Kailash – a journey through time

To this day, one of my fondest memories is sitting on the maddu vandi (bullock cart) that carried my belongings the short distance from Surrender to Kailash. I’m smiling from ear to ear as I sat with the driver, my parents driving alongside on a scooter, down the red earth road which we now call the ‘Surrender stretch’. It was August of 2005, I was 16 years old, and embarking on a new adventure. I can’t describe the feeling. Maybe elation? Maybe excitement? The feeling of being ready for the next step in life and being thankful that the existence of Kailash made this possible. My parents are almost as enthusiastic as I am – they know that home is not far away. I know I’m ready. Every cell in my body is ready. The road ahead is inviting, and I can’t wait to be challenged.

Before the big move, I had introduced myself to the residents of Kailash and to Jean-François and Kripa, the two Aurovilians who made Kailash a reality. I remember eagerly enquiring about my “acceptance” when I saw Jean-François in school the next day. And then, on the first night in my new home, I lit all the candles I had with me and made a small pooja offering to Ganesh, asking him to remove all obstacles. I can still recall that lightness of being at this time of new beginnings.

I imagine that’s exactly how the original ‘Kailashians’ must have felt when they approached Jean-François and Kripa in 1998. Initially, some of the youngsters had dreams about a community of young people, just as Ami had been years before. “They saw a need in Auroville and were ready to take on a project, even if it meant they themselves would not likely benefit from it. And that was also the beauty of it,” says Kripa. “It was really driven by grace, it was something magical that needed to manifest. From the side of the youth, Ofa and Shandra were especially consistent and held a clear vision of the project.”

As the project proceeded, it met with many obstacles, the foremost being its location. A petition was circulated by local residents to have Kailash moved away from the residential zone; only land on the outskirts of Auroville was being offered instead. “This was not an option for us, not only for basic security reasons, but also for ethical and ideal reasons: we wanted the youth to be in the middle of the community’s life,” says Kripa. “Kireet Joshi, who was then Chairman of the Governing Board and the International Advisory Council, repeatedly expressed in his speeches that we should put the youth in the centre of Auroville. Alongside this, the spirit of the Auroville Charter and The Mother’s words on Auroville youth were a constant inspiration and call to action. This greatly helped Kailash get its very central location.”

While some forces challenged the dream, others in the community stood strong in support of the project. Gilles provided Kailash with a water connection from the Solar Kitchen during Kailash’s construction, Ulli and colleagues from Gateway Trust funded the project, and Matthias from Altecs offered to build Kailash with a price guarantee and contract based on his recent experience of building Auroshilpam. “He even paid from his own pocket when it went over budget,” says Kripa. Pierro, Gloria, Annupama and Aurosatprem also gave some inputs when the Development Group was reviewing the aesthetics of the building. Kripa continues, “And then, we laid the foundation stone and started the work. We dug our red earth and put our sweat and tears into the project, passing chetties full of cement under the summer sun. There was a group of us, Ofa, Ladina, Shandra, Kevin, Aryan, Ira, Jitta, Jean-François and I. We were all working on site every Saturday with the construction crew.”

Through perseverance and hard work, the initial group of Auroville youth that shared the ‘Kailash Dream’, saw it begin to come to fruition three years after its conception and by September of 2001 the Kailash pioneers had set foot in their new homes.

The first years

It would take some time for the true spirit of Kailash to envelop the newly established youth community. Jean-François recalls: “The first two years were quite chaotic. It didn’t help that the building wasn’t fully finished – the youngsters were so eager to move in. In those days Kailash was often overwhelmed, especially during the school holidays. It took us some time to find a good balance and during those early days we talked a lot about guidelines. This was necessary because the kids were being given a level of freedom without being prepared for it. The guidelines we came up with are still valid today: each resident must be engaged in an educational activity, respect the neighbours, participate in collective life (attend the weekly internal meeting, cooking for all once a week, community clean up, taking care of the water pump), no drugs, being responsible for your guests, and no loud music after 10 pm. The first group that brought a community spirit was the second generation of Kailashians. They included Fabien, Edgar, Vania, Vika, Olga, Indra, Sven, Kumar, and Davy. There we felt the beginning of something real, and the guidelines implemented in the original project started to become meaningful.”

