Auroville

Auroville

Auroville (City of Dawn) is an experimental township in Viluppuram district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India, near Puducherry in South India. It was founded in 1968 by Mirra Alfassa (known as "The Mother") and designed by architect Roger Anger. As stated in Alfassa's first public message about the township, "Auroville is meant to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities. The purpose of Auroville is to realize human unity."

Auroville was born on 28 February 1968.  Its founder, the Mother, created the Auroville Charter consisting of four main ideas which underpinned her vision for Auroville. When Auroville came into being, All India Radio (AIR) broadcast the Charter, live, in 16 languages. Aurovilians apply the ideas of the Auroville Charter in their daily life, in policy-development, and decisions, big and small. The Charter thus forms an omnipresent referent that silently guides the people who choose to live and work for Auroville.

The concept of Auroville - an ideal township devoted to an experiment in human unity - came to the Mother as early as the 1930s. In the mid 1960s the Sri Aurobindo Society in Pondicherry proposed to her that such a township should be started. She gave her blessings. The concept was then put before the Govt. of India, who gave their backing and took it to the General Assembly of UNESCO. In 1966 UNESCO passed a unanimous resolution commending it as a project of importance to the future of humanity, thereby giving their full encouragement.

The purpose of Auroville is to realize human unity – in diversity. Today Auroville is recognised as the first and only internationally endorsed ongoing experiment in human unity and transformation of consciousness, also concerned with - and practically researching into -sustainable living and the future cultural, environmental, social and spiritual needs of mankind.

Auroville is located in south India, mostly in the State of Tamil Nadu (some parts are in the State of Puducherry), a few kilometres inland from the Coromandel Coast, approx 150 kms south of Chennai (previously Madras) and 10 kms north of the town of Puducherry.

They come from some 49 nations, from all age groups (from infancy to over eighty, averaging around 30), from all social classes, backgrounds and cultures, representing humanity as a whole. The population of the township is constantly growing, but currently stands at around 2,400 people, of whom approx one-third are Indian.

History

Auroville was founded as a project of the Sri Aurobindo Society on Wednesday 28 February 1968 by Mirra Alfassa, "The Mother". She was spiritual collaborator of Sri Aurobindo, who believed that "man is a transitional being". Mother expected that this experimental "universal township" would contribute significantly in the "progress of humanity towards its splendid future by bringing together people of goodwill and aspiration for a better world." Mother also believed that such a universal township will contribute decisively to the Indian renaissance.

In the inauguration ceremony attended by delegates of 124 nations on 28 February 1968, Mother gave Auroville its 4-point Charter setting forth her vision of Integral living:

·        Auroville belongs to nobody in particular. Auroville belongs to humanity as a whole. But to live in Auroville, one must be the willing servitor of the Divine Consciousness.

·        Auroville will be the place of an unending education, of constant progress, and a youth that never ages.

·        Auroville wants to be the bridge between the past and the future. Taking advantage of all discoveries from without and from within, Auroville will boldly spring towards future realizations.

·   Auroville will be a site of material and spiritual researches for a living embodiment of an actual Human Unity.

The Galaxy concept of the city

In terms of physical development, Auroville aims at becoming a model of the 'city of the future' or 'the city the earth needs'. It wants to show the world that future realizations in all fields of work will allow us to build beautiful cities where people sincerely looking towards a more harmonious future will want to live.

In her 1965 sketch of Auroville, the Mother laid down the basic concept for the city. This sketch delineated all the important activity areas that would fulfill the vision of making it a universal city. For other things she gave a free hand to Roger Anger, the French architect she had appointed to oversee the city's physical development. 

One of the most remarkable concepts of Auroville is its master plan, laid out in form of a galaxy - a galaxy in which several 'arms' or Lines of Force seem to unwind from a central region.

At the centre stands the Matrimandir, the “soul of Auroville”, a place for individual silent concentration.

Radiating out beyond the Matrimandir Gardens are four Zones, each focusing on an important aspect of the township’s life:

·        Industrial (north)

·        Cultural (north east),

·        Residential (south/south west) and

·        International (west)

Surrounding the city area is a Green Belt consisting of forested areas, farms and sanctuaries with scattered settlements for those involved in green work.

 

In interviews with Auroville Today in 1988 and in 1992, Roger Anger explained how this plan came into existence.

"Mother had given a couple of parameters: the division of the city into four areas, or zones, and the number of people for whom the city is envisaged (50.000). The division into those four zones (industrial, residential, international and cultural) is unique, and has no precedent in town planning. On the basis of this scheme, we, the architects and town planners, started to make suggestions to her. This was done in several stages, and finally the Galaxy came out and was presented as a model to Mother, and accepted by her as a plan that answered to her parameters. She inspired and guided the work. When I talked to Mother one day about Auroville, she said that the city already exists in a subtle level, that it is already constructed, that it is only necessary to pull it down, to make it descend on earth."

The galaxy plan shows the four zones, which are interconnected through the 'Crown', the second circular road around the Matrimandir. From the Crown, twelve roads radiate outwards as part of the infrastructure. Some of them are accompanied by a succession of high-rise buildings, which constitute the so-called 'Lines of Force', essential for the framework of the city and for the integration of all access to the city center. But the plan is not finished. On the contrary, the city is still to be invented; everything has still to be done through the daily experience and rhythm of the Aurovilians. Apart from these lines of force, everything is flexible, nothing is fixed."

The Matrimandir

In the middle of the town is the Matrimandir, which was conceived by "The Mother" as "a symbol of the Divine's answer to man's aspiration for perfection". Silence is maintained inside the Matrimandir to ensure the tranquility of the space and entire area surrounding the Matrimandir is called Peace area. Inside the Matrimandir, a spiraling ramp leads upwards to an air-conditioned chamber of polished white marble referred to as "a place to find one's consciousness".

Matrimandir is equipped with a solar power plant and is surrounded by manicured gardens. When there is no sun or after the sunset, the sunray on the globe is replaced by a beam from a solar powered light.

Radiating from this center are four "zones" of the City Area: the "Residential Zone", "Industrial Zone", "Cultural (& Educational) Zone" and "International Zone". Around the City or the urban area, lies a Green Belt which is an environment research and resource area and includes farms and forestries, a botanical garden, seed bank, medicinal and herbal plants, water catchment bunds, and some communities.

The Matrimandir can be viewed as a large golden sphere which seems to be emerging out of the earth, symbolizing the birth of a new consciousness. Since the past 45 years, Matrimandir's slow and steady progress towards completion has been followed by many.

While walking through the lovely green Matrimandir Gardens (divided into 12 individually named parks such as "Harmony", "Bliss", Perfection" each with their variety of flowers, shrubs and trees, one's attention is greatly drawn by this important and powerful feature at the heart of the city which was seen by the Mother as the "symbol of the Divine's answer to man's aspiration for perfection" and as "the central cohesive force" for the growth of Auroville.

