Mata Amritanandamayi Math

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Neighbors Give Cold Shoulder to 'Hugging Saint'

New Mexico residents don't want Indian spiritual leader to have facility for gathering

(Newser) - It sounds like a plan that should be met with warm fuzzies and hugs—literally. Devotees of India's Amma, or the " Hugging Saint, " want to build a facility outside Sante Fe to house thousands of admirers for one week each summer, but neighbors are turning a cold...

Indian Guru Embraces Life
Indian Guru Embraces Life

Indian Guru Embraces Life

Salon pays a call on the 'hugging saint' and meditates on the Amma empire

(Newser) - A 53-year-old fisherman's daughter from Kerala, India, stands at the center of an empire of idol worship and charitable works—stands there and hugs her disciples. Amma, a mother figure revered by many as a goddess, commands a kingdom of philanthropy, volunteerism, and merchandising, Salon reports. The reporter even jumps...

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