I arrived at a quiet time in the ashram as Amma had just left on the second leg of her Indian tour. The ashram is peaceful, nestled between the idyllic backwaters of Kerala and the Indian Ocean. Initially there was a lot of noise in the evenings and early morning as there was a local festival going on. Thankfully this has now stopped. It is cooler early morning for yoga practice and meditation. In the Kali Temple and main hall, Archana practice begins at 4.50am. The Kalari Temple start a Ganapati Homa 5am. Archana practice involves chanting the 108 names of Amma, 1000 names of the Divine Mother-Lalita Sahasranama followed by the Mahisasura Stotram and Arati. A homa is a fire ceremony and ancient vedic ritual lasting about an hour. It is a beautiful experience, uplifting and a wonderful way to begin the day. Amma's nuns, monks, residents and devotees do this every day of the year, creating a powerful energy here on this narrow strip of land on the South West corner of India.
www.amritapuri.org
www.amritapuri.org