Literally in Sanskrit ‘Temple of the Mother’ (though it is not in fact a temple), the Matrimandir (MM) is the “Soul of Auroville” and symbol of Auroville’s aspiration for the Divine. It is a huge gold-disc-clad slightly flattened globe 29m high x 36m wide, supported on four double-pillars facing approx N, E, S & W named after the four aspects/personalities of the Supreme Mother, located close to the Banyan Tree and Amphitheatre at the centre of the township. Its all-white 12-sided marble-clad Inner Chamber – where a shaft of sunlight, or artificial light at night, focuses down onto a 70 cms diameter optical-quality glass sphere surrounded by 12 white columns – is a place for silent concentration.

The Chamber is normally open to Aurovilians and Newcomers at fixed times in the morning and late afternoon/evening. Guests and visitors wanting to make a first-time visit are required to first go to the Visitors Centre, where they can see an introductory video on the MM and obtain a Pass to see the outer structure, Banyan Tree and Amphitheatre from a Viewing Point overlooking the Gardens. Following that, they can make a booking any day except Tuesdays at the Visitors Centre 10-11am or 2-3pm if they want the experience of silent concentration inside. Meanwhile, it should be noted that arrangements may change at any time without prior notice. All visits are subject to weather conditions (there is no access to the MM or Gardens in the event of rain), the number of people wishing to enter, and the availability of attendants.

Surrounding the central globe are 12 sloping stone-clad structures called Petals, each containing a meditation room lit/designed to convey atmospheres representative of the 12 virtues/qualities of the Universal Mother. Beyond the Petals, 12 beautiful gardens named sequentially after the 12 powers of the Universal Mother, forming the Park of Unity will radiate outwards, with a water body/lake at their outer perimeter containing the whole Park area. 

Matrimandir Information:

A Matrimandir Information Hall at the Visitors Centre provides basic information relating to the Matrimandir structure and gardens, plus viewing and/or access arrangements. The Hall is open daily 9.45am-12.30pm and 1.45-5pm for viewing of a 10-minute introductory film and exhibition panels on the Matrimandir, plus issuing of Passes (Mon-Sat 9.45am-12.30pm & 1.45-4.30pm; Sundays 9.45am-12.30pm only) to see the outer structure and Amphitheatre from a Viewing Point overlooking the Gardens. 

Evolutionary Principle:

The name 'Matrimandir' means literally 'Temple of the Mother'. According to Sri Aurobindo teaching, the 'Mother' concept stands for the great evolutionary, conscious and intelligent principle of Life, the Universal Mother, - which seeks to help humanity move beyond its present limitations into the next stage of its evolutionary adventure, the supramental consciousness.

Inner Chamber:

The spacious Inner Chamber in the upper hemisphere of the Matrimandir is completely white, with white marble walls and deep, white carpeting. In the centre sits a pure crystal-glass globe which suffuses a ray of electronically guided sunlight that falls on it through an opening at the apex of the sphere. This luminescent globe radiates natural lighting in the Inner Chamber.

The Inner Chamber is devoid of images, organized meditations, flowers, incense, religion or religious forms.

The main guest season in Auroville is from December to March, when the climate is cool and pleasant. A second, shorter season runs from July to September. Anyone wishing to stay in a guest house during these periods is advised to book well in advance.

Visiting the Matrimandir:

Visitors and guests should bear in mind that the Matrimandir is not a ‘tourist’ site; it is a place for individual silent concentration. It is a place which should be visited in an appropriate physical and mental state.

Visits to Matrimandir are free of cost. Bookings for passes to Matrimandir cannot be done by agents, guides or tour operators.

General information on the Matrimandir can be obtained every day at the Information Desk at the Visitors Centre, 9.00 am-1.00 pm and 1.30 pm–5.00 pm. This includes an introductory video on the Matrimandir offered in various languages. 

To see Matrimandir from the outside:

The Matrimandir Viewing Point, south of the Park of Unity, is a raised garden area which offers visitors a beautiful view of the Matrimandir and its surroundings.

Passes for the Matrimandir Viewing Point can be obtained for free at Auroville's Visitors' Centre, after watching a short introductory video on the Matrimandir.

Timing for issuing of Passes at the Visitors' Centre: 

·        Monday to Saturday - 9 am to 1:00 pm and 1:30 pm to 4.30 pm

·        Sunday - 9.30 am to 1 pm only, afternoon closed.

·        Monday to Saturday - 9.30 am to 5.00 pm

·        Sunday - 9.30 to 1.30 pm only, afternoon closed.

Way to the Matrimandir Viewing Point: 

A shaded 10-12 minute walk leads from the Visitors' Centre to the Viewing Point. A free electric shuttle service is available for those who may find it difficult to walk the approx. 1 km distance each way. Free bus service is available for the return journey from the Viewing Point to the Visitors Centre for all those who wish to avail of it.

If you have some more time available for exploring other aspects of Auroville, on the way back a small diversion is possible through the International Zone, with interesting locations like Savitri Bhavan, Unity Pavilion, Bharat Nivas, Tibetan Pavilion, Inuksuk, and then back to Visitors Centre.  (Duration around 2 hours)  

First visit to the Matrimandir Inner Chamber:

Prior booking is required to access the Matrimandir for concentration at least a day in advance.   All bookings are accepted on an individual basis and only in person; (e-mail or telephone booking are not available for first-time visitors for concentration). There are no group bookings available. Bookings are always made for the following or first free day, and are accepted only up to a week in advance. 

An introduction to Matrimandir is provided for all first-time visitors who book for a concentration. An explanation is given on the Matrimandir and its significance, followed by a concentration in the Inner Chamber for 10 to 15 minutes. Booking must be made in person at the Visitors Centre, any day except Tuesday between 10 and 11 am or 2 and 3 pm, after seeing the 10 minute introductory video called "Matrimandir".

Visitors who have previously concentrated in the Matrimandir: 

The following conditions apply to regular visitors for concentration and to those who have already attended the introductory visit for concentration in the Matrimandir (see above).

Advance booking is required for every concentration in the Inner Chamber or Petal Meditation Rooms. A booking may be made: by calling (0413) 2622204 between 10 and 11.30 am any day except Tuesday or by email to mmconcentration@auroville.org.in from 3 days in advance up to 7 days in advance.  Confirmation of such bookings will be done by return mail with booking numbers and other details.

Concentration time in the Inner Chamber:

·        9.35 - 10.05 am.

·        Last entry allowed into the Inner Chamber: 9.45 am.

Concentration time in one of the Petal Meditation Rooms:

·        9.30 to 10.45 am 

·        The 12 meditation rooms are normally open all at the same time, but occasionally only a few may be open on a particular day.  

·        Passes are issued for only one room per visit.

General conditions:

The Matrimandir Access Policy is based on the Mother's guidelines.

Permission is granted to those who have seen the videos and exhibitions on Auroville and the Matrimandir in order to have an understanding of the project and the Mother's vision of it. This may be done by making an initial visit to the Visitors Centre of Auroville.

