Introduction

About 14 kilometers (8.75 miles) north of Pondicherry town, just over the border in Tamil Nadu, is the experimental international community, Auroville. Auroville is envisioned as a universal town where people from different nationalities, faiths and beliefs, can live in peace and harmony. This universal town started in 1968 under the guidance of The Mother, a Paris-born painter and musician who became Sri Aurobindo’s disciple and close companion from 1924 till his death in 1950. Spread out over 50 square kilometers, at Auroville soil from 126 countries was placed in a container when the community opened in 1968.

Today, the ‘universal town’ comprises over 50 communities with about 1100 people from around the world, most of them being foreigners. Several countries have offered to set up permanent pavilions, reflecting their culture and ethos. You will notice that many houses at Auroville have unique designs. The motto of Auroville is “Auroville belongs to nobody in particular but to humanity as a whole.” This universal town has many activities under its belt including schools, research institute and other establishments. The research institute conducts research on energy, agriculture and other establishments. At its heart, you will find the ‘Matrimandir’, the spiritual centre of Auroville. This Peace Area of the township comprises gardens, amphitheatre, a banyan tree and the Matrimandir that constitutes soil of 121 nations and 23 Indian states.

The spiritual centre of Auroville, Matrimadir is a domed structure with a crystal sphere in the meditation room. Once inside, you must maintain complete silence. The great banyan tree adjacent to the mandir was to be felled during its construction, but according to legend the soul of the tree protested to The Mother in a dream and the location of the temple was eventually shifted. The city zone of Auroville is surrounded by organic farms, dairies, orchards, forests and wildlife farms, also known as the Green Belt Area.

Exploring this universal town involves some amount of walking, through lush gardens, muddy trails and paved walkways, amidst sheer peace and tranquility. So as to make Auroville a self-supporting township, efforts have been made to expand the 109-hectare area into an Industrial Zone, comprising “green” industries. Several training centers, small and medium-scale industries, and art and craft centers, in addition to the city administration office have been set up in this region.

For your convenience, there is a Visitor’s Information Centre near Bharat Nivas, open daily from 0930 to 1730 hours. Next door is a decent vegetarian restaurant and Boutique d’Auroville (0900 to 1730 hours), which offers a range of books, gems, postcards and incense. The gardens are open between 0900 and 1700 hours. You can browse the Matrimandir between 1600 to 1700 hours, provided you get a pass (free) at the Visitor's Centre before 1530 hours. A 10-minute video on the philosophy and structure of Auroville is shown daily except Sundays from 1030 to 1530 hours at the Visitor’s Centre.

If you intend spending a few days at Auroville, you can stay with one of the many resident community groups. Though, they prefer people interested in the project and those who want to stay on for a week or more. Rooms here range from Rs 100 to Rs 500, depending on the facilities offered. You can get in touch with Boutique d’Auroville or the Visitor’s Centre in Auroville for arranging an accommodation.

Special Attributes

Auroville is envisioned as a universal town where people from different nationalities, faiths and beliefs, can live in peace and harmony.

Nuisance

The site is very peaceful and free of irritants.

Dressing restrictions

Dress appropriately, avoid wearing short or revealing clothes.

Connectivity

To get around Auroville you will need your own transportation, as everything is spread out. You can take the coastal road from Pondicherry and turn off at the village of Chinna Mudaliarchavadi. You may have to ask where the turn-off is located, as it is poorly indicated. You can also get here by going on the Pondicherry "Tirunallar" to Chennai road, turning off at Promesse, about a kilometer after the police station.

Buses only go to the villages of Chinna Mudaliarchavadi and Periya Mudaliarcha-vadi, from where you have to get an auto-rickshaw to the Matrimandir. An auto-rickshaw roundtrip from Pondicherry should come close to Rs 200 and a taxi Rs 500. The daily PTDC (Pondicherry Tourism Development Corporation) city tour buses goes to the Matrimandir. You can even hire a bike from Pondicherry, though the road can be rough in places.

Enjoyed by

Families, Senior Citizens, Backpackers

Exposure

You will mostly be under the open sky. On a summer afternoon you will be exposed to a harsh sun, so it is advisable to wear fully covered clothes, dab loads of sunscreen lotion, put on your sunshades and carry along a bottle of drinking water.

Avoidable Season

April, May, June, July, August, September

Facilities

Auroville is an innovative concept, though ahead of its time. It is a great chance to interact with people from different nationalities, faiths and beliefs. You can meditate in peace at the Matrimandir, the spiritual centre of Auroville. Basic accommodation can also be arranged.

Things Not Allowed

No such restriction.

Tip

Wear your walking shoes, as exploring Auroville involves a fair bit of walking.

Type of site

A universal town