Mata Amritanandamayi's 73rd Birthday Marked as Vishwa Seva Dinam
Union Home Minister Amit Shah was chief guest at the 73rd birthday celebrations of Mata Amritanandamayi at Kollam in Keralam, observed as Vishwa Seva Dinam.

Why in News
On 26 September 2026 Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah was the chief guest at the 73rd birthday celebrations of Mata Amritanandamayi at Kollam in Keralam, a day her followers observe as Vishwa Seva Dinam.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah was the chief guest at the 73rd birthday celebrations of Mata Amritanandamayi, known to her followers as Amma, at Kollam in Keralam on 26 September 2026. The day her birthday falls on is kept by her followers as Vishwa Seva Dinam, a day of service. Shri Shah said the birthday of a person who has made the wiping of another's tears her discipline and her duty for five decades ought itself to be marked through service.
Who Mata Amritanandamayi is
She was born on 27 September 1953 at Parayakadavu, a poor village in Kollam district. The Home Minister divided her life into three strands, Bhav or devotion, Karma or action and Karuna or compassion, and said an inborn compassion is what defines her. Her embrace, he added, has taught millions of people around the world that they are not alone in their grief. Very few, he said, give an entire lifetime to selfless service, and fewer still are able to turn that instinct into an institution and then into a worldwide movement.
Relief work and institutions
The Minister first saw her compassion at work after the Gujarat earthquake of 2001, when she put up 1,200 houses and settled a whole village, giving it a town hall, a place of learning and a hospital. That settlement is known today as Amma's Village. Her followers worked again during the tsunami, the Uttarakhand disaster, the Wayanad landslide and the COVID-19 crisis.
| Detail | Figure |
| Birthday celebrated | 73rd |
| Houses built after the Gujarat earthquake | 1,200 |
| Amrita Vidyalayas in the country | 86 |
| Villages made fully self-reliant | 101 |
| Days of service in a year | 365 |
Reach and global platforms
There are 86 Amrita Vidyalayas across the country. Over a million trees have been planted through her initiatives, alongside work in health, education and livelihoods, and 101 villages have been made completely self-reliant. She has carried her message of service to the United Nations Millennium World Peace Summit and to the Vishwa Dharma Sansad, the Parliament of the World's Religions. When India held the G-20 presidency she presided over Civil-20, the grouping that brings civil society into the G-20 process.
Shri Shah said that for Amma the day of service never ends, because her work runs through all 365 days of the year. He recalled meeting her on 27 September 2015, on 3 April 2016 and on 4 June 2023, and called her blessing on Vishwa Seva Dinam a great moment of his life. He added that she has blessed the Prime Minister's resolve for a drug-free India, and that the nation will reach that goal.
Important Facts
| Occasion | 73rd birthday celebrations of Mata Amritanandamayi, observed as Vishwa Seva Dinam |
|---|---|
| Chief guest | Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah |
| Venue | Kollam, Keralam |
| Born | 27 September 1953 at Parayakadavu village, Kollam district |
| After the Gujarat earthquake | 1,200 houses built in 2001, the settlement now called Amma's Village |
| Schools | 86 Amrita Vidyalayas across the country |
| Villages made self-reliant | 101 |
| Trees planted | Over a million |
| G-20 role | Presided over Civil-20 during India's G-20 presidency |
| Global platforms | United Nations Millennium World Peace Summit and Vishwa Dharma Sansad |
| Three strands of her life | Bhav, Karma and Karuna |
Exam Point of View
Remember that Mata Amritanandamayi, called Amma, was born on 27 September 1953 at Parayakadavu in Kollam district of Keralam, that her birthday is observed as Vishwa Seva Dinam, that she built 1,200 houses after the 2001 Gujarat earthquake in what is now Amma's Village, that there are 86 Amrita Vidyalayas and 101 self-reliant villages, and that she presided over Civil-20 during India's G-20 presidency.
Practice Questions
How many houses did Mata Amritanandamayi build after the Gujarat earthquake of 2001, in a settlement now called Amma's Village?