Requests are attended to in the order of receiving them, and can be made up to seven days in advance. The number of places is limited. On the day of appointment, those with a booking have to reach the Visitors Centre no later than 9 am, from where they will be transported to the Matrimandir by one of the Auroville electric shuttles.

Passes for concentration will be issued at the Visitors Centre on the day of appointment, and shortly before the departure to Matrimandir with the shuttle.

Bags, cameras and cell phones etc., are not allowed within the Park of Unity (the Matrimandir Gardens) Visitors may either make their own arrangement for leaving their belongings behind, or can deposit them at the Access Office of the Matrimandir. However, Matrimandir Management will not be responsible for damage to or loss of items deposited at the Access Office.   Cell phones have to be switched off before depositing.

Visitors are advised not to bring valuables with them. Photographs may be taken only from a designated area outside the Park of Unity. Media persons wanting to take photos/films must obtain advance permission from: outreachmedia@auroville.org.in

Cleanliness: The cooperation of all is requested to keep the Matrimandir and its twelve Petal rooms in immaculate condition. Touching any surface inside the structures is to be avoided. Cleanliness of body and garments is indispensable.

Children below 10 are not allowed inside the Park of Unity and the Matrimandir and will be asked to stay back at the Visitors Centre with a family member.

Absolute silence is required inside the Matrimandir and the 12 meditation rooms in the Petals, around the ‘Lotus Pond' below the Matrimandir, and in the area under the Banyan Tree. Kindly help us maintain the atmosphere at the highest level.

In case of rain or if the pathways and Garden areas are too muddy, the Matrimandir will be closed and all bookings for the day will be cancelled. All those who have booked their visit for concentration are expected to reach the Auroville Visitors' Centre gate no later than 9 am on the day of appointment.

Visitors are expected to park their vehicles at the Visitors' Centre Parking and avail themselves of the free shuttle service provided. The last shuttle back from the Matrimandir to the Visitors' Centre is at about 11.30 am. Please note that it is not possible to accommodate late comers.

Matrimandir reserves the right to refuse entry, cancel a visit or request a person to leave the Park of Unity on account of being under the influence of alcohol, bringing a person under age, making unauthorized audio, video or photographic recordings, or behaving in a manner which does not correspond with the above guidelines or is incompatible with the ideals and spirit of Matrimandir and Auroville.

Matrimandir management may modify the above timing and procedures without prior notice. For up to date information on Auroville and the Matrimandir, kindly visit this website.

The Auroville Charter

The Charter rests sealed in the Urn, as a powerful message and promise.

·        Auroville belongs to nobody in particular. Auroville belongs to humanity as a whole. But, to live in Auroville, one must be a willing servitor of the divine consciousness.

·        Auroville will be the place of an unending education, of constant progress, and a youth that never ages.

·        Auroville wants to be the bridge between the past and the future. Taking advantage of all discoveries from without and from within, Auroville will boldly spring towards future realizations.

·    Auroville will be a site of material and spiritual researches for a living embodiment of an actual human unity.

During the Auroville inauguration in 1968, youth from 124 different nations and 23 Indian states, deposited a handful of their native soil into the Urn, a marble clad structure in the form of a symbolic lotus bud, located in the centre of the Amphitheatre (see photo). The Auroville Charter - handwritten in French by the Mother - rests along with this soil, sealed in the Urn, as a powerful message and promise.  

Overview of the city plan

Peace Area:

At the centre of the township lies the Peace Area, comprising the Matrimandir and its gardens, the amphitheatre with the Urn of Human Unity that contains the soil of 121 nations and 23 Indian states, and a lake to help create an atmosphere of calm and serenity and to serve as a groundwater recharge area.

Industrial Zone:

A 109-hectare area to the north of the Peace Area, the Industrial Zone, a zone for "green" industries, is focused on Auroville's efforts towards a self-supporting township. It will contain small and medium-scale industries, training centres, arts and crafts, and the city's administration.

Residential Zone:

The largest of the four city zones, comprising of 189 hectares, the Residential Zone is bordered by parks on the north, south and west. Main access to the zone will be through the crown road with further traffic distribution via five radial roads that divide the zone into sectors of increasing densities. This zone wants to provide a well-adjusted habitat between individual and collective living. 55% of the area will be green and only 45% built surface, thereby creating an urban density balanced by nature.

International Zone:

The International Zone, a zone of 74 hectares to the west of the Peace Area, will host national and cultural pavilions, grouped by continents. Its central focus is to create a living demonstration of human unity in diversity through the expression of the genius and contribution of each nation to humanity

Cultural Zone:

Planned on a 93-hectare area, situated to the east of the Peace Area, the Cultural Zone will be a site for applied research in education and artistic expression. Facilities for cultural, educational, art and sports activities will be located in this zone.

Green Belt:

The city area with a radius of 1.25 km. will be surrounded by a Green Belt of 1.25 km width. As a zone for organic farms, dairies, orchards, forests, and wildlife areas, this belt will act as a barrier against urban encroachment, provide a variety of habitats for wildlife, and serve as a source for food, timber, medicines etc. and as a place for recreation.

Presently an area of 405 hectares, the Green Belt - though incomplete - stands as an example of successful transformation of wasteland into a vibrant eco-system. Its further planned extension with an additional 800 hectares will make it into a remarkable demonstration site for soil and water conservation, ground water recharge, and environmental restoration. As lungs for the entire township, it will complete the healing process that Auroville started several decades ago.

Other Interesting Areas

Multimedia Centre (MMC):

The MMC is a media/communications/admin centre adjacent to the Town Hall, which houses an air-conditioned auditorium (also called the ‘Cinema Paradiso’) for 110 people, plus offices/space for Auro-Traductions, Entry Service, AV Design, Human Resource Team, Intranet and website administration, News & Notes, Outreach Media, Residents Service, a photocopying facility and the Audio and Video/DVD Libraries.

Museums:

There is a small museum collection of excavated artifacts from the Auroville area at Bharat Nivas, which can be seen by arrangement, and also a collection of over 350 different local plant, shrub and tree seeds – together with a collection of now-rarely-seen agricultural and village artefacts – at Pitchandikulam Bio-Resource Centre.

National / Cultural Pavilions:

Auroville’s International Zone will be the site of Cultural Pavilions representing all the major nations and cultures of the world. The Pavilion of Tibetan Culture is already completed and was inaugurated by H.H. The Dalai Lama in 2009. India’s Bharat Nivas is well advanced, but has yet to be completed. Other pavilions for which foundation stones have been laid or which are under study by their respective pavilion group are the African, British, Canadian, French, German, Italian, Kazakh, Korean, Russian, Scandinavian, Slovenian, Spanish, Swiss and USA-American.

Meanwhile, a number of the pavilion groups, most of which are closely involved with the Auroville International group in their country, have already taken the initiative to present a range of cultural activities in Auroville. See also “Unity Pavilion”.

