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Published: February 16th 2006
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Auroville was founded by Mirra Alfassa, a gentle woman of French origins, soul mate of Sri Aurobindo, an Indian sage, born in 1872, educated in Great Britain for the second fourteen years of his life. He did extensive readings of Eastern thought during his life and passed on in nineteen fifty. In addition to an Ashram, place of meditation, which she founded in Pondicherry, Mirra Alfassa, who came to be known as the Mother by adherents, saw Auroville as giving form to his vision. He saw a new humanity emerging, a new society, embodying a new consciousness, in realization of an integral human perfection. In passing, arguably, the concept of superman, with which we are familiar in popular culture, can be sourced from his ideas.
Sri Aurobinda's contribution to the world of ideas was that he synthesized spiritual thought with scientific thought. The former, in both its western faith-driven and eastern truth-claims genres; the latter, in all of its evidence based, logical and rational elements. He divined from his synthesis, that we should, each one of us, be searching deeply within ourselves, conscious and sub, for that which, ego aside, animates us. Simultaneous with this exercise, we should be reaching
out to the world about us in the work of service. In this way, he posits, our very existence is enhanced, today; and, for our tomorrows, as individuals and as a specie, we stake a viable claim to blissful existence, when ever, where ever. I will leave this at that; except to say it does not seem possible to experience India fully, without pondering from time to time, on the sights and sounds, thoughts and feelings, the sub-continent throws at you without relent. It is in this light, that I have humbly tried to abstract and précis the Sri Aurobindo vision that underlies Auroville.
And so it came to pass, on February 28, 1968, eighteen years after Sri Aurobinda's passing, youth, representing one hundred and twenty-one nations and all of the states of India, each placed a handful of earth from each territory, into a lotus shaped urn at the centre of the township. Thus was Auroville inaugurated as a place of peace and human unity.
Located twelve and one half kilometres north of Pondicherry, in the Indian State of Tamil Nadu, Auroville traces a circle as its contour, with a diameter of 2.5 kilometres. It was planned
to accommodate 50,000 people; Eighteen thousand currently reside there. It is an evolving experiment in international, co-operative living. Its residents comprise 41% Indians, including villagers within its territory, 15% French, 13% German, 5% Italian, 4% Dutch and the balance from 116 other countries.
Fifty percent of its revenues are sourced from commercial units within it, who are expected to donate at least one third of their profits to the community. Other sources of revenue are new residents, who contribute a monthly sum to collective services; guests staying in the township; interest on monies held; admin fees for processing project monies; and individual Aurovilians of means. The Indian Government, International funding agencies, including UNESCO; and other international benefactors also give support.
At the ecological centre, is a place for concentration and finding one's consciousness, the Matrimandir. Matri, emoting earth mother, and mandir, a place of prayer. The Matrimandir is surrounded by four zones.
The Cultural Zone is the locus of educational, artistic, cultural and sport activity.
The International is intended for international pavilions expressing their core contributions to the world. The Indian, Tibetan and US pavilions are completed. Foundation stones have been laid for the French, German and Russian. A Centre for International Research In Human Unity is planned for this zone.
The Industrial currently accommodates 170 business units and its mission is to make the city self supporting.
The residential houses 100 settlements, mainly individual dwellings, from huts to villas. There are a few multi units scattered among nine of the one hundred settlements. Residents do not have the right of ownership to lands, buildings and other immovable assets, whether they finance them or not. What they have is a right of preferred occupancy.
We arrived from Pondicherry, with car and another of these endearing drivers, who quickly become very interested in what we are doing. So, he willingly facilitated a drive- through the entire township, absorbing in overview the ambiance of the place and its people.
On the drive-thru, we were quite taken by the lushness of the vegetation. Upon probing at the Centre Guest House, where we had lunch, we got the information that 40 years ago this place was largely eroded and was officially certified to be in an advanced stage of desertification. Aurovilians brought the area back to life, in collaboration with the villagers. Through the planting of indigenous trees and organic farming, the land has been regenerated and control and conservation features have been built in for rain water. More than two million forest and fruit trees have been planted over the forty year period.
On our drive-around, we also stopped to view and enquire about several fields of solar panels and windmills at various sites. There is increasing use of renewable energy here. Two hundred of the seven hundred residences use electricity produced this way. The main kitchen is driven by solar cookers and water heaters; a solar bowl concentrator produces steam. The picture is clear; this township is in the vanguard on the use of renewable resources.
We passed by the kindergarten and the upper schools, without throwing their routines off; education is free and includes elements of individual, child-based, developmental learning. It is free in the township as is health care.
A huge Banyanan tree, present when the pioneers first came here in the nineteen sixties, remains flourishing. The township was planned so that the tree is actually the geographic centre. Adjacent to it is the Matrimandir, the ecological centre, the soul of the place. It is a striking, 24 carrot, gold plated, flat sphere, 36 feet in diameter. It sits at the centre of twelve concrete lotuses, red in colour, that function as rooms through which Aurovilians and their guests enter the inner chamber, there to concentrate in total silence. In the inner chamber, all white, lined with marble, there sits a crystal, 70 cm in diameter, into which undiffused rays of the sun is beamed. Thus is produced a concentration of light, engendering deep concentration on the part of willing servitors to Sri Aurobindo's vision.
Our day at Auroville was, at once, emotionally moving at the personal level, and instructive about the utility of good works. The drive back to Pondi was an unusually quiet one.
Vernon
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