Guest guest Posted September 23, 2003 Report Share Posted September 23, 2003 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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