Plant Nurseries:

There are a number of plant nurseries in Auroville supplying tree saplings, shrubs and other plants, including a specialist nursery for medicinal plants in Pitchandikulam.

Organic agriculture:

Auroville tries to grow all its food organically. It also encourages the same practice among local farmers, strongly discouraging the use of chemical pesticides, especially on cashew crops.

Parks & Gardens:

The Master Plan for Auroville incorporates a number of parks, some reaching in from the periphery to the central Matrimandir Gardens, which provide wildlife corridors across the city area. Most communal buildings and residences have surrounding gardens, though these are generally limited by availability of water and space.

Sanctuaries:

There are plans to incorporate wildlife sanctuaries in the Green Belt surrounding the township. The first such area to be identified lies to the south of the township in the area of Success settlement.

Savitri Bhavan:

Savitri Bhavan, is an important research and  educational centre near Bharat Nivas which houses all kinds of materials and activities relating to Sri Aurobindo revelatory epic poem ‘Savitri’, plus other teachings and writings of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. It offers a reading room with books and journals to be read on the spot, a Digital Library which offers individual computer access to films, audio recordings and all kinds of texts and documents relating to Savitri, the lives, work and teachings of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, and the aims and ideals of Auroville.

There is also a gallery displaying Savitri paintings plus space for other works of art, an office and archive facility, an open – air amphitheatre, and classrooms for workshops, daily talks and classes, all of which are open to the general public 9am-5pm Monday to Saturday. The House of Mother’s Agenda as well as Sri Aurobindo statue (donated to Auroville by the Auroville Foundation in 2008) are also located there.

Shops & Boutiques:

Auroville’s main shopping facility, the PT Purchasing Service outlet near Aspiration settlement, provides a wide range of fresh fruit, vegetables and other foodstuffs together with dry goods (payment via Aurocard or Financial Service account only; no cash). A smaller store (H.E.R.S.) at Kottakarai sells a reduced range of foodstuffs and some dry goods (payment by Financial Service account or cash).

More externally-oriented shops in and around Auroville are the Auroville Boutique, Kalki Boutique, Mira Boutique, Auroville Papers Bookshop and the ‘Kiosk’ located at the Visitors Centre (the first two with branches in Pondicherry), Farm Fresh near Kuilapalayam, the Freeland Bookshop (by the road between Edyanchavadi village and the Visitors Centre), and The Outpost / Janaki Boutique on the ECR, all taking cash.

A number of other Auroville-owned or related shops are situated on the approach roads to Auroville and in Pondicherry or Chennai. (Note: there are a few outlets in the Pondicherry and Auroville area which use the “Auro” prefix to their name but are not connected with Auroville.)

Sports Facilities:

There is a wide range of sports facilities spread around Auroville, some connected with the schools (all of which have active sports programmes), and some of a more open/generally accessible nature.

Town Hall: 

The Auroville Town Hall (officially the Auroville Centre for Urban Research, or ACUR), sited just north of the Matrimandir, houses a variety of service units and facilities related to Auroville’s administration and development, such as L’Avenir d ‘Auroville town planning unit, Land Consolidation Committee, Housing Service, Auroma Accounting Service, offices for the Auroville Council and Working Committee, the Financial Service and Unity Fund office, Auroville Radio and Auroville Security.

Unity Pavilion:

The Unity Pavilion located in the International Zone next to Savitri Bhavan, acts as a coordination centre for overall development of the zone, and is meanwhile seen as a transitional space, focal point and experimental ground for the emergence of the individual cultural pavilions of the various nations.

Presently it hosts a range of activities related to the IZ and research on Human Unity and Unity in Diversity; provides office space for the IZ Development Group, the African, Russian, Korean, Spanish, Scandinavian and Swiss Pavilions, plus the Auroville International Association; and hosts various collective meetings and events – such as book launches – on a regular basis. It also houses the Asian Peace Table.

Worldwide support

Since the very beginning, Auroville has received the unanimous endorsement of the General Conference of UNESCO in 1966, 1968, 1970, 1983, 2007. Governmental and Non-Governmental Organisations in India and abroad have funded various development programmes, and donations have been received from foundations in Europe and the USA, from Auroville International Centres, and from private donors around the world. The residents themselves have also made, and continue to make, a major contribution of their resources and energy to the project.

Multifarious activities

Auroville is intended as a city for up to 50,000 inhabitants from around the world. Today its inhabitants number around 2000 people, drawn from some thirty countries. They live in 100 settlements of varying size, separated by village and temple lands and surrounded by Tamil villages with a total population of over 35,000 people. Their activities are multifarious, and include Afforestaion, organic agriculture, educational research, health care, village development, appropriate technology, and building construction, information technology, small and medium scale businesses, town planning, water table management, cultural activities and community services.

Independent legal body

In 1988, the Government of India passed the Auroville Foundation Act to safeguard the development of Auroville according to its Charter. This Act established three constituent bodies: the Governing Board, which would oversee the development of the township in collaboration with its inhabitants, the Residents Assembly and the International Advisory Council, which can provide international support and advice, when required, to the Governing Board.

Faith in humanity's future

As the world is rapidly changing and groping for new paradigms to re-model itself, so Auroville stands poised at the start of a new millennium, ready to enter a new phase of its development and growth, and aware of a new flowering of the faith in humanity's future that it represents.

Land and Nature

Auroville, as does India, hosts an abundance of natural contrasts. Details of land work and reforestation already done here abound in Auroville literature. But any visitor to this land can see for him/herself the fruits of those labours, and someone visiting for the first time may be struck by a few salient physical features.

Ever-present red laterite earth:

Auroville is located on a plateau some 50 mts above sea level. Ignoring the gentle slope up from the sea all the way to the Matrimandir, and a number of erosion features, the land is essentially flat in the sense that it is without any hills or escarpments. Rainwater running in streams across the ground betrays otherwise unnoticeable subtle grades. Over time these streams have cut deep grooves into the earth on their journey to the Bay of Bengal. Carrying topsoil away, they have left several canyons within Auroville. Multihued in whites, reds and browns, comprised of sand, pebbles and the ever-present red laterite earth, it is home to many birds and small animals, reptiles and insects, these heavily eroded areas are slowly being reclaimed by the forests; many trees can now be found growing in Fore comers and Utility canyons.

Auroville woods:

From the insistent and repetitive cry of the 'brain fever' bird (common hawk cuckoo, Cucilus varius Vahl) to the milder chirping of varied small songbirds, forests across Auroville resound with clear melody. Occasional thickets of mature green and yellow bamboo reach toward the sky and sway in the ocean breeze.

Bamboo stalks with their fine leaves have inspired many master artists; they breathe elegance and grace of form.

The 'work' tree (Mother's name for Acacia auriculiformis), native to Australia but introduced in Auroville in the early years, has made a bold attempt to dominate the local habitat. It has been widely used in carpentry and construction. I sit writing at a work tree desk, its figured grain shining under varnish in golden and mahogany hues.

