Amritanandamayi meets US law makers

Spiritual leader Mata Amritanandamayi had held interactions with several members of the United States Congress in the Capitol Building in Washington D.C.
Popularly known as 'Amma' (mother), she met and talked with each of the Congressional delegates, besides blessing them, a release from her mission headquarters at nearby Kollam said.
The 59-year-old Amma, assisted by her disciples, met the lawmakers at the invitation of Congresswomen Lucille Roybal-Allard (California) and Betty McCollum (Minnesota) earlier this week.
Among the Congressmen and Congresswomen who met Amma were House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (Maryland) and civil-rights legend John Lewis (Georgia), who is the 2011 recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Other representatives were Henry Waxman (California), Grace Napolitano (California), Mike Honda (California), Janice Hahn (California), Mark Takano (California), Jackie Speier (California), Barbara Lee (California), Ami Bera (California), Ruben Hinojosa (Texas) and Jan Schakowsky (Illinois).
Swami Amritaswarupananda, Vice Chairman of the board of trustees of Amoirtapuru Ashram in Kerala, said many among the lawmakers were 'visibly moved by the experience and by Amma's humanitarian activities'.
Amma, who began her two-month-long tour of the US on May 24 across 10 cities nd is accompanied by 275 volunteers, has just concluded two days of darshan programmes (meditation and allied exercises) in D.C.- held in Alexandria on July 8 and 9.

Concluding the meeting on Capitol Hill, she travelled to New York, where she also held programmes from July 11 till today. Amma will next go to Boston, where she will hold a four day program from July 15. The US tour is slated to conclude on July 21.