Since its birth in 1989, the Mata Amritanandamayi (MA) Center has organized and sponsored Amma’s North American visits each year as she tours the United States. Run by volunteers, the center is overseen by executive director Bramachari Dayamrita Chaitanya. Through its various community projects and workshops, the MA center supports several charity organizations which feed the poor and homeless, support battered women’s and children’s shelters, and support the elderly and sick.

The MA center has been a welcoming retreat for spiritual seekers of all backgrounds, and is centered on the teachings of Mata Amritanandamayi (affectionately called Amma or “mother”), a guru from a small village in Kerala (on the southwestern coast of India). Amma is among the most well known of the world’s gurus today. Her visits draw thousands of people from all over the United States, as well as from many other countries. Though the MA center is based on Amma’s teachings, it transcends spiritual boundaries and focuses on practicing the ideals of compassion, devotion, love, service and meditation.

The Grounds

The grounds of the ashram are dotted with ponds inhabited by swans, ducks, turtles and other wildlife, providing a very serene and relaxing atmosphere to visitors. The ashram grounds contain four main buildings; the Main Temple, where large programs are held, which includes a meditation hall, bookstore and spiritual library. The three other buildings being the Main House (which is also used for the smaller daily programs), Cottage, and East Ashram, which offer housing to devotees interested in living in a spiritual atmosphere. There are also the barns and organic gardens which at various times are home to chickens, a bee colony, and other small livestock.

The ashram does offer guest accommodations, but availability is limited. For those who feel drawn to Amma’s teachings and want to live at the Ashram, there is the Amrita Karma Yoga program. Participants live at the MA Center, perform selfless service (seva), take part in daily spiritual classes and can receive spiritual guidance upon request from Dayamrita Chaitanya.

Daily & Weekly Activities

Daily programs are held in the puja room of the main house, and are usually rather small, and predominantly attended by ashram residents. Morning program begins at 5:30am with the chanting of Sri Lalita Sahasranamam (1,000 Names of the Divine Mother) and the 108 Names of Mata Amritanandamayi, Mahishasuramardini stothram. Weeknights bhajans (devotional songs) begin at 8pm, also in the main house.

Saturday evening satsang, held in the main hall, happens every weekend with a large attendance. The program begins at 5pm with archana (108 names of the Divine Mother) for world peace, then a talk by Bramachari Dayamrita Chitanya or a guest speaker, followed by the singing of bhajans. The program ends with a vegetarian dinner so good you will never miss the meat!

Workshops & Retreats

The largest attraction at the MA Center is the twice-yearly visit of Mata Amritanandamayi, which usually take place in June and November. These programs attract thousands of devotees from all over the country who come to receive darshan — in this case, a hug from Amma. There are many free morning an evening programs offered during Amma’s visits, as well as a retreat for those who want a more personal experience.

The MA Center offers many spiritual classes and workshops including hatha yoga, Malayalam (Amma’s native tongue), Sanskrit, and a class called Amrita Bala Kendra for children ages 4 through 12. The Center also has a small agricultural demonstration program which emphasizes sustainability and ecological principles. Its classes include bee-keeping and fruit-tree grafting as well as many others (see website for details).

The MA Center also holds celebrations for a diverse variety of traditional Hindu and Christian holidays, such as Christmas, Passover, Easter, Shivaratri, Navaratri, Amma’s birthday, Krishna’s birthday, and more.

Location & Hours of Operation

The MA center is located on hundreds of acres of rolling hills in between Castro Valley and San Ramon (approximately 1 hour from San Francisco). Informal transportation from the nearby BART Station is sometimes provided by devotees for the Saturday evening programs as well as for Amma’s summer and winter visits. During Amma’s visits, when parking becomes very limited there are also shuttles from the San Ramon Marriot Hotel. The MA Center is also easily reachable by taxi, and costs about $24 from the BART station.

10200 Crow Canyon Road
Castro Valley, CA 94552 USA
Site: www.amritapuri.com