Guest guest Posted September 23, 2003 Report Share Posted September 23, 2003 Dear Mike, Did you see any article on who is funding the celebrations. I know Amma herself wanted only a prayer meeting but was persuaded to agree to this elaborate four day event. I guess the Indian government will be picking up the tab for its part -- enhanced security, free railway passes to and from the event and the like. Ammachi, Mike Brooker <patria1818> wrote: > Tuesday September 23 2003 13:17 IST > > Amritavarsham promises to be a cultural cauldron > > KOCHI: The Amritavarsham celebrations promise a > cultural extravaganza for four days. From Spanish > Flamenco dancers to the aboriginal bushman dance of > Australia, from Irish folk to the historical Inca, > there are a slew of performances, both national and > international, for those lucky ones who get passes for > the event. > > In addition, there will be performances of the Chinese > lion dance, the Malayan snake dance, Japanese and > South African folk dances too. > > There is an entire programme devoted to the culture of > God's Own Country, with renderings of traditional > dance forms of Kerala. Other Indian artists include > Shankar Mahadevan, Jagjit Singh and Kavita > Kishnamurthy. > > On the 26th, around 25 of Amma's devotees from across > the globe, who are all professional musicians, will > croon numbers in her glory, each in his or her own > language. > > Amma inspired art will also be on display, with an > exhibition of the works of 125 painters. The artists > also plan to participate in the creation of an > on-the-spot canvas, the Colours of Compassion, > inspired by who else but Amma. > > > Tuesday September 23 2003 10:18 IST > > Unique swimming feat as part of Amritavarsham > > KOCHI: Kochi will bear witness to an extraordinary > event to be performed by a swimming record holder and > a follower of Mata Amritanandamayi as part of > Amritavarsham. > > Shyam S Prabodini will swim from Vypeen to Fort Kochi > at 10 am on September 25. And the catch is, both his > hands and feet will be bound. > > Shyam holds a couple of records in the Limca Book of > World Records for his adventurous swimming. And is now > planning to try the English Channel. > > At a press conference here on Monday, Shyam said that > he practises swimming in the sea till 2 am every day. > And money is the only obstacle he faces in his > endeavors. > > His feat at Vypeen is organised by the Rotary Club of > Cochin West and it will be done in a time frame of 30 > minutes. > > > Tuesday September 23 2003 10:06 IST > > Amma to arrive in Kochi on Tuesday night > > KOCHI: Mata Amritanandmayi will arrive in Kochi from > her ashram at Amritapuri in Kollam, late on Tuesday > night for her four-day birthday celebrations to be > held from September 24 to 27, said a spokesperson of > the Mata Amritanandmayi Math. > > "She will be coming by car and the accurate time of > her arrival is not fixed. So the devotees will be > allowed `darshan' from Wednesday night only" he added. > > According to the schedule, `darshans' will be allowed > every night after the conclusion of the cultural > shows. "Darshans will start by 10.30 p.m. and will > continue till early morning," said Swami > Amritaswarupananda, vice chairperson of the Math. On > the 27th, Amma's birthday, she will give `darshan' > throughout the day as well as in the night. > > According to Amritavarsham organisers, there will be > no barriers between the devotees and Amma, except for > routine security. "No identity cards or entry passes > are necessary either for the `darshan' or for > attending the various functions. However, passes are > required to enter the VVIP areas, meant for the staff > of the Math, the press and the VIPs and their > entourage," the Swami said. > > Although there will be restrictions on bringing mobile > phones and bags into the stadium during the VVIP > visits, the organisers said that otherwise, there > would not be any such restrictions. > > Meanwhile, as the preparations for the celebrations > gather the last-minute momentum, droves of devotees > are making their way into the city. An estimated > 50,000 have already arrived. While some went directly > to lodges, others drove directly to the stadium, where > arrangements have been made for their accommodation. > > > Tuesday September 23 2003 10:06 IST > > Amma to dedicate unique meditation system > > KOCHI: If Maharishi Mahesh Yogi had TM (Transcendental > Meditation) and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is known for his > Sudarshana Kriya, the breathing technique, Mata > Amritanandamayi, during the course of Amritavarsham > 50, will dedicate to the public a unique system of > meditation which dawned on her 12 years back. > > Called the I AM Technique or the Integral Amrita > Meditation system, the method has been practised by > devotees across the world as the `Ma Om' prayer, which > was the germinal form of I AM. > > "The I AM system of meditation has evolved from the > `Ma Om' prayer. This has been developed by the Mother > over a period of a decade or so. So far classes have > been taught at Amma's Amritapuri Ashram and throughout > India, as well as in America, Europe and Japan. At > Amritavarsham, the system will be formally dedicated > to the public," says Swami Amritaswaroopananda, > vice-chairman, Amritanandamayi Mutt. > > Guided by the universal force, the method helps > devotees progress spiritually in a world ridden by > conflicts of the mind, attain mental clarity and to be > at peace with oneself, as well as to get a hold of > day-to-day life spent in emotional turmoil. > > "The I AM system helps you to detach yourself from > worldly worries and sorrows caused by loss or death > and to distance yourself from a problem without > affecting the way you function. The distancing helps > people to have a deeper understanding of the sorrow > and to make correct decisions. Rather than looking on > from the periphery, you look from within," he says > about the system which will channel your inner > energies to work for the greater good. > > While many spiritual organisations charge exorbitant > amounts to teach meditation, the system is taught and > made available completely free-of-charge. Also, > according to him, the practitioners at various ashrams > have felt deeper levels of peace and awareness in > their day-to-day lives and have more energy throughout > the day since they began the practice. > > "The only requirement for the I AM system is for the > practitioner to have a desire to know deeper levels of > peace, love and fulfilment. The desire to penetrate > the surface for the profound message of quietude," he > says pointing to the traditional system of Hindu > worship which gives devotees energy to carry on > through the day. > > "This is a scientific method which has both > traditional and practical aspects and has its basis in > `dhyanam'. It can be practised collectively and > individually and one has to be committed," he says. > > A booklet detailing the various aspects of I AM will > also be available in the public domain soon. > > > Tuesday September 23 2003 10:37 IST > > Elaborate traffic arrangements for Amritavarsham > > KOCHI: Elaborate arrangements have been made to > prevent traffic congestion in view of the enormous > influx of vehicles expected in the city during the > Amritavarsham celebrations, City Police Commissioner > Vinod Thomas said on Monday. > > Addressing a press conference here, Vinod Thomas said > stringent traffic regulations will be enforced in the > city. > > Roads will be declared one-ways where necessary and > parking on major VVIP routes will be banned, he said. > > The stretch between Edapally and Kaloor would be the > worst-hit during the celebrations as the majority of > the vehicles, including those transporting VVIPs, > would be using this road. > > As the schedules of some of the VVIPs have not been > finalised, the police will be forced to improvise > traffic regulations to some extent. > > Efforts will be made to convey new traffic regulations > to the public as early as possible, Vinod Thomas said. > > It is expected that at least one lakh people will > visit the venue each day. > > In order to reduce traffic congestion, devotees have > been asked to reach the venue, the Jawaharlal Nehru > International Stadium, Kaloor, by 7.30 a.m. > > Vinod Thomas said that if it is found necessary > measures will be taken to reroute private buses plying > these routes. > > Devotees going by vehicles have been directed to move > through the bypass to the venue via Palarivattom. > > However, vehicles will not be allowed to return by > this route. > > Vehicles coming from the venue should take the Kaloor- > Kadavanthra road and reach the bypass via Sahodaran > Ayyappan road. > > The Kaloor-Kadavanthra road has been declared one-way > for big vehicles in view of the heavy rush expected on > this road. > > Vehicles transporting devotees should be parked only > in pre-assigned parking lots and not elsewhere, the > Commissioner said. > > On routes which would be used by VVIPs, parking ban > will be slapped five or six hours in advance. > > The Amritanandamayi Math has identified 54 parking > lots in and around the city. > > Devotees have been directed to park their vehicles at > the designated lots and use the shuttle services run > by the Math, the Commissioner said. > > Devotees arriving by train have been directed to > disembark at the Ernakulam Town (North) Railway > Station. They should use the Eastern Entry to leave > the station so that the North overbridge is avoided. > > > Tuesday September 23 2003 13:21 IST > > Amma's birthday makes good venue to setup mini > parliament > > KOCHI: A mini parliament may be set up in Kochi, > judging from the number of MPs flying down for > Amritavarsham. > > Apart from the President, Vice President Bhairon Singh > Shekhawat, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, Rajya > Sabha Deputy Chairperson Najma Hepatullah and Union > Minister Sushma Swaraj are expected to attend the > celebrations. > > There are a smattering of ministers from other > countries too, all of them coming in their individual > capacities. These include Malayasian Minister Datuk > Kayveas, Mauritian Minister Alan Ganoo and Kenyan > Minister Wangari Mathai. Former US Senator Larry > Pressler will be there, as will Yolanda King, daughter > of Martin Luther King. > > The corporate world will be represented by Mukesh > Ambani and Sabeer 'Hotmail' Bhatia, among others. > > > For more Amritavarsham news (updated daily), go to > http://www.newindpress.com/newsHome.asp?page=r > > Keval > (still waiting to receive webcast timings & viewing instructions!) > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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