Amma Sri Karunamayi Wiki, Age, Family, Biography & More

Prev Article Next Article

Amma Sri Karunamayi is an Indian spiritual leader who is known to have fulfilled the prophecy of Bhagawan Ramana Maharshi, an Indian Hindu sage. She has immersed herself in praying and meditation since a very young age. Amma has been travelling for more than 20 years sharing her peace, love, and wisdom with her universal family that considers her a manifestation of the Hindu god Vishnu.

Contents

Wiki/Biography

Amma Sri Karunamayi was born on Tuesday, 21 October 1958 (age 64 years; as of 2022) in Andhra Pradesh, India. She spent her childhood in an atmosphere where she was immersed in constant prayer, worship, and meditation. When she was 21 years old, she started spending more time in her family’s worship room, praying and meditating. She reduced her sleeping time and even food intake. She once locked herself in a room for an entire month to experience a personal transformation. In 1980, she travelled to the remote and sacred Penusila forest in Andhra Pradesh on foot. She wore a simple cotton sari and went to one of the forest’s sacred groves where many of India’s ancient sages had meditated for hundreds of years, to meditate for hours, days, or even weeks at a time, without any protection from the wildlife in Andhra Pradesh.

Sri Karunamayi Amma at the age of seven

Physical Appearance

Hair Colour: Black

Eye Colour: Black

Family

Parents & Siblings

Her father’s name was Sri Suba Ramana and her mother’s name was Srimati Annapurna Ma. Karunamayi’s mother was a devotee of Bhagawan Ramana Maharshi, an Indian Hindu sage. Once, Ramana whispered to Karunamayi’s mother that she would give birth to “Thai” or the divine mother who would help heal the planet. So, when Karunamayi was born, her family believed Bhagawan Ramana Maharshi’s prophecy had been fulfilled.

A picture of Amma Sri Karunamayi’s parents

Karunamayi had an elder sister named Akkayya who passed away in 2017. She spent her whole life in service of Amma and abandoned her career and family. Akkayya was one of Amma’s constant companions. She oversaw Amma’s humanitarian missions through SMVA Trust.

Amma Sri Karunamayi and her sister, Akkayya

Religion

She follows Hinduism.

Career

For ten years, Amma Sri Karunamayi was on Austerity (meaning tapasya in Sanskrit), which made her realise that everything she learnt must be shared with the rest of the world. She travelled to Bangalore where she began giving talks on Sanatana Dharma and other aspects of Indian spirituality. In 2007, Amma Sri Karunamayi inaugurated ‘The SRIM Centre,’ which is a spiritual centre that welcomes people of all faiths and backgrounds.

Spreading Kindness Across the World

In 1995, Amma made her first international travel to the USA, where she started giving yearly public programs during which she reached out to the people and gave them teachings and blessings. She has held several meditation retreats and performed sacred fire ceremonies for the benefit of the people. Apart from this, she also travels across the world in countries including Canada, Europe, Australia, and the Asian region to provide comfort, kindness, and spiritual guidance to all who come to her.

Amma Karunamayi blessing a devotee while they cry on her lap

Humanitarian Works

Since childhood, Sri Karunamayi Amma has always been inclined to charity. She is the founder of SMVA Trust, a global non-profit in association with the United Nations DPI, established in 1988. The SMVA Trust, together with Amma’s volunteer initiative programs, is called Karunaseva Compassionate Service. The organisation provides free education to the underprivileged and assists them with free medical care and facilities. Amma is also the founder and spiritual head of Manidweepa Maha Samsthanam, an ashram that includes the Sri Lalita Parameshwari Devi Tri-Shakti Peetham. These charitable organizations also strive to provide them with mobile medical clinics, emergency relief programs, and free housing for people who had been dispossessed of their land. Apart from this, Amma initiated many other humanitarian projects such as Sri Karunamayi free hospital, Sri Karunamayi free school, home for the elderly, and charitable food distribution. She has also opened a 100-bed free hospital to provide quality medical care to underprivileged nearby villages in Andhra Pradesh.

Amma Sri Karunamayi’s humanitarian works through The SMVA Trust

Awards & Honours

2012: Golden Eagle Award for her selfless service to humanity and inspirational life dedicated to leading the people of the world towards unity and harmony
Amma Sri Karunamayi receiving Golden Eagle Award in 2012
2013: Woman of the Year Award for her profound leadership in providing for needy people around the world

Amma Sri Karunamayi receiving the Women of the Year Award in 2013

2013: State of Illinois Official Proclamation for her keen guidance and unwavering commitment to serving those in need

Amma Sri Karunamayi being honoured with the State of Illinois Official Proclamation

The 10 Years of Service Anniversary Award commemorates Amma Sri Karunamayi’s 10 years of providing compassionate leadership, spiritual guidance, hope and inspiration to the people of Canada

Facts/Trivia

Amma Sri Karunamayi also goes by the name Bhagavati Sri Sri Sri Vijayeswari Devi, which means the goddess of victory. The triple “Sri” here is an honorific prefix of honour for being sacred, venerable, and auspicious.

She is called Amma by her devotees, which means “mother.” Her followers consider her to be the Hindu god Vishnu’s avatar, who was born enlightened.

During the time when Amma meditated in Penisula forest, Andhra Pradesh, she would get mistaken for a statue by the local villagers as they could not even detect her breathing movement. Mischievous children would toss small pebbles at her to check if she was even alive. She would often receive small offerings of fruit from the people who considered her an incarnation of the divine mother that sits for long in deep meditation.

Once, her family’s servant contracted Cholera, a deadly contagious disease. The doctor told the family that their survival is risky and without any concern for her own health, she took care of the patient who surprisingly survived the illness.

When Amma was young, she brought food that her grandmother had cooked and distributed it among the poor people who had not eaten for several days. When her grandmother confronted her for what she did, Amma replied,

Ammamma, today you have done a very good thing. This is how the food so nicely prepared by you has been accepted by the Lord in the form of these people.”

Hearing Amma’s outlook, her grandmother was so moved that she immediately brought the rest of the food and distributed them among the needy.
Amma penned her first book titled “Sri Vidya – Divine Radiance Within.” Other literary works by Amma includes ‘Blessed Souls Volume-1,2, and 3.’
The book ‘Sri Vidya – Divine Radiance Within,’ written by Amma Sri Karunamayi

She uses her own saree to wipe away the tears from her children’s eyes as she comforts them. Amma believes that she had been sent to this world to remove the suffering from the hearts of broken people. That’s why it is observed that she heals every individual who visits her with her kind and loving words of spiritual guidance and encouragement along with her healing touch and divine knowledge.