Auroville

Auroville (City of Dawn) is an "experimental" township in founded in 1968 Viluppuram district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India near Puducherry in South India. "Auroville wants 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" runs the first public message of the founder of Auroville, Mirra Alfassa.

History

Auroville was founded in 1968 by Mirra Alfassa, also known as The Mother. She was a collaborator of Sri Aurobindo, who believed that "man is a transitional being". Alfassa 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." Alfassa also believed that such a universal township will contribute decisively to the Indian renaissance (Ref. Mother's Agenda, Vol. 9, dt.3.02.68). The Government of India endorsed the township, and in 1966, UNESCO also endorsed it inviting the member-states to participate in the development of Auroville. UNESCO re-endorsed Auroville four times more in course of last 40 years.

In the inauguration ceremony attended by delegates of 124 nations on 28th February 1968, Alfassa 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 realisations.
Auroville will be a site of material and spiritual researches for a living embodiment of an actual Human Unity.

After the death of Alfassa in 1973, problems arose over the management of Auroville between Aurovilians and some of the initial pioneers based at Puducherry. A period of turmoil followed.

The Matrimandir

In the middle of the town is the Matrimandir, which has been acclaimed as "an outstanding and original architectural achievement". It was conceived by Alfassa as "a symbol of the Divine's answer to man's inspiration 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 The Peace area in which the structure is situated is characterized by three main features: the Matrimandir itself with its twelve gardens,twelve petals and future lakes, the Amphitheater and the Banyan Tree.

Inside the Matrimandir, a spiraling ramp leads upwards to an air- conditioned chamber of polished white marble - "A place to find one's consciousness". At its centre, a 70cm crystal ball in a gold mount and glow with a single ray of sunlight that is directed on the globe from the top of structure. According to Alfassa, this represents "a symbol of future realisation."

When there is no sun or after the sunset, the sunray on the globe is replaced by beam from a solar powered light.

Matrimandir has its solar power plant and is surrounded by manicured gardens.

Radiating from this centre 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.

Government, belief system

Auroville is governed by the Auroville Foundation through an act of the Indian Parliament. The Secretary of Auroville Foundation is thus in charge of endorsing or revoking a particular person's Auroville membership status.The Foundation, fully controlled by the Indian Ministry of Human Resource Development, currently owns about half of the total land required for the township. The remaining lands are being purchased whenever funds are available.

Politics and religion are not supposed to be in Auroville. Formally, it is the township, not the inhabitants, that owns the houses.

In 2004, the then president of India Dr. A.P.J.Abdul Kalam visited Auroville and expressed his upmost appreciation and moral support to Auroville. In January 2008, the current president of India, Mrs. Pratibha D. Patil visited Auroville and expressed her kindest appreciation of the vision and work of Auroville. "It is India's destiny to support this work for the future of mankind" were her closing words in a message on the occasion of Auroville's 40th anniversary.

Central documents articulating the vision of Auroville are the following:

Society and population

Although originally intended to house 50,000, the actual population today is 2,007 (1,553 adults and 454 minors), coming from 44 nationalities, 836 of whom are of Indian origin. The community is divided up into neighborhoods with English, Sanskrit, French and Tamil names like Aspiration, Arati, La Ferme, and Isaiambalam.

Architecture, technology, and education

According to the Auroville webpage, "The dream of building a new city for the future on a clean slate, with the purpose of promoting research and experimentation alongside integral development, has been attracting architects and students of architecture from all over the world ever since Auroville´s inception in 1968. Not having pre-defined by-laws or being bound by the conventions of human society has allowed a multitude of expressions to manifest in the course of Auroville´s development, as natural extensions of the quest for the new."

Satprem Maïni a French Aurovilian architect, the director of the Auroville Earth Institute, is representative for India and South Asia to the “ UNESCO Chair Earthen Architecture, Constructive Cultures and Sustainable Development”.

Some public drinking fountains feature "dynamised" water, which has been "made healthier" by having the water listen to Bach and Mozart.

Under the umbrella of Sri Aurobindo International Institute of Educational Research (SAIIER), Auroville runs several educational institutions in and around Auroville.

Economy

Instead of paper and coin currency, residents are given a account numbers to connect to their central account. Visitors, however, are requested to get a temporary account.

