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Amma – Mata Amritanandamayi – Biography – Life Timeline with Photos – Part 2 of 3

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(Digital art Courtesy: Hiral Varun)

This is Part 2 of Amma’s Biography (Timeline).  If you have not yet read Part 1, kindly read it here

             —–> Part 1 of Amma’s Biography (Timeline) – age 1 to 34.

Amma Mata Amritanandamayi Devi’s Biography (Timeline) 

continued (Age 35 to 60)

(Age 35)

  • May 1988 – Amma’s 2nd world tour.
  • 28th April 1988 – First Brahmasthana temple consecrated by Amma at Kodungallur.

Firat Brhmasthanam temple at Kodungallur. Brahmasthanam temple is of unique design conceived and consecrated by Amma. It contains a 4-faced murti (Shiva, Ganesha, Devi and Rahu (Murugan) on each side.

1989(Age 36)

  • Ashram takes over an Orphanage with 400 children at Paripally (which faced a severe financial crunch) and engages in feeding the children, rebuilding the dilapidated buildings, facilities and poor hygienic conditions at considerable cost. Amma diverts the money planned for constructing the Ashram temple for this purpose.

(L) Paripally Orphanage those days (R) Brhmacharinis conducting prayer with orphan children.

  • With the takeover of the orphanage, Amma’s humanitarian activities for the poor and the needy (later christened “Embracing the World” begins). Embracing the World exists to help alleviate the burden of the world’s poor through helping to meet each of their five basic needs — food, shelter, healthcare, education, and livelihood — wherever and whenever possible. ETW is especially focused on helping to meet these needs in the aftermath of major disasters.
  • Amma’s first visit to Delhi and Kolkata.
  • May 1989  – Amma’s 3rd world tour. Amma’s San Ramon’s Ashram (MA Center) at the USA takes shape. (Amma’s world tours now become regular annual affairs).

    Mata Amritanandamayi Center (MA Center) at San Ramon, USA.

  • August 1989 – Ottur Unni Nambudiripad passes away with his head on Amma’s lap.
  • October 1989  – Amma arranges Sanyasa Diksha to Swami Amritaswarupanandapuri (Br. Balu). To keep up with the Sanyasa parampara traditions, Swami Dhruvananda, a Sanyasin from Sri Ramakrishna Tapovanam, did the formalities to initiate the Sanyas (as per Puri tradition).

    Swami Dhruvananda of Sri Ramakrishna Tapovanam with Amma in the preparation for Vraja Homa. (He is now a resident of Amritapuri Ashram since 2018)

Amma gives Sanyasa  to Br. Balu – Swami Amritaswarupanandapuri.

1990 (Age 37) 

  • Amma reveals her vision about starting a Multispeciality Hospital with the most modern medical care for the the benefit of poor.
  • 9th April 1990 – Consecration of Ashram Kali (Bhavatarini) Temple.

Front elevation of Amritapuri Ashram Kali temple. It took almost 5 years to complete the construction. The upper floors have residential quarters and rooms for other ashram activities.    The presiding deity is Bhavatarini Kali (some what similar to Bhavatarini Kali of Dakshineswar Kali temple)

Kali Sannidhi and meditation Hall of the Amritapuri Kali temple.

  • 4th May 1990 – Brahmasthana temple consecrated at Chennai
  • AICT (Amrita Institute of Computer Technology), Amma’s first higher education institution started in Amritapuri.

1991 (Age 38)

  • Amma gives sanyasa Diksha to Br. Madhusudhan (Swami Premananda Puri).
  • 17th August 1991  – Amma’s first visit to Russia. It was one of the most crucial periods in Russian history. When Amma was there, there was an attempted coup to overthrow the communist rule and Gorbachev was kept on house arrest. Fortunately, everything ended peacefully without violence and Amma’s devotees felt that Amma’s divine presence was no coincidence that helped in return of peace in a way incomprehensible to the outer world.

1992 (Age 39)

  • July 1992  – Amma’s 2nd visit to Russia.
  • 16th February 1992 – Brahmasthana temples at Thiruvananthapuram and on 15th April at Pune consecrated.
  • Amrita Sanskrit Higher Secondary school at Paripally started  – it  is one of the largest schools in Kerala to teach Sanskrit as the first language
  • Land for proposed Engineering college at Ettimadai, Coimbatore bought. Br Abhayamrita sets out clearing the thorny bushes in the wildland.

