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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