A Tamil Youth Story

I had many more questions and was curious to know about these ‘strangers’ who lived in a strange place called Auroville.

I slowly started learning and got interested more and more about the culture of Auroville.

But a few years later, my father passed away from a heart attack. I was only ten years old, and my family was facing a lot of financial difficulties, and I was also struggling with my studies. So I decided to work to earn an income to support my family. I found some short term jobs in my locality like carpentry, plumbing, cleaning and assisting with load carriers, among other odd jobs I would do on a daily basis. While I was able to financially support my family my education took a backseat and my grades started falling and I stopped going to Auroville.

Two years later, I joined Mohanam Cultural Center for weekend classes where I got the chance to re-connect with Auroville and its people. There I learnt a lot about traditional dance and music from my Tamil culture. My interest in the creative field started developing at this stage. I started enjoying my time at the workshops and slowly developed a lot of interest. My keen interest and determination towards traditional dance and music were visible throughout my days. Mohanam selected me to perform on multiple occasions. At first, I was very shy and it would take me time to open up in front of people. But each performance would help increase my self confidence and my courage to perform in front of a large audience. At the end of each performance, listening to the audience cheer and applaud gave me a lot of encouragement and motivated me to continue in this field.

Through Mohanam, I also started spending a lot of time in Auroville and met several people from the community. Auroville, with its unique model of conscious living and alternate methods of human development, attracts people from all over the world to volunteer and work and contribute to the society. The township gave me a very wide exposure and gave me the chance to meet and interact with people from all over the world, like France, Germany, USA and several other nations. During my interactions, I realised how limitless my opportunities were if I was only willing to do my best to manifest my dreams. It inspired me to think bigger and to see the importance of being ambitious and having goals in life.

Mohanam gave me the chance to perform outside of Tamil Nadu. My first trip was to Odisha, a state in the eastern belt of India known for its tribal cultures and temples. I always had a lot of inhibitions and misconceptions about people from other states of India. But travelling to different states and getting first-hand experience with the locals made me realise that despite culture and language differences, we were very similar as people. Since then, I have had several opportunities of intercultural exchanges with other places in India, like Mumbai, Delhi, Kullu Manali, Sikkim etc.

But at this point of time, the financial situation at my home worsened and I was unable to give time to my studies, which led me to drop out of school in 10th grade. However, to continue supporting my family, I joined a unit called Svaram in Auroville. Here, I learned how to create musical instruments using materials like bamboo and clay and also got into music theory and research. I was really happy to make something with my own hands and this experience made me dive deeper into music as a medium of expression. I also started learning music theory and slowly started shifting my focus towards performance arts and not towards traditional mainstream education, like most of my peers.

This was the time when I decided to move out of my family house, which made them very upset, but I was determined to live a life of my own. I realised the importance of education and its scope, and after two gap years, I enrolled in school again to complete my studies. This time, my perception towards education was different. It was no longer about scoring high grades but more about learning new things, even if it was at my own pace. I started enjoying school and became friends with my books. After completing my higher secondary school, I tried to enrol in college to study mathematics. However, my interest lay in the creative field and I knew I would be able to pursue a career in this field. Therefore, I decided to go against the traditional approach and instead I took a course that interested me more: Bachelors in Visual Communication in Acharya Arts and Science College, under Pondicherry University. This course was closely aligned to my interest areas and included electives like photography, video-making and other technical topics that I was keen on pursuing.

Meanwhile, I was still working and performing with Mohanam Cultural Center and in 2010, I was selected to perform at the Yonchai Thailand International Theatre Festival. This was my first ever experience of flying to a different country and turned out to be one of the most enriching experiences of my life. There were people from over 15 countries who had come to the festival to represent their own country. This global exposure impacted me in a positive way and broadened my outlook on the world.

This opportunity, coupled with my time in a cosmopolitan world like Auroville, gave a new meaning to my life - one that was a combination of freedom and the will to bring a positive change in the world and also to live a life of consciousness and harmony with myself and others.

Mohanam helped me stay connected to my roots.

With them, I conducted multiple village tours and expeditions for those outside of India who were interested in knowing about the traditional culture of rural India. I have also been teaching dance and music to people from different countries. This was a form of cultural exchange for me and opened my mind to new opportunities. Whenever I would have a conversation with foreigners, they would express their interest about my culture and this made me realise the value of my tradition and roots. I started focusing much more on Tamil culture and traditions. I also started teaching kids from my village about our traditional dance and music so they will not forget this gift from the past.

After my post-graduation, I wanted to use my new skills in my work in Auroville. Under YouthLink, I was one of the organisers of the international youth day festival for three consecutive years. I also worked as a media communications person with Auroville Village Action Group (AVAG). I have known this organisation from a very young age. I really wanted to work there, but I didn’t know how. Later, I got the incredible opportunity to teach women traditional dance during a women’s festival. When I see the women in an AVAG event, I feel deeply touched because there is a big difference in their expression compared to the way they are in their daily life. Like my mother, women take care of the family and the house in everyday life. When they come together to dance at an AVAG event, there is freedom in them and they are happy to have contact with other women from other villages. I have always felt close to the issues that rural women face, and when I got the chance to have female mentors who helped me learn many things about rural and community development, I felt incredibly honored. I am really happy to work in AVAG - there is no end for learning there.

Simultaneously, I also got another opportunity in a theatre production called Bhu. This production, led by international directors from France, has literally changed my life. For this performance, I started learning Kalaripayattu (Indian martial art) and for the past two years I have been waking up at 5am everyday to attend Kalari class. This has brought more discipline in my life. I discovered a completely new side of me through this experience. I also got the chance to go for multiple national tours for Bhu.

My experience in India and Auroville has been enriching and fulfilling in several ways. I feel so grateful towards all the people who gave me a hand when I needed it, who showed and guided me through my own path, who trusted me to be part of their performance project, who always pushed me to become better. I don’t know how I can express my gratitude to all of them. I will continue on this path and make them proud of me. And this is why I intend now to go to Europe: I want to share the treasures of my country and of this very special place which is Auroville, to the world. I also feel the need to get a global experience and learn the differences of perspectives and cultures.

Today I am applying for a master degree in Germany in the creative field of media and communication combined with traditions and cultures; a combination which aims to bridge the past and the future, the West and the East. It feels like Auroville has been spreading seeds, and I would love to be part of those who can carry its spirit throughout the world.