Darshan Procedure and Guidelines

In India it is very common to wait for seven to ten hours a day to receive Mothers blessings. Because most people in the West are not used to waiting in line for long period of time, we may become anxious and restless. We can take advantage of this rare opportunity to meditate in the presence of the Divine Mother, realizing that being in Her presence is in itself the greatest and rarest gift of grace.

Please assist Mother by observing the following requests:

Move up close to Mother as soon as the devotee ahead of you leaves. Do not wait for Mother to motion you forward. This will only delay your darshan as well as add strain on Amma.

Be up on your knees as you face Mother and do not sit down. If you are sitting down, Mother must pull you up. This takes extra time and energy. Please keep in mind that Amma does this seven days a week and sometimes as long as twenty hours a day. It is therefore our duty to avoid causing undue strain to Mothers physical body. Please do not hold Mothers waist or shoulders tightly. Gently place your arms on the side of Mothers chair.

Be aware of Mothers feet. Sometimes a devotee, out of ardent love, will squeeze Mothers body very tightly and at the same time kneel on Her toes. Mother, out of Her love, will not utter a word but repeated actions such as these will cause unnecessary discomfort to Her body.

If you are coming up as a family, the first member of your family approaches Amma from the left, as She will let go of other devotees from Her right. Allow the second member of the family to approach Mother from the right side. Amma will receive each member of your family one by one. At the end of your family darshan, She will hold everyone at once and shower the whole family with flower petals. Please do not leave until this is completed.

If you wish to have bookstore purchases blessed, please bring only one or two items. Everything around Mother has been imbued with Divine Consiousness. A five-metal bracelet need not be blessed again if Mother blessed it when it was new.