The world-renowned humanitarian and spiritual leader Mata Amritanandamayi, known as Amma, will be in Atlanta June 28 and 29 as part of an 11-city North America tour. Her public programs will include inspirational music, meditation and spiritual discourse, and will be free and open to all. Numbered tokens for individual blessings will be distributed 90 minutes before programs begin.

On June 28, two programs will be offered, one at 10:00 a.m. and the other at 7:30 p.m. On June 29, the morning program will begin at 10:00 a.m. The evening program, a Devi Bhava, or celebration devoted to world peace, will begin at 7:00 p.m.

Amma has dedicated her life to alleviating the pain of the poor and those suffering physically and emotionally. She has helped to raise millions of dollars for humanitarian aid and disaster relief for major global disasters including the South Asian Tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, the Haiti earthquake, the Japanese Tsunami, floods in India and more.

But she may be most well-known for her hugs, having hugged more than 37 million people worldwide. Many have expressed feeling unconditional love and total acceptance upon receiving a hug from Amma.

In 2014, Amma joined Pope Francis in the Vatican in a ceremonial signing of a declaration against human trafficking and slavery.

“The human mind has created many divisions in the name of religion, caste, language and national boundaries,” she says. “Let us try to create a bridge of all-encompassing pure love to break down these self-created walls.”

Sponsored by the Mata Amritanandamayi Center, Amma’s program will be held at the Hilton Atlanta, 255 Courtland Street NE. For more information, see Amma.org, email [email protected] or call 770-609-4860. More information about Amma’s charities can be found at EmbracingTheWorld.org.