From author Sandhya Parappukkaran and illustrator Michelle Pereira—the creators of The Boy Who Tried to Shrink His Name—comes Amma’s Sari, a tender and endearing picture book about family history, culture, and enduring love My sari is a memory of love. Shreya admires her mother’s saris, whose silky swirls embrace her every morning. But her spirits plummet at the stares and whispers that the sari attracts. When Sherya asks her mother why she wears a sari, Amma answers the question with family stories brimming with generations of love. In this gentle and empowering picture book with vibrant full-color art, Shreya moves from embarrassment to pride as she learns that Amma’s sari is much more than a beautiful piece of clothing. It is also a connection to their shared past and the love and care woven into their family history and heritage.

Instruction On Ritual Worship. Puja Or Ritual Worship Of Images Of God Or Gods Has A Special Place In Spiritual Sadhana. The Puja Is A Simple Expression Of Our Love And Devotion, A Means Of Drawing Near To The Divine. The Idea Of Puja Is To Take The Seeker’s Mind From The Known To The Unknown. To Understand The Supreme Reality, We Need A Pure Mind Which Is The Reflecting Media Of The Infinite Consciousness. Puja Is Not Only Performed In Temples, But Also Can Be Done In Our Homes. Both Men And Women Can Do Puja. It Is Especially Effective If Done Daily. The Object Of Rituals Is To Create Thoughts And Vibrations Of Spiritual Forces In And Around Us. Partial Contents: Altar Articles; Preparation And Procedure; Offerings; Ashtottara Sata Namavalli (108 Names) Of: Mata Amritanandamayi, Devi, The Divine Mother, Sri Krishna, Siva, Sri Rama, With English Transliteration And Meaning. Published By The Disciples Of Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, Affectionately Known As Mother, Or Amma The Hugging Saint.

In this remarkable debut novel, a boy’s bittersweet passage to maturity and sexual awakening is set against escalating political tensions in Sri Lanka, during the seven years leading up to the 1983 riots. Arjie Chelvaratnam is a Tamil boy growing up in an extended family in Colombo. It is through his eyes that the story unfolds and we meet a delightful, sometimes eccentric cast of characters. Arjie’s journey from the luminous simplicity of childhood days into the more intricately shaded world of adults – with its secrets, its injustices, and its capacity for violence – is a memorable one, as time and time again the true longings of the human heart are held against the way things are.

"As a precocious young girl, Surekha knew very little about the details of her mother Amma's unusual past and that of Babu, her mysterious and sometimes absent father. The tense, uncertain family life created by her parents' distant and fractious marriage and their separate ambitions informs her every action and emotion. Then one evening, in a moment of uncharacteristic transparency and vulnerability, Amma tells Surekha and her older sister Didi of the family tragedy that changed the course of her life. Finally, the daughters begin to understand the source of their mother's deep commitment to the Indian nationalist movement and her seemingly unending willingness to sacrifice in the name of that pursuit. In this re-memory based on the published and unpublished work of Amma and Surekha, Meenal Shrivastava, Surekha's daughter, uncovers the history of the female foot soldiers of Gandhi's national movement in the early twentieth century. As Meenal weaves these written accounts together with archival research and family history, she gives voice and honour to the hundreds of thousands of largely forgotten or unacknowledged women who, threatened with imprisonment for treason and sedition, relentlessly and selflessly gave toward the revolution."--

Perfect for fans of Alma and How She Got Her Name and Your Name is a Song, this picture book encourages readers to take up space and support each other with respect and kindness When Zimdalamashkermishkada starts at a new school, he knows he’ll have to introduce himself to lots of new people. He trips over his long name and decides to shrink it down to the shorter, simpler Zim. The nickname works fine for introductions, but deep down, it doesn’t feel right. It’s not until a new friend sees him for who he truly is that Zimdalamashkermishkada finds the confidence to step proudly into his long name. The Boy Who Tried to Shrink His Name is a warm and uplifting story that encourages young readers to celebrate their authentic selves, and proclaims that no one should ever have to shrink themselves to fit in.

In 1981, An American Student In Europe, Gretchen McGregor Walked Into A Bookstore And Bought A Book That Would Change Her Life Forever, A History Of The Worship Of The Divine Mother. Gripped By The Possibility That This Ancient Tradition Must Still Exist Today, She Embarked On A Journey That Would Take Her From The Hills Of Pennsylvania To The Mountains Of New Mexico, And By 1983 To A Remote Village In Kerala, South India, Where She Would Find A Mahatma, Known Only To The Pious Locals And A Handful Of Spiritual Seekers Who Had Gathered Around Her. They Called Her, Simply, Amma. Convinced That She Had Found The Divine Mother In A Human Form, Gretchen Settled Down To Seek The Highest Truth As A Spiritual Aspirant In Amma’s Ashram. Little Did She Know That Her Journey Had Only Just Begun. When Amma Received An Invitation To Visit The U.S. For The First Time In 1987, It Was Kusuma, As Gretchen Was Named By Amma, Who Traveled Alone To The U.S. To Organize Amma’s First Tour. With Little More Than A Hope And A Prayer, And Often Less Than Five Dollars In Her Pocket, 25 Year Old Kusuma Traversed The Length And Breadth Of America, Armed Only With A Home Video She Had Made Of Amma And A Heart Full Of Faith And Love. Her Efforts Bore Fruit Beyond Her Wildest Dreams As The Subsequent Annual World Tours Allowed Amma To Touch The Hearts Of Countless People In More Than 25 Countries. But As Amma’s Mission Expanded, Kusuma’s Own Heart Grew Distant, And She Found Herself Turning Her Back On Amma And Walking Away. This Book Is Kusuma’s Unflinching Exploration Of Her Own Spiritual Journey; What Brought Her To Amma, And What Took Her Away. It Is Also The Story Of How She Decided To Come Back, And Finally Discovered That She And Amma Had Never Really Been Apart. Gretchen Kusuma McGregor Is One Of The Earliest Followers Of The Indian Spiritual Leader And Humanitarian Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, Known Throughout The World As Amma, Or Mother, For Her Selfless Love Toward All Beings. She Lives In Amritapuri, South India. Published By The Disciples Of Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, Affectionately Known As Mother, Or Amma The Hugging Saint.

This volume offers scholars of sociology and allied areas the fruits of an international conference on the contributions of the eminent Robert K. Merton. The assessment, as good in content as well as in participants, took place in Amalfi. Italy, with the participation of Merton himself and under the auspices of the Italian Sociology Association.