquire into their own real nature, and to believe in themselves.

"As long as there is enough strength in these hands to reach out to those who come to her, to place her hand on a crying person's shoulder, Amma will continue to give darshan. To lovingly caress people, to console and wipe their tears until the end of this mortal frame -this is Amma's wish." -Amma