Auroville

Auroville is an experimental township in the state of Tamil Nadu, India near Puducherry (formerly called as Pondicherry) in South India. Auroville was inspired by the vision of “Sri Aurobindo and founded by Mirra Alfassa, known as the Mother”. 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.

The Mission Of Auroville

“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 realise human unity.”

Auroville City Plan – Overview

The Auroville Town planning is aimed to be green. The whole city is divided into different zones like peace area, industrial area, green belt. restidentilal area. The Peace area has the “Matrimadir – Temple of the Mother”.

Peace Area – It is center of the township. It comprisies of 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 – It is a 109-hectare area to the north of the Peace Area. It is a zone for “green” industries, It will contain small and medium-scale industries, training centres, arts and crafts, and the city’s administration.

Residential Zone – It is the largest of the four city zones. This zone provides 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 central focus of this zone 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 – The Cultural Zone will be a site for applied research in educationand provides facilities for cultural, educational, art and sports activities.

Green Belt – The city area with a radius of 1.25 km. will be surrounded by a Green Belt of 1.25 km width. It is a zone of organic farms, dairies, orchards, forests, and wildlife areas.

Matrimandir

The force of energy and the soul of Auroville, the place where there is no religion, no symbolism, no organized meditation sessions and no images of “God” .  This is not a shrine. This is the big meditation hall where one can discover and learn to concentrate.

Description Of Matrimandir

The Matrimandir is in the form of a huge spherical structure surrounded by twelve pedestals. The central dome is covered by golden discs and reflects sunlight, which give Matrimandir its characteristic radiance. Inside the central dome is the central meditation hall known as the inner chamber.

The spacious Inner Chamber in the upper hemisphere of the structure is completely white, with white marble walls and white carpeting. In the centre a pure crystal-glass globe suffuses a ray of electronically guided sunlight which falls on it through an opening at the apex of the sphere.”The most important thing is this: the play of the sun on the centre. Because that becomes the symbol, the symbol of future realisations.”

The atmosphere is quiet and charged, and the area is astoundingly beautiful.

The name ‘Matrimandir’ means literally ‘Temple of the Mother’.