The Sydney Morning Herald

THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD Monday, November 23, 1998 Hindu lady of 11 million hugs ready for her next embrace by Jon Marsh- Ethnic Affairs writer

There is good news for the jaded, the faded, the frazzled and the forlorn. Help is at hand in the form of a hug from mother.

Mata Amritanandamayi, a Hindu spiritual leader affectionately known as Ammachi, or “Holy Mother”, brings her amazing hugging roadshow to Sydney today.

Ammachi, 45, who is said to have hugged more than 11 million people worldwide, will be adding to that total during a two-day stay.

People often burst into tears after her embrace, or darshan. Her followers believe she is the embodiment of love and compassion.

Mr. Narayan van der Graaf, who helped organize her visit, said most of her followers in Australia were “just like you and me”.

“She greets and hugs each person as if they were her own child. She feels there is a tremendous need for these maternal qualities. She is one of the most amazing human beings on the planet.”

Mr. Vijay Badhwar, a Sydney engineer, who went to see Ammachi two years ago, said: “I went as a sort of critic, but once you sit there you get into a different mood. When she hugs you, you forget about everything. You are absorbed. It is difficult to describe.

“You go in as a cynic but when you come out, the cynicism has gone down. Whatever she is doing, she does have some effect on your body, your mental make-up.”

Born in poverty in the backwaters of Kerala in southern India, Ammachi has risen to become a revered religious leader around the world. Voted Hindu of the Year in 1993, Ammachi has established a non-profit organization in India that funds an orphanage, a hospice for terminal cancer patients and vocational training centres.

Ammachi appears at Petersham Town hall at 7 pm tody and 9.30am and 6pm tomorrow. www.smh.com.au