Amma, or Mātā Amritānandamayī Devī, is an Indian guru and humanitarian known as "the hugging saint." She was born on September 27, 1953, in Kerala, India. Amma grew up in a fishing family and experienced poverty and suffering early on. Despite her family's objections, she started comforting and helping others by gathering food and clothing for them.

In 1981, the Mātā Amṛtānandamayī Math (MAM), a worldwide foundation, was established after spiritual seekers began residing at her parents' property. Amma is the chairperson of the Math and is actively involved in spiritual and charitable activities. She started conducting programs around the world in 1987 at the request of her devotees.

Amma's way of giving darshana (blessing) is through hugging people. She has embraced over 33 million people worldwide for more than 30 years. Amma believes that by touching individuals and affecting their lives, she can make positive changes in society and the world. She has dedicated herself to providing darshana to people and has even given continuous darshana for more than 20 hours due to the large crowds seeking her blessings.

Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, also known as Amma, teaches a path of spiritual practices that include devotion, action, and knowledge. She emphasizes the importance of meditation, selfless service, and cultivating divine qualities. Amma accepts and respects various spiritual practices and prayers from different religions. She promotes social issues such as selfless service, inter-religious harmony, environmental protection, women's empowerment, and gender equality. Amma has spoken out against human trafficking and forced prostitution, participated in events aimed at protecting children from abuse, and delivered keynote addresses at United Nations conferences. She has recorded over 1,000 devotional songs and emphasizes their spiritual benefits. Through her organizations, she provides food, shelter, healthcare, education, and livelihood support to the poor. She has constructed houses for the homeless, runs hospitals and healthcare clinics, provides scholarships, and engages in disaster relief efforts. Amma has also contributed to environmental protection initiatives, such as providing toilets and cleaning rivers. She has been involved in some controversies, including allegations made by a former disciple and criticisms in a book, but these have been denied by Amma and her ashram. Amma has been the target of attacks in the past but has remained forgiving and resilient.