Amma’s tour stops across Tamil Nadu continued to radiate the light of her eternal love for all as she reached the state’s capital, Chennai. Known as the Gateway to the South, it is also globally recognised for its ancient traditions that stand today as a vibrant heritage.
From February 17 to 18, the programs took place at the city’s Brahmasthanam Temple, which Amma consecrated in 1990. Celebrating its 35th anniversary, Amma emphasised the importance of awareness in daily life.
“Many act without thinking and think without acting. When a thought arises in our mind, it immediately manifests as words or actions. As a result, we are unable to control our emotions. But when the light of awareness shines, a time gap emerges between thoughts and actions,” said Amma.
“Seeds left to roast under the sun will never sprout. Similarly, in the light of awareness, the seeds of our vāsanas [latent tendencies] will not sprout. With this awareness, we gain the capacity to forgive and observe situations with a witness attitude.”
Amma then expanded her words to the power of love, reminding us, again, that it is the essential nature of every human being.
“This human life is meant to be born in love, to live in love, and to eventually end in love. In truth, there is no end to pure love. Love connects all beings. Whether human or animal, it is the power of love that binds a mother to her child,” she continued.
“Yet, many spend their entire lives searching for love but never truly find it. In reality, love is our true nature. It may be temporarily hidden, but it can never be destroyed.”
The second day of the festival featured a special mass Shani Puja, where hundreds took part in the ancient Vedic rituals. Lord Shani rules the planet Saturn, one of the most powerful and feared planets in Hindu astrology. He is known as the deity of karma [results of past actions] and governs the principles of discipline, hard work, justice, and responsibility.
At the same time, Shani will offer protection from hardships to those who sincerely pray and, even more powerfully, will bless those who willingly and voluntarily give to those in need without seeking anything in return.
Swami Ajamrudananda Puri led the puja as the people conducted the rituals with deep love and faith in their hearts. After the rites concluded, many expressed that they felt a great relief not only for themselves, but also a sense of compassion for the state of our world at this challenging time.
When Amma arrived on the stage at 11am, she delivered a profound message about humility, selflessness, and compassion. She emphasised that true fulfillment comes from within, urging everyone to transcend ego.
“Love is the true wealth of life, and its absence is the greatest loss. Compassion is not a luxury but a necessity for society’s survival. When the heart is filled with love, peace blossoms around us.”
In an expression of her devotion to Amma, KS Chithra arrived to receive blessings. She is a renowned playback singer and Carnatic musician celebrated around the world for her extraordinary vocal talent. In fact, the prestigious Royal Albert Hall in London bestowed her with the title “The Golden Voice of India” in 2001.
She then joyfully sang as Amma continued to give darshan, sharing her happiness with the thousands of people in the hall who connected with the inexplicable beauty of her melodies.
During official events, the crowds were grateful to experience Amma’s addresses, peace prayers, and bhajans, as well as witness her distribution of clothing and financial support to more women who belong to our Amrita SREE Self-Help Groups.
Amma was greeted by several distinguished guests. On day one, they included Raman IAS, former Secretary to the Govt of India; GV Selvam, Vice Chairman of Vellore Institute of Technology; Arjuna Murthy, a BJP representative; Ponni IPS, Deputy Head of CRPF Civil Aviation Security, Chennai; and Shail Manavi, Director of Mosil Lubricants.
On day two, Amma was welcomed by Justice R Suresh Kumar, Madras High Court; Justice R Tharani, Former Judge, Madras High Court; S Gurumurthy, Part-time Director on the Central Board of the Reserve Bank of India; Mallika Srinivasan, Chairperson, Tractors and Farm Equipment Ltd; Manoj Kumar, Chairman, The New Indian Express; Dr Ravi Pachamuthu, Chairman, SRM Group; K Srinivasan, Undersecretary, Dept of Skill Development, Govt of India; and Cdr Pavithran, Indian Navy.
Beginning at 11am each day, Amma did not finish embracing people until nearly 1am on the first day of programs and nearly 2:30am on the second. Within the modern-day hum of such an ancient city, thousands of hearts from all strata of society received her motherly care with much gratitude.
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Amma’s next South India Tour stop is February 20 in Karur, Tamil Nadu. The event will take place at the campus of the Amrita Vidyalayam, our school located in one of the oldest towns in the state.
