Amma, the "hugging saint," is on her 27th visit to New York City this weekend.
When Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi first visited this city in 1987, around 40 people came to see her in a small rented room.
This weekend, a rotating stream of thousands are patiently queuing up at the Javits Center for a chance to hug this woman, the New York Daily News reported.
The 59-year-old Indian native has created a global empire from rose-scented embraces that her followers say cure cancers, ward off evil spirits, and "feel like the ocean."
The "hugging saint" envelops visitors in heavy, rose-scented hugs. By the end of the night, her white sari is stained with the lipstick, mascara and sweat of thousands.
Amma has hugged 33 million people all over the world.
