Inauguration of Karunamayi’s Meditation Ashram in Georgia
Devotees of Sri Karunamayi (affectionately called "Amma,"), participated in the momentous inauguration ceremony of her first ashram outside India, on Tuesday, May 8th. The SRIM Center (named after the Sanskrit seed syllable, and an acronym for Sri Karunamayi Research Institute of Meditation) is on 25 acres of pristine Georgia farmland.
According to Amma's vision, the construction of the SRIM Center will be based on the vaastu shastra, (Indian feng shui). It will be in the vicinity of a pond, with lotus flowers. A devi temple will be built. Amma said that she would also like to see cows being cared for in the goshala. The facility will be a unique meditation center, where scholars will be invited to conduct research into the benefits of meditation and powers of mantras in healing bodies, mind and spirits. Amma would like Center to send a message of universal peace and happiness.
Colored balloons were released and music filled the air, as women in colorful saris, each carrying a kalash and coconut on her head, and chanting mantras joined in the shobhayatra, in front of the horse-carriage that carried Amma to a white tent adjacent to the Meditation Hall. Hindu Temple of Atlanta priests chanted vedic shlokas and blessed the devotees. Amma performed the inauguration ceremony by cutting the ribbon.
In her brief inauguration address, Amma said that the 21st Century is beset with many problems like cancer, AIDS, psychosomatic diseases, the spreading culture of violence, flaws in the education system, and the mad rush for power and wealth at any cost. She urged devotees to recite the powerful Gayatri Mantra and other such mantras because they have healing powers for spiritual enlightenment and rejuvenation of body and mind. She appealed devotees to serve selflessly for, "Selfless people are the backbone of the community." She concluded her spiritual discourse with uplifting bhajans.
Dale Myers presented a PowerPoint slide show of SRIM Center. A sumptuous mahaprasad catered by Brindavan Restaurant was served. Fireworks lit up the sky at the end of the event. SRIM Center is located at 285 Julie Lane, Forsyth, GA 31029. www.srimcenter.org.
~ Mahadev Desai
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