By Swami Amritaswarupanada Puri
Amma’s most Senior Disciple and Vice-Chairman of the Mata Amritanandamayi Math
ॐ अमृतेश्वर्यै नमः
Aum Amriteshwaryai Namah
Tumban and Bhakti, male and female dogs, were Amma’s two cherished children. Bhakti passed away on November 21, 2021 a few years ago, and Tumban passed away on Thursday, August 15th, while Amma was in Japan after completing Her US tour. Tumban’s passing marked the end of an era for the residents of Amritapuri Ashram, as he had lived a life akin to a spiritual aspirant for over 20 years.
Tumban and Bhakti enjoyed much freedom in the Ashram and were seen as more than just pets; they behaved like spiritual beings. While Bhakti embodied qualities of surrender, Tumban cherished his freedom and was deeply attached to Amma, seeking her love and attention.
Upon being informed of Tumban’s death, Amma requested that his body not be buried until she returned to Amritapuri. Therefore, his body was kept in the freezer until Amma arrived on August 18th morning.
She then performed Tumban’s last rites in the presence of all the Ashram residents after the evening bhajans at around 8:30 pm. Witnessing Amma performing Tumban’s last rites with her eternal love and compassion was a heart-rending yet spiritually uplifting sight.
Tumban’s first encounter with Amma was quite remarkable. He randomly showed up in Amritapuri and patiently waited until she called him. Upon doing so, Amma named him Tumban, which means abundance. His devotion to Amma and obedience to the Guru truly embodied abundance.
Until Tumban became extremely ill, he consistently attended Amma’s evening bhajans, sharing one side of Amma’s seat while Bhakti crawled under Amma’s seat.
Tumban and Bhakti demonstrated amazing commitment to the Ashram routine. They joyfully attended Amma’s meditation and bhajan sessions with great focus and regularly participated in morning archana and scriptural classes.
Additionally, Tumban served the Ashram by patrolling the grounds and alerting others by barking when questionable human or animal characters were spotted. He also greeted and accompanied late-night visitors to the accommodation office to ensure they felt welcome.
It is with heavy hearts that all of Amma’s children express their love and gratitude to Tumban. He was a shining example of performing duties perfectly in tune with the Ashram dharma. Amma’s children humbly bow down to Tumban, a rare being who taught us many lessons of obedience to the Guru.