Giant banyan trees, found in tropical climes, form vast, arching tents; aerial roots descend from upper branches seeking earth. Thick, twisting limbs support sturdy green leaves. Stippling their vermilion canopies, red cherry-like seeds grow, and attract flocks of crows, parrots and mynahs by day, followed by huge flying fox fruit bats at night.

Fences of thorn branches and a local cactus resembling ferocious aloe Vera work to ward off encroaching goats, cows and firewood gatherers from nearby villages.

Thriving villages:

Kottakarai, Edyanchavadi and Kuilapalayam are the main villages which thrive within the perimeter of Auroville. Kuilapalayam, situated on the main road heading toward the beach and Pondy, has become quite affluent through daily trade with Aurovilians. It boasts a row of prospering shops lining the road, and several newly built or renovated little temples, colourful with brightly painted icons of Kali, Ganesh and Durga. With the lifting of restrictions on foreign trade, western goods are found in increasing abundance in India, including in Kuilapalayam. Although rumour has it that Chennai taxi drivers speak of Kuilapalayam the way we speak of 'Timbuktoo', it is not truly such an outpost of civilization. Leatherman multi-tools, blank CDs, Marlboro cigarettes and cell phones can be had not far from a local idli/vadai restaurant and fruit vendors are displaying colourful piles of coconuts, pineapples, papayas, bananas and varied vegetables.

Roads & Traffic:

The local roads have either improved or deteriorated, depending on how you see it. Change seems inevitable. While they used to consist of dusty dirt tracks, today a prominent tar road winds through a major section of Auroville. Flanked by cashew topes, cyclists on this road are subjected to the hazards of increasing motorized traffic, especially of the four-wheeled variety. Although the roads of urban India are incomparably worse in terms of danger and population density, in Auroville a growing number of Lorries, buses, taxis and vans, as well as private cars, bear down on smaller traffic. Horns blaring, exhaust and dust combining in mini-storms, often they race by, local labourers staring from the backs of trucks, film music pumping forth from car interiors. The omnipresent motorcyclists, inhabitants of Auroville, sun-glassed and mostly well-dressed, edge impatiently around these larger vehicles and vanish, leaving only the echoing scream of engine sound, and perhaps the memory of an acknowledging nod or smile. One may also notice bullock carts and tractors on these roads, some trailing noxious loads.

Compounding the health threat posed by dust and exhaust, the habit of yearly pesticide spraying of the cashew trees by the local villagers leaves many an Aurovilian and Tamil villager sick with cough, running nose, sore throat or burning eyes.

Other roads have retained their rustic qualities, dirt tracks still, wending through shady forested areas replete with crystalline birdsong.

Life at the beach:

Auroville lies on the 'Coromandel Coast'. Here the Bay of Bengal hosts regular swimmers, avid surfers, and weekly sunbathers. Coconut palms are separated at Repos, a beach community, from the water's edge by a large expanse of sand, too hot to walk on in the midday sun. Auroville beach access points lie between local fishing villages. Fishermen rise well before dawn, and can be seen offshore standing on their palm tree canoes. In the distance against the sunrise they appear to walk on the water. Dawn at the seaside also witnesses the morning ablutions of these fishing communities, which conveniently get washed into the sea.

Located at walking distance from the Auroville Bus stop on ECR (East Coast Road), Auro Beach is considered one of the best beaches on India's Eastern Coastline although it is still much polluted. Most of the people found on the beach are either Europeans or Tamils

Lakes and Kulams:

There are a few lakes around Auroville, Kaliveli Tank and the lake at Lake Estate being the main ones. Freshwater bodies within Auroville are found in kulams, and in the small dam in Aurodam. Large craters, kulams fill during the monsoons, and serve as watering holes for animals, bathing and washing places for villagers, and containments to hold water until it can seep back into the aquifer.

Kulams present differing faces: from a Green Belt kulam rise the stark, branchless black trunks of Palmyra trees, while, when the water level has sunk, the Kuilapalayam tank clothes itself in hundreds of exquisite lotuses growing from its muddy depths.

Government, Belief system

The Auroville Foundation is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Human Resource Development through an act of the Indian Parliament. The Foundation is composed of three entities: the Residents of Auroville (Residents Assembly), the Governing Board and the International Advisory Council. The HRD ministry appoints the seven members of the Governing Board and the five members of the International Advisory Council. There is also a Secretary to the Foundation, appointed by the Government of India, who resides and has an office with supporting staff in Auroville. 

The Foundation currently owns about half of the total land required for the township. The remaining lands are being purchased whenever funds are available. Auroville should be at the service of Truth, beyond all social, political and religious conviction. Auroville is the effort towards peace, in sincerity and Truth.

Society and population

Although originally intended to house 50,000, as of May 2014, the actual population today is 2,345 (1,804 adults and 541 minors), coming from 50 nationalities. The community is divided up into neighborhoods with English, Sanskrit, French and Tamil names like Aspiration, Arati, La Ferme, Auromodel and Isaiambalam.

Demographics

Nationality	Number
Indian	1005
French	336
Germans	213
Italians	142
Dutch	87
Americans	86
Russians	65
Spaniards	47
Britons	44
Swiss	40
Koreans	33
Israelis	31
Belgians	28
Swedes	24
Canadians	20
Ukrainians	17
Australian	17
Chinese	11
Argentinean	9
Japanese	9
Austrians	8
South African	8
Slovenes	6
Hungarians	5
Uzbeks	5
Brazilians	4
Danes	4
Latvians	4
Mexicans	4
Belarusians	3
Gurkhas	3
Portuguese	3
Tibetans	3
Bulgarians	2
Colombians	2
Ethiopians	2
Sri Lankans	2
Moldovans	2
Czech	1
Egyptians	1
Finn	1
Irish	1
Kazakhs	1
Lithuanians	1
Filipino	1

Economy

Instead of paper and coin currency, residents are given account numbers to connect to their central account. Visitors, however, are requested to get a temporary account and an Aurocard (a debit card).

Residents of Auroville are expected to contribute a monthly contribution to the community. They are asked to help the community whenever possible by work, money, or kind. "Guest contribution", or a daily fee payable by the guests of Auroville, constitutes a part of Auroville's budget. There is a system of "maintenance", whereby those Aurovilians who need can receive from the community a monthly maintenance which covers simple basic needs of life. Auroville's economy and its overall life are of an evolving nature and there are ongoing experiments to reach closer to the vision.

Although the Government of India owns and manages the Auroville Foundation, it only finances a small part of Auroville's budget, which is mainly formed by contributions from Auroville's commercial units which contribute 33% of their profits to Auroville's Central Fund, and by donations. There are guest houses, building construction units, information technology, small and medium scale businesses, producing and re-selling items such as handmade paper for stationery items, as well as producing its well-known incense sticks, which can be bought in Auroville's own shop in Puducherry, or are sold around India and abroad.

