It is a pretty spot of nature and calmness in the shade of a huge forest. Electric vehicles drive without a noise on roads lit by solar lampposts. Strangely shaped buildings stand out here and there in the middle of the greenery. Restaurants serve delicious meals cooked with the organic products from the neighbouring farms. When pricking up our ears, we can hear the crystal-clear notes of a wind-chime. And to start the day well, people can practice yoga or meditation.

We discovered Auroville somewhat by chance. This name called vaguely to our minds hippy people, a certain utopianism. But the enthusiastic description given by the ‘Guide du Routard’ (French guide book) aroused our curiosity.

We arrived at Repos Beach, called this because of its location on the seaside, eight kilometres from the centre of Auroville. We settled in a small ethereal hut made of palm leaves from coconut trees. It was open to the four winds thanks to an ingenious system of natural ventilation, which was really nice. 

           Sunrise on Repos Beach

It is the custom to travel around by bike or motorbike. We chose the latter to explore the huge area over which Auroville spreads. There were no fences, no entrance gate: the setting is completely open and integrated with the neighbouring Tamul villages. We started by going to the center especially dedicated to the visitors. An exhibition taught us more about the area.

Auroville is a ‘universal city in the making’. This utopia was born in the 1960s from the influence of the Indian philosopher Sri Aurobindo and the fervour given by the Mother, a French woman who joined him in Pondicherry in 1914. For more than 40 years (they started building in February 1968), a handful of men and women from each continent joined to realize the dream of a united mankind. The town was built slowly in the shape of a galaxy, in order to welcome 50,000 inhabitants on the long term.

                         The project Auroville  (image www.auroville.org)

The first Aurovilians started by making the soil, with which they were entrusted, fertile. Numerous dams were built to collect the rainwater and prevent erosion of the ground, and more than two million trees were planted. The arid and fissured original plateau became a magnificent forest, where numerous species of trees shelter increasingly diverse florae and faunae.

With a view to realising an ideal city, where mankind would live in harmony with its environment, the Aurovilians are also pioneers of alternative energy. Since the project started, Auroville has counted on the wind and sun for its electricity. Hybrid modes of transport are used or in development in order to reduce to a minimum the carbon dioxide emissions. The competency of the Aurovilians in the fields of reforestation and solar energy are renowned and in demand all over India and beyond.

All these projects are led by different work units where everyone puts in a lot of effort depending on their abilities and their personal tastes. The work is above all understood as a source of fulfillment for the individuals, and at the same time as a service for the community. Thus, education, health, culture and numerous other services are free for all the Aurovilians. This system reduced to the minimum the circulation of money, which was originally going to be prohibited from Auroville. For the time being, everyone receives an income in order to cover the needs on an egalitarian basis. According to the Mother, a greater talent must correspond to a greater responsibility, and not greater privileges. The absence of ownership is a rule. We understood then that becoming Aurovilian is a choice of life that people commit to for the long term. 

   Gabrielle in front of the Tibetan pavilion that was inaugurated by the Dalai Lama in 2008.

The heart of the city houses the most beautiful of the Aurovilian achievements, fruit of the colossal work of the first inhabitants: the Matrimandir. This harmonious construction, round and symbolic of the ideals of the town, is the meditation centre for the Aurovilians, the place where they come to recharge their batteries. The monument is impressive and surreal.

Beside it is the amphitheater where citizens gather when there are important decisions. In its center is buried the ‘Charter of the City and the Earth’ signed by the 124 countries that were part of UNESCO when the city was founded. From the start, the project received the support of this agency of the UN and of the Indian government. It was a time when mankind used to dream with no shame of a better future and of trying to build it...

           The Matrimandir

This ‘unity in diversity’ was made possible through the sharing of a common spirituality. It is not a religion. The Aurovilians do not have a spiritual leader, but they join together in the practice of the ‘integral yoga’ that was developed by Sri Aurobindo. This practice allows everyone to find harmony within oneself and with the others, and to access the truth by freeing oneself from the tyranny of the ego. Perhaps it is this philosophy that gave the strength to so few people to realize such a big project.

Today, Auroville is inhabited by 2,090 Aurovilians (of which a third are Indians, and a third are Europeans). About 100 newcomers join the city every year. This phenomenon tends to accelerate and the community must face the ‘lodgement crisis’ by focusing its energy on the construction of housing. In the town hall, articles about different transport systems are displayed. They show the Aurovilians’ vision on the long term and their faith in their project. The utopia builds itself slowly, on many generations.

Gabrielle and François
(Translation: Yolene Dabreteau)


To know more about it, have a look at the website of Auroville: www.auroville.org