Guru doles out hugs for New Yorkers

Hundreds of people lined up at a college auditorium to get a hug from an Indian spiritual leader whose followers say they feel uplifted when they embrace her.

Mata Amritanandamayi, also known as ‘‘Ammachi’’ or ‘‘Amma,’’ for mother, has been known to spend as many as 20 hours hugging followers at her services.

She is appearing tomorrow at Columbia University in New York as part of a 10-week US tour.

The audience on Monday night at Columbia included a broad mix: college students, young couples with small children, and a smattering of older followers.