Each of these units contributes a considerable part of their profits to the township. Over 5,000 people, mostly from the nearby localities, are employed in various sections and units of Auroville.

Other activities include Afforestaion, organic agriculture, basic educational research, health care, village development, appropriate technology, town planning, water table management, cultural activities and community services.

Arts & Culture

Over the past decade, Auroville has developed a multifarious cultural scene that is quite remarkable for a population of just over 2,000 people.

Many outstanding music performers, both from within India and abroad, perform regularly in Auroville. Eminent musicians such as Zakir Hussain, Shiv Kumar Sharma, Pandit Jasraj and Marcus Stockhausen have been giving concerts. Live performances by Auroville residents of western and eastern classical music, as well as of jazz and popular music, and blends of Indian and western music occur frequently. Music education is given for a variety of western and eastern instruments, such as vocals, violin, piano, flute, guitar, tabla and harmonium. Also, an adult's and a children's choir is regularly rehearsing and giving performances.

Resident theater artists have created several theater groups who perform in English or Tamil. A wide range of theater classes, such as acting, improvisation and mime are being offered to adult Aurovilians and children alike. Teachers in the Auroville schools use original theater, music and dance to explore body expression and induce concentration and imagination.

Auroville has been fortunate to host many visiting dancers of national and international repute, while the background of the dancers residing in Auroville is diverse. Predominant is the influence of western contemporary dance and of Bharat Natyam, the traditional dance form of the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Dance education follows naturally the intense dance activities and is part of the curriculum of the Auroville schools. Today classes are offered in improvisation, modern dance, Indian classical dance and African dance.

Besides local productions, international publishing companies such as Amity House, Banyans Books, Writers Workshop and Penguin have published poems from Auroville poets. One of Auroville's Tamil poets has been officially laureated as one of the great modern poets of India.

Numerous artists resident in Auroville have studied in art institutions all over the world. They are exhibiting their works in Auroville as well as in India and in major galleries in Europe. The preferred media are oil, acrylic and watercolors, pastels, pencil and chalk. For sculpture and bas relief works a variety of materials such as terra-cotta, ceramics, plaster, wood, metal, marble and granite are being used.

Auroville is an affiliate member of RES ARTIS, an international network which promotes residential exchange programmes for artists world-wide to do research, work with other artists, and to strengthen international ties and understanding of the diverse cultural heritages that invigorate the human society.

Educational Research

Auroville's Charter speaks about Auroville as "a place of unending education", thus introducing the concept of a life-long process of development towards a person balanced in body, mind and spirit.

Auroville's educational research endeavors to nurture the child's potential to its highest possible level, and is based on a child-centered approach. A free choice system, allowing the student to increasingly choose his/her own subjects for study, is gradually being introduced, in particular in the more advanced courses. Also, sports and physical education are strongly emphasized for a balanced and healthy growth of the children. Artistic training is an intrinsic part of Auroville's system of education, which encourages the child to develop his/her artistic faculties and sense of beauty.

At present, there are crèches, kindergartens, primary schools and one high school in Auroville, next to 4 day schools and over 15 part-time evening schools for the children of the nearby villages. About 1000 children from the neighbouring villages and from Auroville are benefiting from Auroville's educational programme.

Research papers on Auroville's educational work are regularly published and two major publications "The Aim of Life" and "The Good Teacher and the Good Pupil" have been produced to help invigorate a new, integral approach to education.

Education in Auroville is administered under the umbrella of the Sri Aurobindo International Institute for Educational Research (SAIIER), an organisation established in 1984 to focus on Auroville's multi-faceted educational and cultural activities for both children and adults.

Environmental Regeneration

Auroville has gained national and international acclaim for its wasteland reclamation and reforestation work. More than 2,500 acres of near barren and visibly dying land have been transformed into a lush green area. Comprehensive contour bunding and the building of small check dams for soil and water conservation have significantly enhanced the life-support potential of the whole area. Over 2 million forest trees, hedge trees, fruit, and fuel wood trees have been planted.

The Auroville Centre for Ecological Land Use and Rural Development, "Palmyra", has been carrying out soil and water conservation, and reforestation programmes over the last decade on almost 3,000 acres of village land with a total of more than 1.2 million trees having been planted. Palmyra also offers training programmes for farmers, NGOs, and government officers in the field of ecological and sustainable land use.

Handicrafts and Small-Scale Industries

There are more than 100 commercial units, large and small, operated by Auroville at present. Their activities are diverse and include handicrafts (such as ready-made garments for adults and children, candle and incense products, embroidery, crochet, quilts, hand painted silk, beadwork, jewellery, postcards, leather work, pottery, paper lampshades, woodwork, etc.), printing and graphic design, food processing, electronics and engineering, computer software, windmill manufacturing, and construction and architectural services.

In terms of its own maintenance, Auroville wishes to become increasingly self-sufficient. Auroville's commercial units have an important role to play in achieving this objective. Besides generating funds to assist the community in maintaining its basic services and infrastructure, the units provide employment and training for the local villagers, enabling them to improve their standard of living and acquire valuable skills. At present, about 5,000 villagers are employed in Auroville.

Health & Healing

Many systems of primary health care are in use in Auroville, including allopathy, homeopathy, acupuncture, chiropody, podology, massage, chromato-therapy, and others.

The Auroville Health Centre, recognised as a Mini Health Centre by the Tamil Nadu State Government, is equipped with basic medical facilities and staffed by an international team. It serves the Auroville community as well as about 200 patients daily from the villages at its headquarters in Kuilapalayam and its sub-centres. A team of 30 local women trained as village health workers serve in 17 villages, giving first aid, home cures and basic health education. The Auroville Health Centre also runs a dental care unit, a children's home for pediatric treatment, a medical lab, a pharmacy and a small medicinal plant garden, and offers several preventive health programmes to village women and children.

Under the aegis of The Indian Foundation for Revitalization of Local Health Traditions (FRLHT), Auroville hosts one of the 15 Medicinal Plants Conservation Parks which are being set up in the three South-Indian states of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The aim of these centres is to revive the local health traditions and the ancient medical systems of India as described in the Ayurveda and its Tamil equivalent, the Siddha.

For this purpose, Auroville has established an ethno-medicinal forest area to conserve medicinal plant diversity, an outreach nursery focusing on medicinal plant propagation and distribution, and a Bio-Resources Centre dedicated to education, training and research in the use of locally available medicinal plants in primary health care.

In 1997, a new healing centre complex, "Quiet", near the beach was inaugurated to focus on providing alternative healing therapies. An international homeopathic seminar, led by world-renowned homeopaths from India and UK, marked the beginning of a new chapter in Auroville's Endeavour to combine new therapies with conventional health care.

Since July 2008 Kailash Clinic is operating, right in the middle of Auroville. It is a pilot project of the Integral health Services (IHS), based on an interdisciplinary approach to medicine.

It is providing doctor's consultations, first aid and wound dressing in the morning and complementary therapies in the afternoons.

