Hugging Mother draws half a million devotees

More than half a million people from across the world are expected to attend the 50th birthday party of a Hindu spiritual leader who spends 18 hours a day hugging people.

Tourism officials in Kerala, India, say the area is getting a boost from Ma Amritanandamayi, who is also known as Mother.

The birthday celebrations in Cochin are being billed as one of India's biggest spiritual gatherings.

At last count, more than 30 million people had been given one of Amritanandamayi's blessings.

"It is boom time for tourism in Kerala. We owe a lot of it to Amritanandamayi," Kerala's tourism department director, Alkesh Kumar Sharma, said.

"Pilgrim tourism is a new area that Kerala tourism is promoting these days," he added.

Hotels and resorts are packed. Travel operators say they are struggling to cope with the rush.

"All the flights are booked for a week from Kerala. Most trains are fully booked. We had to buy seven new cars to take some of Amma's worshippers who want to go on pilgrim tours across Kerala," said Varghese Kurien, managing director of tour operator Alpha Tour and Travels.