Auroville

Auroville is a township near Pondicherry. Inspired by Aurobindo the revolutionary turned spiritual leader during India's struggle forfreedom. The inspiration for Auroville arose in India, stemming from the writings of Sri Aurobindo and the encouragement of the Mother. This inspiration lead to the Sri Aurobindo Society, based in Pondicherry, persuading the Government of India in 1966 to accept and support the project, which was then put before UNESCO for its endorsement. Aurobindo called for spiritual regeneration of India as the path for rebirth of India. He started as a spiritual leader in Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry. Auroville was later founded by The Mother, a French lady whose real name was Mirra Alfassa.

She took Aurobindo's teachings and popularized them for the layman. She founded the city of Auroville based on this philosophy. The city is within a 3 km radius - a multinational, multilingual and multicultural population living within its limits. Auroville has many activities including several schools, research institute and other establishments. The research institute conducts research on energy, agriculture and many other areas. At the center is the Matrimandir, the Spiritual center of Auroville. Auroville mostly uses local resources.

Matrimandir - Meaning "Temple of the Mother" in Sanskrit, this is the geographical and spiritual heart of Auroville. The outside is plated with gold, while the inside is stark white with a gigantic crystal in the center.
Check with the visitor center if you're interested in seeing the inside of the temple - the rules can be very strict, and it may take 2 days or so before you actually get inside (you've been warned!). You'll first need a visitors pass for a little guided tour of one of the meditation chambers, and once you've done that you qualify to visit the inside of the main temple the following day. Saturday and Sunday can be particularly busy and you may need to wait in line for 30-40 minutes. Bags, cell phones and cameras are not allowed in the temple.
If you have a guest card you can get a pass valid for all the days of your stay, otherwise you'll get a one day pass. Aurovilians can also take you in as a guest, though this isn't likely unless you have friends there.

On the surface, Auroville can appear rather incomprehensible. It is an intense and challenging experiment, attempting the seemingly impossible, and one needs to be ready to actively participate in such an adventure. The meaning of Auroville only becomes clearer in the context of the vision of its founders, which has stimulated people from all over the world to join in this ‘laboratory of evolution’.

Visitors to Auroville are sometimes disappointed to find here no Ashram, no typical tourist attractions or generally welcoming atmosphere. This is firstly because Auroville is quite different to the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, where people are considered to have consecrated their lives to integral yoga (as compared, in Auroville, to an experiment in human unity), and secondly because Auroville is not a tourist place, despite being referred to in travel and tourist literature, and does not devote as much time and energy to welcoming tourists as sites established specifically for that purpose.

Casual/day visitors are encouraged to go first to the Visitors Centre , which is open daily from 9:00 to 17:30, and offers information, exhibitions, a video viewing facility, a cafeteria and shopping facilities.

Those who come with a deeper interest and actually want to visit one of Auroville's projects should make an appointment with the concerned place through the Information Desk at the Visitors Centre.

Accommodation
Guest accommodation is available in various settlements around the township area. The charges vary between Rs 150 and Rs 1000 per person per night depending on the type of accommodation and facilities provided. Pre-booking is advised, specially for the December to March and August-September periods. This can be done either through the Auroville Guest Service, located upstairs at the Solar Kitchen (avguests@auroville.org.in), or by contacting one of the guest houses directly

Guest contribution
Note that each guest is asked, as are the Aurovilians, to contribute financially towards the maintenance and development of the township and its infrastructure (water, roads, electricity, afforestation, farms, education and so on...). At the present time guests are requested to give a contribution of Rs 60 per day per adult or Rs 30 per day per teenager (aged 12 to 19). For children below the age of 12 no payment is required. There is also a student rate of Rs 30 per day.

The guest contribution is reduced to Rs 50 if the stay is for one month or longer. Please note that this contribution is NOT included in the guesthouse price.
 

Guest Card
Upon payment of this contribution, Guest Passes/ Cards are issued by some of the major guesthouses, by the Financial Service near Aspiration and the Guest Service at Solar Kitchen. This Pass will enable you to move more freely through the township since for certain facilities and services you will need to show it.

General cost
A meal at the Solar Kitchen costs Rs 60, Guest Card is required
A good meal in Pondicherry costs around Rs 100, or more, depending on the class of establishment
Cycle rental is around Rs 20 a day
TVS and motor bike rental is around Rs 80 to 100 a day.
The Auroville bus to Pondy (3 times a week) is free, Guest Card is required.
Classes (yoga, dance and so on) require normally a contribution of Rs 100 from guests, Guest Card required.
Massages and haircuts are around Rs 300.
 

Auroville    Govt. Museum    Botanical Garden    Chunnambar    French Heritage Sri Arbindoashram  Bharathi Park

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