Innovative Building Technologies

Auroville has gained a considerable knowledge and expertise in the field of innovative, appropriate and cost-effective building technologies, especially earth construction and ferro-cement.

Earth construction uses compressed earth blocks, made with a manual press from local earth mixed with 3-5% cement. The blocks are usually produced on the building site, without polluting the environment or depleting the forests, as no kiln firing is required.

Ferro-cement is a thin cement mortar laid over reinforcing wire mesh, thus employing steel and cement in a highly efficient and cost-effective manner. It is cheap, strong, versatile and long lasting, and the basic techniques are easily acquired, making this building technology readily accessible to the neighbouring villagers. Ferro-cement doors, roofing channels, water tanks, biogas systems, latrines and other building components are being manufactured in Auroville.

The Auroville Building Centre, which is part of a national network of more than 500 building centres all over India initiated by the Housing and Urban Development Corporation of India (HUDCO), provides regular training programmes for masons, master masons, site supervisors, contractors, engineers, and architects. It also offers consultancy, designs buildings and supervises construction sites using these appropriate, cost-effective building technologies. In 1995 and in 1996, the Auroville Building Centre received via HUDCO the yearly Outstanding Performance Award from the Ministry of Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation for its activities in this field.

Integrated Urban Planning

Auroville is located on a low-lying plateau on the south-eastern coast of India, 160 km. south of Madras. At the centre, both physically and spiritually, stands the nearly completed Matrimandir, "the soul of Auroville". Started on 21st February 1971, construction work on this structure has continued uninterruptedly ever since. The inner chamber of Matrimandir, a place for silence and concentration, has been completed and, at present, the work focuses on finishing the outer structure and creating the surrounding gardens.

Four zones will radiate out from the Matrimandir gardens: International, Cultural, Residential and Industrial. The Green Belt, an area for promoting biodiversity, environmental restoration and organic farming, will eventually surround the entire city area. While much of the land still has to be purchased, Auroville presently manages about three-quarters of the total acreage within the future city area, and about 25% within the Green Belt.

The present community of Auroville consists of some 100 settlements of varying sizes. Auroville has created a basic infrastructure of roads, water and electricity supply, and telecommunications, including an electronic communications network. Accommodation has been constructed for 1,500 people, and municipal services for food production, purchase and distribution, electricity and water supply, waste disposal and recycling, education, health care, financial transactions, and town planning have been established.

The Auroville Township Master Plan 2000 - 2025, which has been recently endorsed by the Government of India, is dedicated to the challenge of creating an environment-friendly, sustainable urban settlement that, at the same time, integrates and cares for the neighbouring rural area.

Auroville's concept is therefore to build a city that will economise on land needs by introducing development approaches with an optimum mix of densities and appealing urban forms and amenities, while the surrounding Green Belt will be a fertile zone for applied research in the sectors of food production, forestry, soil conservation, water management, waste management and other areas which assist sustainable development. The results of such innovative methods would be available for application in both rural and urban areas in India and the world.

Organic Farming

The development of an ecologically sound agriculture, which excludes the use of pesticides and detrimental chemicals, and the application of agro-forestry techniques are being actively pursued in Auroville. Efforts are being made with the surrounding village farmers to reverse the process of growing cash crops using chemical inputs in the form of fertilizers and poisonous pesticides such as DDT. Alternative biodegradable pesticides are being developed and marketed as part of an overall attempt to re-introduce sustainable agricultural practices throughout the bioregion.

Training programmes are regularly organized for farmers from the surrounding area. On the national level, Auroville has participated in many Indian conferences on organic farming, and hosted in April 1995 an All-India seminar on organic farming under the name "ARISE: Agricultural Renewal in India for a Sustainable Environment".

Renewable Energy

Concerned with the ecological implications of energy consumption, Aurovilians have been experimenting with the use of renewable energy sources from the beginning. The major forms of renewable energy utilized in Auroville are solar, wind and biomass. At present, more than 1,200 photovoltaic (PV) panels are in use for electricity and water supply. Some 30 windmills of various designs are in operation for pumping water, and specially designed ferro-cement biogas systems process animal and vegetable waste to produce methane gas and organic fertilizers. Today, Auroville has become a major testing ground for renewable energy sources in India.

The Auroville Centre for Scientific Research (CSR), a research institution approved by the Government of India in 1984, is the focal point for many of these activities. It also runs "Awareness Workshops towards a Sustainable Future" for NGO's, government officials, students and professionals on the sustainable techniques applied in Auroville.

Rural Development

Rural development has been a major activity of Auroville since its inception. There are 13 villages in the immediate neighbourhood, comprising about 40,000 people, and altogether 40 villages in the bioregional area. At present, ten Auroville working groups have dedicated themselves to fostering sustainable programmes in these 40 villages.

With funding from a number of national and international organisations, Auroville's rural development programme aims at:

·        Raising the standard of living of the local population through vocational training and self-employment;

·        Involving the villagers in a cooperative effort of wasteland reclamation and organic farming;

·        Improving the health situation through education, preventive care and treatment;

·        Empowering women and providing education to the village children;

·        Encouraging in each village the growth of community spirit and a sense of self-confidence through social initiatives, micro-projects and awareness campaigns.

Location

Auroville is composed of a cluster of properties some 12 km (7.5 mi) north of Pondicherry. It can be easily reached via the East Coast Road (ECR) which connects Chennai and Pondicherry.

The visitor centre and Matrimandir can be reached by travelling 6 km (3.7 mi) westwards from the sign posted turnoff at the ECR. Turning east leads directly to Auroville's private beach called Repos, several hundred metres away.

Climate

It is included in the sub-humid tropics and situated on a plateau region with its maximum elevation of 32 m (105 ft) above sea level located in the Matrimandir area. The annual rainfall average is 1,200 mm (47 in) mainly from the SW monsoon (June to Sept.) and NE monsoon (Nov to Dec) with a dry period of approx 6 months. The average maximum temperature is 32.2 °C (90.0 °F), average minimum 20 °C (68 °F).

Visas (for non-Indians)

As visa requirements vary by nationality, non-Indians need to check in their country of origin well before coming to India. Normally a Tourist Visa is issued for and remains valid for 6 months. Anyone thinking of coming to Auroville for a longer period needs an Entry Visa.  Advice of a general nature on visa requirements for non-Indians can be obtained in Auroville from the Residents Service at the Town hall.

Arrival forms for non-Indians

Any non-Indian person staying in Auroville needs to fill in an Arrival Form within 24 hours of arrival, as per requirement of the Indian Government. Most major guest houses will provide these forms, which can otherwise be obtained from and filled in at the AV Guest Service office at the Solar Kitchen, the Guest Service desk at the AV Financial Service office, or the Residents Service at the Town hall. Aurovilians are reminded that it is the responsibility of the host to see that people visiting Auroville fill in their Arrival Forms, whether the visitors are personal guests or whether the host runs a guest facility.