- A.800
- B.1,200
- C.1,500
- D.2,100
Show answer
Correct answer: B. 1,200
Explanation
The correct answer is 1,200. Speaking at the 73rd birthday celebrations at Kollam, the Union Home Minister said that he first saw Mata Amritanandamayi's compassion at work during the devastating earthquake that struck Gujarat in 2001, when she put up 1,200 houses and settled an entire village. She did not stop at the houses: the settlement was given a town hall, a place of learning and a hospital for health care, and it is known today as Amma's Village. Option A, 800, is lower than the figure stated and does not match any number connected with the settlement. Option C, 1,500, and option D, 2,100, are both higher than the true figure and are the kind of round numbers a candidate may guess when the exact count is not remembered. The number to carry into the examination hall is 1,200 houses, built after the Gujarat earthquake of 2001, in the village that now carries Amma's name.
Mata Amritanandamayi presided over which engagement group when India held the G-20 presidency?
- A.Business-20
- B.Youth-20
- C.Civil-20
- D.Labour-20
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Civil-20
Explanation
The correct answer is Civil-20. The Union Home Minister recalled that when India held the G-20 presidency, it was Mata Amritanandamayi who presided over Civil-20, the grouping through which civil society organisations put their concerns before the G-20 process. That role is the one named in connection with her, and it sits naturally alongside the service work of five decades for which she is known. Option A, Business-20, speaks for industry and commerce and was not the group she led. Option B, Youth-20, carries the voice of young people and is also not connected with her in this context. Option D, Labour-20, represents trade unions and workers' bodies. All three are real G-20 engagement groups, which is what makes them plausible distractors, but only Civil-20 was presided over by Mata Amritanandamayi during India's presidency of the G-20.
Mata Amritanandamayi was born on 27 September 1953 in a village of which district?
- A.Thrissur
- B.Kollam
- C.Wayanad
- D.Kozhikode
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Kollam
Explanation
The correct answer is Kollam. Mata Amritanandamayi was born on 27 September 1953 into a family of very modest means in the village of Parayakadavu, which lies in Kollam district. The same district hosted the 73rd birthday celebrations at which the Union Home Minister was the chief guest, so the place of birth and the place of the celebration are the same district, and that link is worth remembering. Option A, Thrissur, and option D, Kozhikode, are other districts of the state but are not connected with her birth. Option C, Wayanad, is a tempting choice because the landslide there was named among the disasters in which she and her followers carried out relief work, but a place of relief work is not a place of birth. Candidates should fix three details together: the date 27 September 1953, the village Parayakadavu and the district Kollam.
How many Amrita Vidyalayas run across the country, as stated at the celebrations?
- A.64
- B.72
- C.86
- D.110
Show answer
Correct answer: C. 86
Explanation
The correct answer is 86. The Union Home Minister told the gathering that there are at present 86 Amrita Vidyalayas working across the country, and he placed that figure beside the other measures of her institutional work: over a million trees planted, sustained effort in health, education and livelihoods, and 101 villages made completely self-reliant. Option A, 64, and option B, 72, are smaller counts that do not match what was stated. Option D, 110, is larger and may attract a candidate who confuses the school count with the number of self-reliant villages or simply rounds upward. The safest way to hold these numbers apart in memory is to pair them: 86 for the Amrita Vidyalayas and 101 for the self-reliant villages, with over a million trees planted and 365 days of service in a year as the remaining figures from the same speech.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Vishwa Seva Dinam?
It is the day of service on which the birthday of Mata Amritanandamayi is observed by her followers. Her 73rd birthday was celebrated at Kollam in Keralam, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah as chief guest.
Where and when was Mata Amritanandamayi born?
She was born on 27 September 1953 at Parayakadavu, a poor village in Kollam district. Her relief and welfare work later grew into a worldwide movement.
What did she do after the Gujarat earthquake of 2001?
She built 1,200 houses and settled an entire village with a town hall, a place of learning and a hospital. The settlement is known today as Amma's Village.
Which G-20 engagement group did she preside over?
Civil-20, during India's G-20 presidency. Civil-20 carries the voice of civil society organisations into the G-20 process.
Sources
Current Affairs 26 September 2026
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