KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, April 26, 2006: She has hugged about 27 million people worldwide and her famous hug is said to be able to heal suffering and pain. Spiritual leader Mata Amritanandamayi, or Amma to her followers, believes that love is the foundation of the world and where there is love, there is peace. “What I’m doing is giving people love and compassion through my hugs. For love, there is no religion or culture and it is borderless,” she said in an interview here. Drawn to her philosophy, over 24,000 people — including hundreds who had camped out since Friday night — waited for hours at the Mines Exhibition Hall in Seri Kembangan to get a hug from her. Heavy traffic jams and long lines did not deter them, some of whom travelled from as far as Penang and Johor with their children in tow. Amma, 53, is expected to embrace more than 50,000 people during her three-day tour here.
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