The Kailash experience

Looking back over the last fifteen years, Jean-Francois explains, “Kailash is a place for social and communal life where young people have the opportunity to make mistakes, learn from them, and progress. Our weekly meetings serve this purpose also. When you learn from understanding the consequences of your actions, your consciousness grows. And it turns out that older youth can be the greatest guides and role models. Kailash is for everyone and not restricted to teenagers who are having problems at home. For example, some teenagers wish to come to Kailash in order to learn to live away from home before they go abroad for studies, while others see it as a good place to get to know yourself while surrounded by friends. Also, Kailash accommodates young people who come without parents and provides a frame for them. It’s so great to see that all the initial fears have been trumped by faith.” And when it comes to faith, it’s an integral part of the experience.

Kailash’s proximity provided some ease of mind for the parents of many residents. “It helped a lot that Kailash was just around the corner,” my mother, Gudula, comments. “When it comes to the role of being a mother of three children, I am very lucky to have been always able to let them go, and we have always supported the independence of our children and allowed them to make their own choices. As parents we also learn through our children’s journeys. There is always trust.”

A great number of teenagers have lived in Kailash. The number is close to 130, with some staying for as long as seven years of their teenage life. That’s many generations of Aurovilians! Kripa shows me the A4 paper on which I had signed my name when moving in twelve years ago. I see that she has a meticulous record of each and every resident that lived in Kailash over the past 15 years.

Edgar, who is 34 today but was one of the first teenagers to move into Kailash in 2002, says: “It was good fun, but importantly also the first step towards independence. I learned a few good dishes like mustard and cream chicken, which I still cook today!”

Dylan, now 20, is a more recent Kailashian. “My time in Kailash gave me the chance to enjoy two years of my teens with a diverse group, and it exposed me to a host of personalities, which greatly broadened my horizon. It’s a platform for the transition from ‘life with mum and dad’ to complete independence. It had the structure I needed to stay on track but it also offered the opportunity to better understand and apply my freedom and the responsibilities that come with it. It’s a great stepping-stone for the youth of Auroville and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to be a part of this evolving project and to the people that made it possible.”

Another aspect of Kailash community life is mentioned by Dasha, now 25, who lived in Kailash from 2006 till 2011. “When I lived in Kailash it felt like a big family. We all looked out for each other. It’s funny how the dynamics changed as different people moved in. We had phases. For some time a lot of us were into sports; Anadi, Angelo and Yashasah especially, they were our sports junkies. Sometimes the table downstairs would be covered in books with people doing homework, while other times as different people moved in we were more into socialising.”

“For me, Kailash was about experiencing boundaries and learning how to respect close neighbours. But, also, living in such a community allowed for a sort of collective growth, because we also learned from each other’s experiences,” says Fabien, one of the current caretakers of Kailash who lived in Kailash in his teens. “Because there was a certain structure, for example, of weekly meetings, mistakes were followed up by our mentors and this enabled all of us to learn. In fact, this means that Kailash acts as a platform and a place where you can grow faster than in any other system, where you simultaneously receive guidance but also learn to be responsible and independent. It’s really a place of growth.”

Kripa and Jean-François share some of their fondest memories with me, and I identify with many of them. A lot of them involve a feeling of community spirit, whether it’s early morning Sunday gardening, repairing the fence, cleaning the water tank, painting the staircase, training for the Auroville marathon, as well as marathon homework sessions, cooking and eating together, or enjoying a night of holiday celebration. The well-attended Kailash fundraiser and karaoke night on the 25th of November last year is one such example of community life. “Seeing how young people change and grow and transform is very gratifying. When people come back to Auroville and share their life stories with us, everything is worth it,” says Kripa.

