The Mirra Group’s sports events

A number of women from the villages that surround Auroville and come to Auroville for work feel that the Tamil Aurovilian women are somehow different from them and there is a lack of connection. The Mirra Women’s Group Activity Programme is a practical way in which women can experience the sisterhood which exists all around them and build bridges of friendship and collaboration.

One of the Group’s initiatives was to organize sports events in Auroville for Tamil women from the bioregion and Aurovilians in the Auroville. These one-day programmes began in 2002. Every year between 250-350 women participated.

This year, for the first time and to celebrate Auroville’s 50th year, events were held in a number of local villages. This was part of the Bajaj Fund and Auroville’s 50th Anniversary Sports Programme. The number of people who turned out were far greater than expected: from Morattandi village there were 300 participants, from the Kottakarai area 250 participants and from Edyanchavadi 300 participants.

The sports events are an opportunity to have fun, play together and experience a spirit of team collaboration through cooperative games and mutual encouragement. Further-more, the participants can try out new activities, build awareness through the body and grow in self confidence in an environment which is safe and supportive. For this is a time when the participants can let go of the daily stresses and tensions of their lives.

In addition to the energetic physical activity, there was also space for conversations around education, sanitation, fitness, health, employment and women’s empowerment.

Afterwards, our friends in the bioregion expressed how much they had enjoyed the events and the opportunity to come together in this way. And they commented that they felt honoured that Auroville was coming to them, and providing this opportunity for fun and togetherness. Much gratitude was also expressed to Auroville for improvements in living conditions that have come as a result of its efforts in the bio-region.