Around 10 a.m. Sunday, more than 300 people meditated in a silent ballroom in the Georgia International Convention Center — a slight shift from the typical Sunday morning church scene.
The room awoke and many moved toward the stairs on each side of the stage once the short woman dressed in all white at the center of the stage rose from her perch and Indian music began to play.
This was the moment they had all been waiting for. The hugging began promptly at 10:30 a.m.
Mata Amritanandamayi, also known as Amma, has given more 34 million hugs throughout her life. Known as one of India’s most prominent spiritual leaders, Amma has been embracing people worldwide since 1987.
Gigi Arroyave drove about three hours from Greenville, S.C.
“It’s the most humble experience I’ve ever had,” Arroyave, 30, said. “It is amazing to be hugged by somebody that changes your life in just one hug.”
Amma's Atlanta visit included four programs over Sunday and Monday — chances to get that cherished hug. All of Amma's programs are free, but to meet and hug Amma, each attendee needs a token, which were handed out before the start of each program.
Once attendees have their tokens, they take their seats for a two-hour-and-45-minute program in which Amma and other spiritual leaders speak and meditate before the hugging begins.
“It’s hard to give firm ending times for Amma’s programs because Amma personally meets each person who comes,” said Dante Sawyer, who has been a volunteer with the Amma organization for 15 years. “In India, programs can last up to 20 hours without Amma taking a break.”
At Amma’s Sunday morning event, she began embracing attendees at 10:30 a.m. and hugged the last person around 5 p.m.
Buckhead resident Samir Kamat, 44, has been working with the Amma Atlanta volunteer group to plan the Atlanta programs for the past four months. He said he wasn’t too surprised by long distances people traveled to see Amma in Atlanta, as it was the first time she traveled south of Washington, D.C.
First-time attendees Jan Autin, Mandani Bishop and Nalini Subramanian, neighbors from Port St. Lucie, Fla., drove nine hours to see Amma in Atlanta on Sunday morning. The three friends were some of the first in line to receive hugs from Amma.
“We came specifically for Amma,” Autin said. “We wanted to be hugged and be in her presence.”
Sreejith Nambiar, an Amma volunteer, flew from San Diego for the event. He first experienced Amma’s hug when he was growing up in India. Since then, he estimates that he’s hugged Amma about 25 times.
“It transports me to the memory of my mother hugging me as a child,” Nambiar, 38, said of Amma’s hug.
Atlanta resident Jewel Grant, 40, saw an ad on Facebook and was intrigued. Grant invited her friend and fellow Atlanta resident, Regina Barnes, to join her.
The two said they were also drawn to Amma because they believe in the power of hug therapy.
“It’s just one other hug,” Grant said, “and you can’t say no to a hug.”
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