Indian and local culture

Foreigners coming to stay in Auroville are strongly encouraged to acquaint themselves with the culture and traditions of Tamil Nadu and India. It is especially important to respect local customs which can be quite different from that elsewhere, and include aspects like communication, dress code, and much more. Politeness and correctness in dealing with the local people is paramount, and it is good to remember at all times that one is a guest of the country.

Caution

Along the roads leading into Auroville, one encounters many guesthouses, restaurants; massage centers, art studios, handicraft showrooms etc, bearing ‘Auro’ in their names. Most of these are not associated with the city

Caution is advised while driving on the local roads, as road conditions and traffic habits can be challenging, while extra care is recommended at night, especially for single women, children, and the elderly.

Accommodation

It is highly advisable, in all seasons, before planning a visit to Auroville, to visit the http://www.aurovilleguesthouses.org/  website.  It offers a vast overview on different possibilities of accommodation in Auroville, at different levels of price, location, and comfort. They are all units of Auroville; their stewards are Aurovilians and can help you with all formalities and basic information and support in your early days in Auroville.

If you have not booked before, the Guest Accommodation Service, located at the Visitors Centre, can help you to search among possibilities of accommodation available at the moment.

It should be remembered that Auroville is a non-profit, evolving community that lays stress on a quiet lifestyle that is close to nature. Although the quality of accommodation and service provided may be simple in comparison with, say, a fancy hotel outside, guests tend to enjoy the green, clean surroundings that facilitate space for oneness and inner reflection. 

Website: http://www.aurovilleguesthouses.org 

Timings: 9:30 – 12:30 / 2 – 5 pm.

Phone: 0413-2622704 or 3449

E-mail: guestaccommodation@auroville.org.in 

Accommodation in AV can be broadly divided into 4 categories depending on your space and budget needs:

A - Basic: Accommodation with thatched roof (capsules and simple rooms). Shared bathroom. Suitable for student volunteers.

B - Standard: Simple rooms in brick with concrete or tiled roof. Shared bathroom. Rooms may have a fan. Some include access to a shared kitchen.

C - Good: Comfortable rooms with fans, mosquito protection, attached bathroom. A few have air conditioning. Some include access to a shared kitchen or include breakfast and dinner facilities.

D - Self-contained: Nicely furnished cottage or studio with attached bathroom and kitchen/kitchenette. Often with a veranda, balcony or garden. All rooms have fans and protective mesh on windows. A few have air conditioning. Daily rate may include breakfast, and laundry.

Communications & Media

The Auroville website provides open as well as restricted forums for various projects, interests, organizations and outreach which make up the life of the community. The opinions expressed in these publications are not necessarily those of the community at large. Auroville radio website provides a lot of recordings and daily news covering events in Auroville. Auroville has a small 'Outreach Media' team to regulate visits of journalists and film/video makers. Their aim is to ensure that all journalists and filmmakers get official, up-to-date information and representative footage from reliable sources.

Auroville Marathon

The Auroville Marathon is an annual marathon (42.195 km or 26.219 mi) event that courses through the city of Dawn Auroville in Tamil Nadu state of India. They also have Half Marathon (21.0975 km or 13.1094 mi) and 10k runs added. It is one of the largest and most popular running events in India, with participants from different parts of India. The event is largely publicized by word of mouth and through blogs and other social networks by runners who have run the race before.

The event is organized by Auroville Runners in association with Auroville community since 2008. Originally started to celebrate the 40 years of Auroville, the enthusiastic participation attracted many runners from other cities and it was decided to make it an annual affair. The event is non-commercial and organized purely for the joy of running. It considers all the finishers as winners and does not award any prize money for the early finishers. That is precisely why this is not a timed run.

Films about Auroville

At present, any filming within and about Auroville requires permission from the Government of India. Many filmmakers visit Auroville and there is a wide range of films available. To name a few:

·        City of the Dawn, full length, 80 min version, 2010

·        Auroville, the outline of a world, full length, 25 minutes, 2009

·     Auroville - A Dream of the Divine (part 1 and 2), full length, 20 min in two parts, 2003.

·        There are six 30 min videos on Auroville by Russian filmmakers.

Interesting Auroville topics can also be seen on Auroville TV, and the films about Auroville screened at the biennial Auroville Film Festival.

Controversy

In May 2008, the BBC produced a 10-minute News night film about Auroville, which was aired on TV. A short version was aired on Radio 4's "From Our Own Correspondent". It also appeared on BBC On-line. The reports contrasted the idealism of its founders with allegations by some people that the community tolerates pedophiles, especially in a school that Auroville has established for local village children. Auroville filed an official complaint to the BBC that the report was biased, untrue and contravened BBC editorial ethical guidelines - after investigations, although a few inaccuracies were identified, Ofcom did not uphold the complaint. In order to protect children in the Auroville area from child abuse, the city instituted an Auroville Child Protection Service which is in action ever since. At the time the BBC report somewhat damaged Auroville's reputation.

Connectivity

Auroville, is a small town 6 km north of Pondicherry. It is well connected from Pondicherry. Nearest Railway Station & Airport are located in Pondicherry.

By Rickshaw (Rs 150-200) or Taxi (Rs 240) from Pondicherry. Many buses between Chennai and Pondicherry pass the turn off to Auroville - you can get down here and into one of the waiting rickshaws at the junction.

You can also take a taxi from Chennai Airport. It costs Rs. 2500. You can also rent scooters in Pondicherry and drive yourself for a day trip or arrange to keep the scooter for a few days or more.

Get around:

It will be best by motorbike, also possible by bicycle. Rickshaws and taxis can be ordered for trips out of the town. If you have a guest card than you can use the community's bus to Pondicherry (for free).

You can hire motorbikes for Rs 50-100 per day and in some guesthouses you'll get a bicycle for free or a small daily fee with your rent.

Auroville is very spread out and large, so if you want to get around freely, rent a scooter or motorbike.

The challenging part is navigating the busier roads in around the village of Kuyilapalayam, the largest Tamil village in or near Auroville. In addition to other motorbikes, you will encounter pedestrians, bicycles, cows, dogs, small tour buses, and the occasional ox cart loaded with hay. Traffic can be heavy at dusk, when the herds of cows head home and everybody else seems trying to get some place else.

Remember to stay on the left and look both ways before turning or crossing a road. If you make a right turn, be sure to end up on the left side of your new road.

The nearest petrol station is on the sea front road (aka the Beach Road) just north of the Auroville turnoff. If you find yourself low while in Kuyilapalayam village, a few of the shops have 1 liter water bottles filled with petrol for sale. Petrol goes a long way, but keep an eye on the level because running out can be very inconvenient and possibly unsafe.

Always travel with a charged cellphone, and know how to use it to call your moped supplier, your guest house, and your fellow travellers. Motorbikes have a way of breaking down or not starting, so it's better to travel in pairs or groups. That way you can always catch a ride on the back some someone else's bike.