The 70th birthday of Mata Amritanandamayi was celebrated in the presence of lakhs of devotees on Tuesday.
While representatives from 193 countries came together at Amritapuri to wish the spiritual leader, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, Union Cabinet Minister Mahendra Nath Pandey, Union Ministers Ashwini Kumar Choubey and V. Muraleedharan, Deputy Speaker Chittayam Gopakumar, Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan and actor Mohanlal were also present.
In her birthday address, Mata Amritanandamayi focussed on the importance of love, selflessness and unity. She also expressed concern about youth’s exposure to negative influences and stressed on the role of parents in imparting values.
“Every calamity—be it a pandemic, natural disaster or climate change — urges humankind to cultivate three things: cooperation, companionship, and communion. That is, we need to move in cooperation with our fellow human beings, in companionship with nature, and in communion with God. Failure to do so, at least a little bit, will negatively impact all of our actions,” she said.
Through a video address Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that Mata Amritanandamayi’s initiatives and influence had expanded globally, enriching the lives of countless individuals.
“For more than three decades, I have cherished a close bond with Amma, particularly during significant moments such as the earthquake in Kutch, Gujarat. I am deeply grateful for the moments I have shared with Amma, notably during her 60th birthday celebration in Amritapuri. Words alone cannot adequately convey the profound impact of Amma’s presence and benevolence; it must be experienced first-hand,” he said.
At the event, Mata Amritanandamayi was honoured with the prestigious World Leader for Peace and Security Award jointly presented by the Boston Global Forum (BGF) and the Michael Dukakis Institute for Leadership and Innovation (MDI). She received the award from Nguyen Anh Tuan, Co-Founder and CEO of Boston Global Forum.
Amritakeerti Puraskars for the years 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 were presented to K.S. Radhakrishnan, Srivaraham Chandrasekharan Nair, M.R. Rajesh and author S.L. Bhyrappa.
Another important event was the mixing of soil from more than 70 countries with Indian soil in a prayer of peace in unity titled “An Offering to Mother Earth.”