1993 (Age 40)

  • 18th January 1993 – Consecration of Brahmasthana temple at Kozhikode
  • Over the period of time, Lots of youngsters, both males and females get attracted, inspired and motivated by Amma and come forward to lead a life of celibacy, dedicated to serving the society selflessly and seeking spiritual progress under the shade of Amma as a Sadguru and Avatar.  They come from all walks of life — engineers, nurses, businessmen, carpenters, artists, college students —most of them are young, some of them middle-aged. They join as Brahmacharis and Brahmacharinis in the ashram, leaving behind their homes and comforts.  Those who came at earlier times were content to live in newly built huts (as the finances were meager at that time).

  • Huts for Brahmacharis – behind current Kali Temple (in the current big hall area).

  • Hinduism Today magazine selects and honors Amma as the ‘Hindu of the year’
  • September 1993  – Amma invited to The Centenary Celebration and 2nd Parliament of World Religions at Chicago USA. Amma participates and speaks on the occasion. She was appointed one of the 3 presidents to represent Hinduism in the assembly of 25 presidents representing all world religions.

1994 (Age 41) 

  • 23rd May – Foundation stone for AIMS (Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences) Hospital at Edapally, Cochin is laid.

    Entrance to the A-Block of AIMS – Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Edappally, Eranakulam.

  • Started Amrita Kripa Sagar Hospice for terminally ill cancer patients, Mumbai

Amrita Kripa Hospice, Mumbai

  • August – Amma arranges Sanyasa diksha to Swamis Amritatmanandapuri (Ramesh Rao),  Ramakrishnananda Puri (Ramakrishnan),  Poornamritanandapuri (Srikumar), Pranavanandapuri (Venu) , Amritagitananda puri (Aneesh) and Swamini Atmaprana (Dr Leela).

Swami Amritatmananda Puri                 Swami Ramakrishnananda Puri

 

Swami Purnanamritananda Puri       Swami Pranavamritananda Puri

 

Swami Amritagitananda Puri                    Swamini Atma Prana

  • Construction in full swing for the first Engineering college campus at Ettimadai, Coimbatore. Amrita School of Engineering begins with 120 students.

1995 (Age 42)

  • August  – Amma gives Sanyasa Diksha to Swami Paramatmananda Puri (Neal Rosner), Swami Turiyanandapuri (Unnikrishnan), Swami Prgnyanananda puri (Dhamu), Swami Jnananandapuri (Unnikrishna das), Swamini Krishnamrita Prana (Soumya).

Neal Rosner (Amma’s first western disciple) receives Sanyas from Amma with a monoistic name Swami Paramatmananda Puri.

Swami Turiyananda Puri and Swamini Krishnamrita prana.

(L) Swami Jnanamritananda Puri and (R) Swami Prgnyanamritananda Puri

  • October  – Amma invited to speak at the Interfaith Celebration in honor of the 50th anniversary of the United Nations, at the Cathedral of St John, New York
  • (12th February) – Consecration of Brahmasthana temples at Mumbai, at Delhi (3rd March) and  at Madurai (5th April)

1996 (Age 43)

  • February  – Amrita Kuteeram scheme – Amma announces plan for constructing 25000 Homes for the poor and the destitute.
  • Amrita Institute of Advaned Computing (AIAC) begins at Ettimadai campus.
  • Amrita Institute of Management founded.
  • Mother’s Kitchen – scheme to provide food to the poor and homeless people in the USA started by devotees of Amma. (Currently, there are more than 50 branches in the US, Canada, etc and Mother’s Kitchen groups in North America prepare, cook and serve 150,000 meals for the homeless and hungry each year)
  • October – Amma gives sanyasa diksha to Swami Amrita Kripananda Puri (Muralidharan) and Swami Vidyamritananda Puri (Sreedhar Bhat)

(L)- Swami Amrita Kripananda Puri and (R) Swami Vidyamritananda Puri

1997 (Age 44)

  • November  – Amma deploys women priests (for the first time)  to do pujas in Kaimanam and Kodungallur Brahmasthana temples.
  • Amrita Speech & Hearing Improvement School (ASHIS) (taken over and run by MA Math)

1998 (Age 45)

  • 17th May – AIMS Hospital at Edappally Eranakulam inaugurated by Prime minister Vajpeyee.

Aerial View of AIMS (Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Edapally, Eranakulam.

