KOLLAM: Expressing concern over the celebrations that disregard culture, Mata Amritanandamayi called upon her devotees to celebrate every festival as an occasion to awaken and instil values in society.
Delivering her birthday message, she expressed concern over the quantity of liquor being consumed by the Malayali population during Onam season, which brought in a record collection of Rs 500 crore to the exchequer. Amritanandamayi pointed out that numerous people in the state are homeless. “If this money had been used for building houses, more than 10,000 people would have had a place to live.”
The 66th birthday celebrations took place at Amritapuri, with lakhs of devotees and well-wishers from around the world coming together to witness her padapuja and take part in the satsang, meditation and prayers for world peace on Friday. She also spoke of the importance of respecting and protecting nature.
“Nature is mother and father to us, it is everything,” Amma said. “We are the children of that revered mother nature. She only has love and compassion for us. We, on the other hand, have just stomped all over her and kicked her in the bosom. Now that loving mother has fallen ill and is exhausted,” she added.
She also stressed on the importance of prioritising spiritual values in life.
“If we stop giving moral values the place they deserve, our life will rot away like a log infested with termites,” she said.Swami Amritaswarupananda, vice-chairman. Mata Amritanandamayi Math, in his welcome speech, extolled Amma as a paragon of selfless compassionate service to suffering humanity.