Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth and for LAist. Make your year-end tax-deductible gift now.
This archival content was originally written for and published on KPCC.org. Keep in mind that links and images may no longer work — and references may be outdated.
Humanitarian 'Amma' stops through LA for thousands of hugs
Indian spiritual leader Mata Amritanandamayi, or Amma (Mother) as she is known (C) hugs people on October 23, 2008 in Cergy-Pontoise, outside Paris during a few days trip in France. Amma, revered as a saint by her followers and a widely respected humanitarian, offers a hug to everyone who approaches her. Worldwide, Amma is said to have hugged at least 30 million people in the past 30 years.
(
LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP/Getty Images
)
A woman who’s reportedly hugged more than 28 million people all over the world is visiting Los Angeles to add thousands more hugs to her total. KPCC Brian Watt observed the goings-on at the Radisson Hotel near L.A. International Airport.
People arrived three hours early for an opportunity to embrace the woman known as “Amma,” the hugging saint. They filled a hotel ballroom and prayed and meditated for a while before the hugging began.
Amma takes each person’s head in her hands and presses it into her shoulder, chanting quietly in his or her ear for 30 seconds, sometimes longer. The experience moves many people to tears. Some arrive with questions about their future – or their life’s mission.
For almost four decades, Amma’s stated mission has been to embrace the world for peace and harmony. The daughter of a poor fisherman in Southern India says that she’s not asking anyone to change their religion or adopt one, and that her only religion is love. The hugging is just the best-known part.
Amma’s charities have rebuilt tsunami-destroyed homes and fed homeless people in the Southland. Los Angeles is one stop on her annual 10-city tour of the United States.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