 

Prime Minister Vajpayee with Amma at the time of the inauguration of AIMS hospital.

  • 2nd April – Consecration of Brahmasthana temple at Mauritius Island
  • Anbu Illam – Care home for the aged started at Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu.
  • Amrita Nidhi, the free pension project for destitute women and widows, begins in Kerala.

1999 (Age 46)

  • 22nd January – Consecration of Brahmasthana temples at Palakkad and on 22nd April at Thalassery.
  • Gayathri (Gail Tredwell) leaves Ashram after being with Amma for 20 years.

2000 (Age 47)

  • 17th February –Consecration of Brahmasthana temple at Mysore and 28th February at Manandavadi.
  • August  – Amma invited to give a speech at “Millennium World Peace Summit” at United Nations. Amma speaks in Malayalam.
  • 6th April – Gopura Sthupika Pratishthana (Kumbhabishekam) of the Kali Temple done.
  • 10th  December – Inauguration of The large Darshan Hall of the Ashram which covers 40,000 square feet and has no supporting pillars in the middle, is the largest of its kind in South India.

The Large Darshan hall at Amritapuri.

Also between 1990 and 2000…

  • As more and more brahmacharis and brahmacharinis join the Ashram, there was constantly a need for more and more buildings. Further as more and more devotees visited the ashram, there was an acute need for providing them temporary accommodation. Since the space is very limited, Amma opts to build multi-storied buildings.

The 5 storied building next to Kali temple was constructed to house Brahmacharinis. The ground floor served as the Ashram Main Kitchen.

  • Attracted by the divinity that Amma radiated, many householder devotees prayed to Amma for providing them permanent accommodation in the Ashram and they contributed money for more and more multistoried constructions. Many highly professionally qualified NRIs wanted to shift to India and live in Amritapuri willing to do jobs /selfless service for Amma’s institutions. They too contributed money for the construction of more living quarters.
  • Several westerners who had met Amma during her visits abroad too started visiting the Ashram on a regular basis. Several of them opted to leave their home and hearth to live a simple life in the Ashram dedicated to seva and sadhana.

A&B Blocks on the right, E- block on the left.

The 5 storied Brahmachari Quarters at the back of Main Darshan hall. The multi-storeyed E-block can be seen at the far end.

Amrita Kripa Hospital at Ashram. It caters to the needs of ashramites, hostel students and local people around the ashram.

2001  (Age 48)

  • 2nd May – Consecration of Brahmasthana temple Coimbatore
  • After the earthquake at Bhuj, Gujarat, Matha Amritanandamayi Math did medical relief work and also adopted 3 villages that were totally devastated and constructed 1200 quake-proof houses,

2002 (Age 49)

  • 24th February –Consecration of Brahmasthana temple at Hyderabad.
  • Construction of 25,000 houses for the poor under Amritakuteeram scheme (1996) completed.
  • 7th October – Amma receives Gandhi-King Award for Non-violence at UN Headquarters Geneva.
  • Amma receiving Gandhi King Award from Dr Jane Goodall.
  • Engineering colleges (Amrita Institute of Technology and Sciences) started at Amritapuri and Bangalore
  • Schools of Medicine and Nursing founded at the AIMS campus in Kochi

2003 (Age 50)

  • 14th February – Consecration ofBrahmasthana temple at Bangalore and on 3rd April at Eranakulam.
  • Amma visits Rashtrapati Bhavan at the invitation of president Dr. Abdul Kalam
  • 24th to 27th September – Amma’s 50th Birthday celebrated on a grand scale as an international congregation for global peace and harmony. Ammas devotees and admirers from 191 nations participated in the celebration at Cochin.
  • 2nd Care Home for the aged run by the MA Math started near Vaikom, Kerala,
  • First free wedding ceremonies for poor families are sponsored by MAM and conducted on Amma’s birthday.
  • Amritakuteeram scheme extended to construct 1,00,000 more houses for the poor, across the country.

Houses built under the Amrita Kuteeram scheme.

  • Amritakripa AIDS Hospice and Care Centre near Trivandrum inaugurated to care for AIDS patients.

Amrita Kripa for AIDS patients care.

  • Amrita’s higher education institutions get deemed University status and Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham (Amrita University) now covers 4 campuses – Coimbatore, Bangalore, Mysore and Eranakulam.
  •  IAM, Integrated Amrita Meditation Technique® is launched worldwide. Trained Yoga teachers from Amritapuri Ashram to teach IAM (Integrated Amrita Meditation) Technique free of cost at various locations to various social groups.

