Pure ashram

Each time I open the door of my room I can see lots of people dressing on white, like phantoms, and this is because I’m in Amrithapuri Ashram. For sure you haven’t heard this name until now but maybe you’ve heard about an Indian holy woman who travels around the world embracing the people. She’s Mata Amritanandamayi, but her disciples name her just Amma, which means “mother”. Her ashram or spiritual community is located in a rural area of the Kerala coast. When you reach that place the first thing astonishes you is the sharply skyline. Three pink sixteen floor buildings rise up among palm forests and humble fishermen villages. These huge buildings lodge the approximately three thousand people who live here. Two thousand of them live permanently and about one thousand are temporary visitors. There are very diverse people staying here: Indians and foreigners; children, adults and elderly people; couples and even whole families. Different people united in a common matter: the devotion or just the curiosity about the “hugging holy mother”.

The place has a pretty interesting and complex way of working and makes up a kind of microcosms. Paying 150 rupees daily, approximately 2 euros, you have the accommodation and three simple mails a day and you can stay here all the time you want. The food is Indian style and really monotonous (just plain rice and some spicy vegetables for breakfast, lunch and dinner) but at least is plentiful: you can eat as much as you want. There is a daily schedule fixed for everybody with two times of meditation and a few hours of any communitarian service. Mine, for example, is sorting the colour and white laundry before doing the washing. It seems not much difficult! The rest of the time is free. I was surprised by the several bans and rules there are here. Some of them are the usual ones but I can’t understand others. Smoking, taking photographs or come back to the ashram after 7 pm are strictly prohibited activities. For example, in the picture you can see the front of the main temple, which is especially not allowed to photography, but I’m a rebel! They also recommend to dress on white and avoid any contact with the villagers. I thought that people in the ashram are specially friendly and warm, and they hug each other as a part of their spiritual practices (like their spiritual idol does) but not. Hugging and kissing is also strictly prohibited!