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Hometown: Karunagappally, Kerala
Age: 69 Years
Religion: Hinduism
| Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Sudhamani Idamannel check sources Amritapuri |
| Nickname(s) | • Amma • Mata |
| Profession | • Spiritual leader • Humanitarian |
| Name earned | The Hugging Saint |
| Physical Stats & More | |
| Height (approx.) | in centimeters**- 162 cm** in meters**- 1.62 m** in feet & inches**- 5’ 4”** |
| Eye Colour | Brown |
| Hair Colour | Salt & Pepper |
| Career | |
| Awards, Honours, Achievements | Awards 1993: Hindu Renaissance Award for ‘Hindu of the Year’ 1998: Care & Share International Humanitarian of the Year Award in Chicago, USA 2002: Karma Yogi of the Year 2002: Gandhi-King Award for Non-Violence by The World Movement for Nonviolence in UN, Geneva 2005: Mahavir Mahatma Award in London, UK 2005: Centenary Legendary Award of the International Rotarians in Cochin, Kerala 2006: The Philosopher Saint Sri Jnaneswara World Peace Prize 2007: Le Prix Cinéma Vérité Award by Cinéma Vérité in Paris, France 2013: First Vishwaretna Purskar by Hindu Parliament in Tiruvananthapuram, India 2018: Felicitated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the largest contribution to the Government of India’s Clean India Campaign Swachh Bharat Mission Honors 2010: An honorary Doctorate in humane letters from the State University of New York 2019: An honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of Mysore, Karnataka  2021: An honorary degree in D.Litt.(Honoris causa) from the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Bhubaneswar  Achievements 2012: Watkins' list of the top 100 living spiritual influencers in the world. 2014: The Huffington Post's list of the 50 most influential women religious leaders |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 27 September 1953 (Sunday) |
| Age (as of 2022) | 69 Years |
| Birthplace | Alappad Panchayat in Karunagappally, Kollam District, State of Travancore-Cochin (now in Kerala), India |
| Zodiac sign | Libra |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Hometown | Karunagappally, Kerala |
| Religion | She follows Hinduism. Since the age of 4, she has been preaching to Lord Krishna. |
| Food Habit | Vegetarian |
| The Mata Amritanandamayi Math Address | Amritapuri in Karunagappally, Kollam, Kerala (India) |
| Controversies | • In 1985, Sreeni Pattathanam, the Indian Rationalist Association's head, published a controversial review titled Matha Amritanandamayi: Sacred Stories and Realities. The book claimed that Amritanandamayi's miracles were all faked by Mata Amma and her students. He also wrote about the mysterious deaths that had occurred near her ashram and demanded a police investigation. A similar article was published in the Malayalam publication Deshabhimani on August 9, 2002, calling for an investigation into the same deaths that Pattathanam had deemed suspicious. • Former Mata Amma follower Gail Tredwell spent ten years living at the ashram (from 1989 to 1999). In 2013, she wrote a book in which she indicted Mata Amma with beating her physically. Gail claimed that she suffered sexual abuse in the ashram, where older prisoners were engaged in physical contact; however, the accusations were denied by Mata Amma and the ashram representatives. check sources India Today |
| Relationships & More | |
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Family | |
| Husband/Spouse | N/A |
| Parents | Father- Sri Sugunanandan Idamannel (Fishmonger)  Mother- Damayanti Amma  |
| Siblings | Elder Brother: Subhakan Younger Brother(s): Sathish Kumar, Sudhir Kumar, and Suresh Kumar Elder Sister: Kasturi Aamma Younger Sister(s): Sajini and Sugunamma  |
| Money Factor | |
| Net Worth (approx.) | Rs. 1000 crores (as of 2011) check sources India Today |
Mata Amritanandamayi Devi is an Indian spiritual leader and humanitarian who is known among her devotees as “the hugging saint.” She is the founder of The Mata Amritanandamayi Math, a global nonprofit based in Amritapuri, Kerala (India). In 1993, she served as President of the Centenary Parliament of World Religions in Chicago, USA.
When Sudhamani was five years old, she volunteered to aid the less fortunate on her way to school, which is why she was constantly late for school. When her mother became ill in 1962, the 9-year-old was pulled out of school to help with domestic duties and take care of her siblings. At the age of 15, Sudhamani began
helping out with the household chores at her mother’s older sister’s home before being
sent to live with her uncle in Karunagapally. 
Young Sudhamani used to go door-to-door collecting leftover food from neighbours for her family’s cattle during this time. At the age of 9, she decided to devote her time to charitable work. She used to search her
home for food and clothing to give to those in need. She frequently received reprimands and punishment for doing so from her family, who were not wealthy either.
Amritanandamayi has been hugging people to soothe them since she was 22 years old, earning her the title “hugging saint” among her followers. She spends about 10 to 14 hours a day greeting and cuddling visitors. She has welcomed more than 34 million individuals worldwide for more than 30 years, according to her official website.
Amma hugging and blessing her devotees
Amma refused to get married; however, she considers all her devotees as her own children and hence gave herself the title of Amma, which means mother in many Indian languages including Malayalam, Telugu, and Hindi.
The spiritual and material betterment of humanity is the primary goal of the Mata Amritanandamayi Math (MAM), which was established on 6 May 1981. Together with its sister organisation, the Mata Amritanandamayi Mission Trust, MAM manages charitable projects like providing healthcare for the needy, helping with natural disasters, promoting environmental initiatives, battling hunger, and providing educational scholarships for children from low-income families.
Mata Amritanandamayi Math in Amritapuri
The MAM also manages the 90 Amrita Vidyalayam chains of English medium CBSE schools, seven-campus Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University, and yoga, meditation, and Sanskrit classes.
A 47-year-old man named Pavithran, a native of Kerala’s Northern Palakkad area, attacked Amma in August 2005. He was participating in the prayer and bhajan gathering at the Mata’s Vallikkav Ashram in Kerala’s Kollam district by sitting among the devotees and singing and praying in front of Amma. He then charged her with a knife but was stopped by some of Amma’s followers. Pavithran was described as having an “unstable mind” by Swami Amritaswarupananda Puri, one of Amma’s followers. Later, it was revealed that the attacker was an RSS supporter. check sources
A 23-year-old student named Satnam Singh Maan from Lucknow’s National Law University attacked Mata Amritanandamayi on 1 August 2012. When he shouted “Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Raheem,” he was in a line waiting for Amma’s hugs. Unarmed Satnam attempted to attack Amma’s bodyguards but was defeated by the followers. After the attack, he was admitted to a psychiatric hospital, where he was later pronounced
dead. check sources
The Times of India
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Yes, Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, known as the 'Hugging Saint,' has embraced more than 34 million individuals over the past 30 years, spending 10 to 14 hours daily hugging and blessing her devotees.
Yes, Mata Amritanandamayi Devi survived two separate attacks: one in 2005 by a man with an 'unstable mind' and another in 2012 by a student who was later admitted to a psychiatric hospital.
Yes, Mata Amritanandamayi Devi has been honored with numerous awards, including the Gandhi-King Award, the Hindu Renaissance Award, and the Karma Yogi of the Year, among others.
Yes, at the age of 9, Mata Amritanandamayi Devi started collecting leftover food for her family's cattle and giving to those in need, despite facing reprimands from her family.
Yes, as of 2011, Mata Amritanandamayi Devi's net worth was estimated to be around Rs. 1000 crores, primarily through her philanthropic empire.