  • School of Dentistry started at AIMS, Eranakulam.

2004 (Age 51)

  • 13th July – Amma addresses The Parliament of the World’s Religions at Barcelona, Spain

Amma addressing at Parliament of world religions at Barcelona 2004.

  • July – Amrita Kripa Hospital for tribal people opens in Wayanad.

  • September 2004– Amrita School of Biotechnology started at Amritapuri Campus.

Amrita School of Biotechnology, Amritapuri Campus.

  • December  – Tsunami strikes several coastal areas and causes large-scale deaths and devastation. Seawater enters into Amritapuri Ashram too. Amma shifts all ashramites to safety and engages in relief operations. Amritapuri Engineering college buildings turns to be a temporary shelter for tsunami-affected families

 

(L)Tsunami – Seawater entering to Amritapuri Ashram (R) – Amma discussing in knee-deep seawater about evacuating ashramites.

Amma consoling neighborhood people who lost their family members in the tsunami.

  • Amrita School of Ayurveda attached with Ayurveda Hospital (currently 250-bed capacity)  inaugurated at Vallikkavu, near Amritapuri.

2005 (Age 52) 

  • Amma initiates and engages MA Math and devotees in large-scale tsunami relief and rehabilitation operations across India and Srilanka. MA Math spent Rs 200 Crores in various relief operations including construction of 6000+ houses and supply of fishing nets, boats, engines and tailoring machines.

MA Math Brahmacharinis engaged in labor work in the construction of free houses for Tsunami-affected people in Kerala.

(L) New houses built for Tsunami affected people at Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu (R) Flats constructed at Srilanka by MA Math for the affected people.

  • 10th April– Consecration of Brahmasthana temple at Thrissur
  • Amma initiates the construction of a bridge across backwaters near Ashram (TS Canal) to facilitate quick evacuation of Alapad island people to mainland in case of any future disaster like a tsunami. Ashram residents including westerners and Amma’s devotees contribute considerably in doing the physical labor in line with Amma’s emphasis on selfless service.

Amma’s ashramites and devotees enthusiastically offer kar seva for construction of the bridge across backwaters.

  • December 2005 – Mata Amritanandamayi Center in the USA donates One million dollars for Katrina Hurricane relief operations to Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund, USA.

Swami Ramkrishnananda Puri (R) and Br. Dayamrita Chaitanya (L) handing over the donation for Katrina Hurricane relief fund to Former US President Bill Clinton.

  • Teachers’ Training (B.Ed) College in Mysore is inaugurated.
  • Two Care Homes for the elderly are established in Karnataka.
  • United Nations grants Special Consultative Status to Mata Amritanandamayi Math, with its Economic and Social Council.
  • The Indo-USA Inter-University Initiative is established with 25 universities by Amrita University.

2006 (Age 53)

  • December– Amrita Sethu footbridge constructed by MA Math to connect Alappad Panchayat to Mainland is inaugurated by President Abdul Kalam.

  • Amrita Nidhi pension project expands to benefit 1,00,000 including the physically and mentally challenged.
  • Amrita SREE: the Amrita Self-Reliance, Employment and Empowerment Program is inaugurated, providing equal economic opportunity to women.

2007 (Age 54)

  • For giving succor to the families of farmers who commit suicide due to debt burden in states like Maharashtra, Andhra etc., Amma initiates Vidyamritam scholarship scheme for farmer’s children to cover 25,000 school-going children.
  • 22nd April: Amma’s last Devi Bhava Darshan in Amritapuri (done after a long gap). She continues to give Devi Bhava during her visits abroad only.
  • Amrita Yoga, a selected set of Yoga practices, mostly simple to do and at the same time very effective for the body and mind (amidst the multifarious yoga postures available in Hatha Yoga) get formalized by Amma for systematic teaching to all age groups free of cost.

    Amrita Yoga essentially is based on Surya Namaskar, with a few other simple Yoga postures added to it for best results, at the same time with simplicity, which can be done within about 20 minutes.

2008 (Age 55)

  • 18th February – Consecration of Brahmasthana temple at Mangalapuram and on 19th March at Kolcotta.

2009 (Age 56)

2010 (Age 57)

  • 20th Jan 2010 – Sankaracharya of Kanchi Math head Sri Jeyendra Saraswathi visits Amritapuri and meets Amma.

