Mata Amritanandamayi
Spiritual leader known for embracing millions of people
- Age
- 73 yrs
- Birthday in 334 days
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Mata Amritanandamayi, known as Amma or the “Hugging Saint”, is a spiritual leader from Kerala who has embraced tens of millions of people as a form of blessing. Her organisation runs hospitals, a university and large humanitarian programmes.
Biography
Fishing village
Sudhamani Idamannel was born into a poor fishing family on the coast of Kerala. As a child she left school to do household chores and became known for her devotion to Krishna and her habit of comforting people in distress by embracing them.
Amma’s embrace
From the 1970s people began coming to her for darshan, which she gives by hugging each visitor. Her programmes can last through the night, and she is estimated to have embraced tens of millions of people around the world.
Institutions
The Mata Amritanandamayi Math, founded in 1981, runs Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, a large university, the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences in Kochi and a major hospital in Faridabad opened in 2022, as well as schools and housing projects.
Humanitarian work
Her organisation has carried out large disaster-relief efforts, including after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, which struck near her own ashram. She has addressed the United Nations on several occasions.
Timeline
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1953
Born in Parayakadavu, Kollam district, Kerala
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1981
Mata Amritanandamayi Math founded
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1998
Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences opens
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2000
Addresses the UN Millennium World Peace Summit
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2004
Tsunami relief work
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2022
Amrita Hospital, Faridabad, opens
Did you know?
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1
She is believed to have hugged tens of millions of people.
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2
Her darshan sessions sometimes last all night.
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3
She grew up in a fishing village in Kerala.
Frequently asked
Who is Mata Amritanandamayi?
Mata Amritanandamayi, known as Amma or the “Hugging Saint”, is a spiritual leader from Kerala who has embraced tens of millions of people as a form of blessing. Her organisation runs hospitals, a university and large humanitarian programmes.
How old is Mata Amritanandamayi?
Mata Amritanandamayi is 73 years old, born on 27 September 1953 in Parayakadavu, Kollam district, Kerala.
Where is Mata Amritanandamayi from?
Mata Amritanandamayi was born in Parayakadavu, Kollam district, Kerala.
What is Mata Amritanandamayi known for?
Mata Amritanandamayi is best known for Darshan by hugging; Mata Amritanandamayi Math; Amrita hospitals and university; disaster relief.
References
- Mata Amritanandamayi — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Mata Amritanandamayi — IMDb. IMDb. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Mata Amritanandamayi — Hindi Wikipedia. Wikipedia (Hindi). Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Official website. www.embracingtheworld.org. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Mata Amritanandamayi (Q465072) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Mata Amritanandamayi”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 27 October 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Mata Amritanandamayi.” TrackFame, last updated 28 October 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/mata-amritanandamayi
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