Okay promised you a blog on Auroville and here it is.
It’s about 15min trip to the north west of Puducherry so a nice Tuk Tuk ride.
The approach was nothing like we imagined going along a narrow road through villages which varied in cleanliness but gradually you are in green areas.
We had heard it was a sort of retreat so we’re expecting a hippie situation how wrong we were.
The vision of Auroville was by a person they call “The mother” and part of her writings say “ There should be somewhere on earth which no nation can claim as there own”. No religion is practised here. All nations can live together no matter what creed etc.
The idea was there as early as 1930. Mid 1960 Sri Aurobindo society Pondicherry proposed it should be started. 1966 UNESCO passed a resolution and gave it full backing.
It is now international-universal township in the making for 50,000 people. When it started on 28th February 1968 5,000 people came from all over the world bringing with them soil and this was plCed in a urn sited in an amphitheatre. Currently there are 2,700 inhabitants ranging from infancy to over 90 yrs old of which 40%are Indian. They built a Matrimandir “Soul of Auroville”. It’s a huge gold disk clad slightly flattened dome. Inside right in the middle is a 70 cms diameter optical quality glass sphere on which a shaft of light shines (or artificial light at night). This huge structure is a place of concentration and only for residence unless outsiders book in advance.
All of this is set in approx 2,250 acres it houses every thing required for a community eg schools, doctors, swimming, libraries and even has its own government. They are trying to make it a place where no money changes hands between the inhabitants. All this creation is funded by donations only. Where that comes from is another story.
From this centre point lots of projects are run outside for the good of the community. This range from educating girls, setting up recycling, improving living facilities for poor etc all etc all over the world.
The one thing I would say is that it’s a shame they don't look outside their gate at the tons of rubbish and plastic thrown on the ground on the approaches.
Now how you view this place is prob with mixed thoughts and but do go and Google it as it does make interesting reading. The whole concept of Auroville is discussion provoking.
We enjoyed seeing it but???????
It’s about 15min trip to the north west of Puducherry so a nice Tuk Tuk ride.
The approach was nothing like we imagined going along a narrow road through villages which varied in cleanliness but gradually you are in green areas.
We had heard it was a sort of retreat so we’re expecting a hippie situation how wrong we were.
The vision of Auroville was by a person they call “The mother” and part of her writings say “ There should be somewhere on earth which no nation can claim as there own”. No religion is practised here. All nations can live together no matter what creed etc.
The idea was there as early as 1930. Mid 1960 Sri Aurobindo society Pondicherry proposed it should be started. 1966 UNESCO passed a resolution and gave it full backing.
It is now international-universal township in the making for 50,000 people. When it started on 28th February 1968 5,000 people came from all over the world bringing with them soil and this was plCed in a urn sited in an amphitheatre. Currently there are 2,700 inhabitants ranging from infancy to over 90 yrs old of which 40%are Indian. They built a Matrimandir “Soul of Auroville”. It’s a huge gold disk clad slightly flattened dome. Inside right in the middle is a 70 cms diameter optical quality glass sphere on which a shaft of light shines (or artificial light at night). This huge structure is a place of concentration and only for residence unless outsiders book in advance.
All of this is set in approx 2,250 acres it houses every thing required for a community eg schools, doctors, swimming, libraries and even has its own government. They are trying to make it a place where no money changes hands between the inhabitants. All this creation is funded by donations only. Where that comes from is another story.
From this centre point lots of projects are run outside for the good of the community. This range from educating girls, setting up recycling, improving living facilities for poor etc all etc all over the world.
The one thing I would say is that it’s a shame they don't look outside their gate at the tons of rubbish and plastic thrown on the ground on the approaches.
Now how you view this place is prob with mixed thoughts and but do go and Google it as it does make interesting reading. The whole concept of Auroville is discussion provoking.
We enjoyed seeing it but???????
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