Sitting aside Amma and addressing the ashram residents, Sri Jeyendra Saraswathi said, “Kerala is a holy land. It was in this land that pious Adi Shankaracharya took birth. Likewise many mahatmas have incarnated in this land. Sri Narayana Guru and Chattambi Swamigal incarnated in this land of Kerala. In this Kali Yuga, Mata Amritanandamayi is amongst us….For many years now, I have been eagerly waiting to visit this sacred place,” he said. “Today I got the chance.”

  • March –Amma’s father Sri Sugunanandan passes away.
  • 25th May – The State University of New York, North Buffalo, USA confers Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters in great appreciation of Amma’s extraordinary humanitarian service and commitment to expanding educational opportunities and international cooperation throughout the world.

  • 27th September 2010 – Amma launches Amala Bharatam Cleaning scheme (ABC) aimed at keeping public places and highways clean. Amma offers support from MA Math for constructing toilets and installing trash cans in government schools and along roads all over India if it has the support and co-operation of state governments and other organizations.

2011 (Age 58)

  • 8th March 2012– Consecration of Brahmasthana temple at Kannur
  • April 2011 – Amrita Watoto Boma, Children care home for 108 children run by MA Math inaugurated at Nairobi

Amma with children of Amrita Watoto Boma Child care home in Kenya.

  • Haiti Earthquake & Tsunami relief at Japan -MA Math provides medical supplies, shelter materials and offers $1 million scholarships to the education of children of affected families.

  • 11th November 2011 – Based on the request of the Kerala Government, MA Math undertakes a massive cleaning drive at Sabarimala temple premises and at the Pampa river base, under the Amala Bharatam Cleaning program initiated by the math. Some 3500 volunteers (Amma’s devotees) comprising of residents of the Ashram, Amma’s western disciples, devotees from other places in Kerala and Tamil Nadu and some 1000 students and staff from Amritapuri Campus participated in the massive task of removing tons and tons of waste and garbage accumulated at Sabarimala over the past 20 or more years.

Sabarimala Cleaning by MA Math volunteers…

The amount of garbage that had been accumulated at Sabarimala across past few decades is to be seen to be believed. Thousands and thousands of bags of garbage were cleared and removed. Tons and tons of wastage were incinerated. Tens of thousands of plastic bottles were collected and removed.

2012 (Age 59)

  • 29-30th November 2012 – Amma visits China for the first time to address the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations meet at Shangai to address 150 delegates from various countries. She was the only spiritual personality invited to the meeting.

  • Over the period of time, Amma’s more than 1000 bhajans in 35 languages cassettes get recorded.
  • As part of a housing project for flood-affected people undertaken by the Math in Karnataka and Andhra, 475 more houses were constructed and completed at Raichur Karnataka.

Construction completed and keys handed over – for 475 more houses at the flood-affected people of Raichur, Karnataka.

2013 (Age 60)

  • Amritavarsham-60 (Amma’s 60th Birthday) celebrated on a grand scale at Amritapuri. (Would be Prime Minister) Chief Minister of Gujarat Sri Narendra Modi attends the birthday celebration at Amritapuri.

Gujarat Chief Minister (now Prime Minister) Sri Narendra Modi with Amma on Amma’s 60th birthday. Amma’s translator Br. Subhamrita at the back.

  • MA Math initiates (as part of Amma’s 60th birthday celebrations) the most massive humanitarian program ever undertaken by the Math: the adoption of 101 villages throughout India with the aim of helping them become self-reliant and thriving (Amrita SeRVE project)

Amrita SERVE – It is a mega project to re-write the history of 101 backward villages to move to a new era of development. Click the above picture to go to the Amrita SERVE website to know more…

  • Amma offers Rs 50 Cr0re relief package to construct 500 houses destroyed in the Uttarakhand floods and landslide in 42 selected villages in the districts of Rudraprayag and Uttarkashi. It will also cover educational scholarships, pension to widows and women empowerment activities.
  • Mata Amritanandamayi Center, USA donates 1 million dollar aid for people affected in the Philippines by Typhoon Haiyan

  • October  2013– Gayathri’s (Gail Treadwell) book Holy Hell making lots of abominable accusations about Amma, Math, and her close disciples gets published.

Amma’s Biography (Timeline) continues in Part 3. Please visit …

             —–> Part 3 of Amma’s Biography (Timeline) – age 61 onwards

 

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