Auroville currently is not in position to provide free accommodation to all newcomers who come to Auroville. Consequently, the newcomers are expected to contribute financially towards building their house in Auroville.The house can be simple one room apartment or, if need be, it can be of a larger size. Thus, the housing cost form the largest item of expense for the newcomers, though there are ongoing efforts to provide free accommodation to the long term Aurovilians who have proved their commitment to the progress of Auroville. Residents of Auroville are expected to contribute a monthly contribution to and 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 could cover simple bacis needs of life. Auroville's economy as its overall life are of evolving nature and there are ongoing experiments to reach closer to the vision.

As states Auroville Today, "there are two more obstacles the lack of work opportunities and the low levels of ‘maintenance'. Auroville has only a small economic base and newcomers often cannot find suitable work in the commercial units or in the services. If they can, the levels of ‘maintenance' paid – Rs 5,000 for those who work full-time for Auroville's services, a bit more for those who work for commercial units – are just sufficient to cover basic living costs, but not to pay for a house, or for paying-off a loan.

Auroville finances itself mainly by receiving contributions from its 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 Pondicherry, or are sold around India and abroad. Each of these units contributes a considerable part of their profits to the township. Over 5000 people, mostly from the nearby localities, are employed in various sections and units of Auroville.

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

Location

Auroville is composed of a cluster of properties some 12km 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 eight kilometres westwards from the signposted turnoff at the ECR. Turning east leads directly to Auroville's private beach called Repose, several hundred metres away.

Pedophilia controversy

BBC journalist, Rachel Wright produced several reports about Auroville in May and June 2008 contrasting the idealism of its founders with allegations by some villagers living near Auroville that the community tolerates paedophile abuse. The report also examined the power imbalance between the wealthy, mostly-European members of Auroville, and the much poorer indigenous community. A follow-up BBC television report featured a response by Carel Thieme, an Auroville representative, rebuffing the BBC report and the witnesses as wildly prejudiced.

Communication and media

The Auroville website accesses journals and newsletters providing open as well as restricted forums for various projects, interests, organizations and outreach which make up the life of the community. Note: The opinions expressed in these publications are not necessarily shared by the community at large.

Auroville has a small but dedicated 'OutreachMedia' team who regulate visits of journalists and film/video makers. Their particular aim is to ensure that all journalists and filmmakers get the official, up-to-date information or relevant/representative footage from the correct sources so that generally their visit is a fruitful and constructive one.

Notes

References

English Titles:

Abundance Publications. The Auroville Handbook.Pondicherry: All-India Press, 2003.
Auroville – Development Perspectives 1993–1998 – An Invitation To Participate, Typoscript, Autoren/Hrsg. Auroville Development Group, Bharat–Nivas, Auroville 1993, no ISBN
K.M. Agarwala (Hrsg.): Auroville - The City Of Dawn, Sri Aurobindo Center New Delhi 1996, no ISBN
Auroville References in Mother's Agenda, Auroville Press, Auroville, no Y., no ISBN
Jerome Clayton Glenn: Linking the Future: Findhorn, Auroville Arcosanti, published by Hexiad Project/ Center on Technology and Society, Cambridge, Massachusetts 1979, no ISBN
Lonely Planet 2005: India, no ISBN
Peter Richards: Experience!Auroville – Guide Book for Guests and Visitors, Pondicherry 2000, no ISBN
Savitra: Auroville: Sun-Word Rising – A Trust For The Earth, published by The Community of Auroville, Auroville 1980, no ISBN
The Auroville Adventure – Selections from ten years of Auroville Today, published by Auroville Today, Auroville 1998, no ISBN
The Auroville Experience – Selections from 202 issues of Auroville Today, November 1988 to November 2005, published by Auroville Today, Auroville 2006, no ISBN

German titles:

Mira Alfassa: Die Mutter über Auroville, Auropublikations (Hrsg.), Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust, Pondicherry 1978, no ISBN
Renate Börger: Auroville – Eine Vision blüht, Verlag Connection Medien, Niedertaufkirchen 2004, 3. veränderte Aufl., ISBN 3-928248-01-4
Alan G. (Hrsg.): Auroville – Ein Traum nimmt Gestalt an, o.O. (vermutlich Auroville/ Pondicherry) 1996, 1. dt. Aufl., o.ISBN
Michael Klostermann: Auroville – Stadt des Zukunftsmenschen; Fischer Taschenbuch Verlag, Frankfurt/M., Februar 1976; ISBN 3-436-02254-3