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New Year’s Link-up with Amritapuri

We heard from Amritapuri at almost the last minute that our request for a live webcast as the New Year began at the ashram had been granted. By a miracle of organisation and effort, 13 different Amma centres from all around the world including the UK were being connected so they could be seen by Amma on one desktop screen. The timing was perfect as we had just finished the Archana and peace mantras when Amma came to the auditorium.

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This event at Ganga (Gabby) and Balakrishna (Andy’s) home in Sunningdale followed a trial link up on Christmas Eve in London, when it was not always clear to us that Amma was looking at the screen to make contact with the different centres around the world.

Some ashramites commented that we seemed to be ‘sitting still like dolls’ and that they hoped that we would be more interactive in future webcasts. Apparently, Amma made numerous efforts to wave to us and communicate then but, due to some technical glitch, it was not possible for us to see Amma at the time. So each of the centres had made a resolve to be more extrovert and interactive for this session.

On this occasion we could see Amma very clearly. She was happy, interacting with the crowds which were huge and occasionally would look at the screen (i.e. at us).

Determined to make up for our doll-like appearance on Christmas Eve, we laid plans to plan to ‘catch’ Amma’s attention. Vakees dressed up as Swamiji !! and Devi as The Queen (see the screenshot). The plan was that Swamiji would talk to Amma in Malayalam (voice courtesy of Shiju) something along the lines of his visit and satsangs in the UK going very well, that he was missing Amma etc and then he would introduce The Queen (voice courtesy of Leena) who would speak in anglicised Malayalam saying how much she admired Amma and telling about the upcoming marriage of William, etc. All this would be accompanied by suitable support from the group. The Swamiji outfit (complete with hair, beard and ochre clothes) surprised many, even the regulars were taken by surprise seeing this padded-up Swamiji-figure with a commanding presence.

Of course the programmes in Amritapuri were too hectic and busy to expect Amma to interact other than via a glance or two at the screen, but everyone became excited and raucous upon seeing Amma staring curiously at the screen and looking puzzled. All of us felt Amma was looking at us and so ‘Swamiji’ did a very slow motion Pranam to Amma and then getting up did a full circumambulation which Amma looked at most interestedly for at least a minute. After this, Amma’s attention was drawn once again to the stage where the programmes were going on.
 
Later Amma gave darshan after the programmes. At this stage all the centres could hear each other (as the audio had been turned on) and we could all hear Br. Shubamrita say Amma was asking who was the Swami in London! Imagine our excitement and happiness that Amma had spotted us out of 13 centres and further to make a comment.
 
So despite the improbability of such an event happening, Amma had managed in one simple act to fulfil the desires of all the international centres and the UK satsang members present. May Amma’s Grace make us all more playful. -- Vakees