Challenges and opportunities

Financially, Kailash has often struggled. I remember that while I was living there I had volunteered to do the accounting. Practically, it meant making sure that all the residents contributed monthly in a timely manner, collecting bills and paying wages. Kailash often ran into minus near the end – and regrettably sometimes the middle – of the month. Then, when we did grocery shopping in Pour Tous, I would approach Jean-Christophe (then Pour Tous executive), and kindly ask him to extend our credit line. It was never an issue but it really taught us to adjust our collective spending and take responsibility for our expenses as a community. This, of course, meant sacrifices from time to time, because while for the most part we ate well, we sometimes had parotas from Alankuppam for many days in a row.

Chuckling, Kripa recalls: “Without small gifts from friends in and outside of Auroville, Kailash wouldn’t have been able to keep going. Once, while I was swimming in the ocean with a friend, between strokes I shared with her that we could barely afford the wages for the construction crew. And the next day I received a generous cheque from her! And more recently, after Carlos agreed to do the painting work for us, he started even without knowing when he would receive payment.”

As it stands, Kailash doesn’t have a budget from City Services like the Youth Center does. The building needs regular maintenance, and as time passes, repairs become even more expensive. Furthermore, the team of ‘adult caregivers’ have expressed a willingness to pass on the mantle, calling for support. In this connection, Quentin (23) and Fabien (31), two of the ex-residents are now also caretakers. Being ex-residents, they identify with and value Kailash as no one else can. “I lived in Kailash for three years where I learned to live by myself,” says Quentin. “Quite soon, I was one of the eldest there with the most responsibilities. It felt like a good step. Then I left Auroville but since I’ve been back I frequently passed by Kailash. I was aware that there was somehow a need of more caretakers so I offered to give a hand. I have a good connection with the youth, and so even though I was only 22, it was okay. I go every two or three days and to all the weekly meetings. I feel like the Kailashians are happy to have a caretaker that they know a bit more; they are comfortable talking to me. It has been fun, but I do it really as a service, and I recommend all the youth to try the experience,” says Quentin.

Fabien adds: “It has been five years since Jean-François and Kripa approached me and I agreed to take on the role of caretaker of Kailash, and the experience has taught me a lot about myself. At present, although we would like some more adult members, Quentin and I work as a team and we can rely on each other. We operate in such a way that the residents are encouraged to find solutions to problems themselves and follow up on any issues that there are.” Looking back 15 years, he says: “What I’ve seen is that every generation that moves into Kailash starts at zero, that the same topics come up over and over again. They are usually about respect for your neighbours and taking care of your guests. Overall, it’s the same patterns. However, Kailash is much more structured and quiet than before. I really believe that the kids who grow through Kailash can make it anywhere in the world. There is nothing like collective living to explore and push yourself to find solutions. And sixteen is an amazing age to start having this experience because you already have an idea of what you want in life, and you can start working on it. In this aspect, Kailash has seen some very productive young people. And for those for whom Kailash was too challenging, the doors always remain open at a later stage. Auroville would benefit from having more places like this.”

Jean-François explains that “Kailash doesn’t work for everyone, but it’s rare that youngsters don’t find their place there. For most residents, there is tremendous personal growth. However, for some, the comfort of home is irreplaceable and Kailash then fills the role of being a great place to see your friends at the weekend.”

“Kailash was my second home” says Sushant, an Auroville youth who has personally never lived in Kailash but has witnessed first-hand the changes it fostered in his friends. “I see it as paramount that the ‘Kailash Dream’ remains a reality for the future of Auroville’s youth. If the history of Kailash and the personal experiences I had as a result have left me with anything, it is that Kailash offers a stepping stone in the sea of life and the journey we take as the youth of Auroville in the transformation from teenager into adulthood. It provides priceless life lessons, invaluable experiences and an indispensable community for our youth. In the dictum so often expressed by parents. ‘It builds character!’ It is my belief that as Aurovilians the immeasurable value of such a place can only be linked to the purpose of Auroville, as a significant force that shapes and nourishes future generations of Aurovilians to the sense of community.”

If living and growing up in Kailash in Auroville has taught me anything it’s that mistakes are life lessons, and we are fortunate to be able to live in a supportive community where the mix of freedom and guidance is so attuned to our collective aspiration of constant progress.