KERALA, India (CNN) -- Mata Amritanandamayi is known as the "hugging guru." Some days, she will sit for up to 20 hours straight as tens of thousands of devotees line up to feel her embrace and hear her whisper motherly advice. Mata Amritanandamayi, aka the "hugging guru," embraces everyone she meets in an effort to spread love and healing. Followers come from all over the world to Amma's ashram, or spiritual center, in Kerala, South India, to get a hug; many choose to stay. "There are two types of poverty in the world, financial poverty and the poverty of love; the second is more important," says Amritanandamayi, who goes by Amma, which means "mother".
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Mata Amritanandamayi's religion is rooted in Hinduism but not tied to it
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She uses hugs as a way to minister to people and teach service to others
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She believes the lack of love is more significant than financial poverty
Amma grew up poor, in the same seaside village on the southern tip of @placeholder where she built her ashram.