Amma: Humanitarian and ecological initiatives would be unveiled on the occasion of the 60th birthday celebrations of Mata Amritanandamayi,
fondly called as ‘Amma’ by her followers, on September 27 at Amritapuri. The two-day festivity-Amritavarsham 60- would see the launch of a wide array of new social welfare programmes and expansion of several existing services before its conclusion on September 27.
The event would be held on the university campus of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, adjacent to Amma’s ashram at Vallickavu in Kollam. Mata Amritanandamayi Math (MAM) expects a crowd of not less than five lakh people for the event. “The math would announce new educational endeavours, confer cultural awards, release spiritual books and conduct an international summit aimed at the uplift of India’s rural villages,” a spokesperson said.
Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences in Kochi would provide `50 crore worth of free kidney transplants, cardiac surgeries and cancer treatments to the poor throughout the country to mark the event. “As for the free medical care programme, people living below the poverty line would be given top priority,” a MAM spokesperson said.
Those interested can contact by mail or in person MAM’s headquarters or any of the recognised branches of the ashram. Families seeking transplants have to arrange their own organ donors.
The math, along with Amma’s other organisations across the continents would also embark on a go-green mission. MAM,a member of the United Nations Billion Tree Campaign, has plans to plant six million saplings within a year. Of this, more than six lakhs would be planted in Kerala.
The programme will be inaugurated on September 2, with Chief Minister Oommen Chandy planting the first sapling. MAM had already assisted in the planting of more than one million trees since 2001.
MAM will launch new programmes designed to empower and uplift women living below poverty line.
