Auro Vidya Retreat inaugurated

The new centre is located in the Sri Meerambikai Garden development on the Old Auroville Road, directly opposite Felicity community and near Gaia’s Garden Guest House. Speakers at the inauguration included Dr. Ananda Reddy, Dr. Karan Singh, Shraddhavan, Carel, Dr. Prema Nandakumar, and Dr. Sampadananda Mishra. The Retreat, with its finishing touches expected to be completed in two to three months, will be opening its doors near the start of the new year. Set in a plot of mango trees, one of which stands in the centre of its open hall, the Retreat will provide a venue for higher education activities for Auroville and the region. As Dr. Reddy explained, it will focus on Sri Aurobindo studies in different forms such as online studies, physical classes, seminars or retreat programmes on the weekends.

Ananda Reddy recalled that it was Dr. Karan Singh who had four years ago encouraged him to go ahead with the Retreat Centre, saying “You complete the building, we will see how it works”. Dr. Singh inaugurated the building by lighting an oil lamp and a ceremonial unveiling of the charan of the Mother, her feet as represented by the soles of her sandals, which had also been unveiled during the inauguration of SACAR by Nirodbaran on 29 February 2000.

Dr. Karan Singh began his brief talk by reciting Sri Aurobindo’s poem Rose of God, which he mentioned has a certain liturgical quality. Recalling Ananda’s father Madhusadan Reddy, a respected scholar and devotee who had planned to build a big University of Tomorrow in Hyderabad, Dr. Singh expressed appreciation to the Reddy family for their dedicated service to Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, including Ananda’s sister Chhalamayi, who for many years has run a school based on Sri Aurobindo’s and the Mother’s principles in Hyderabad, and Ananda who started SACAR in Pondicherry and now this Retreat Centre near Auroville. Dr. Singh indicated that he has been emphasizing the need for higher education in Auroville, and he hoped that formal links could be established between the Retreat Centre and SAIIER, the Auroville education organisation. He expressed his hope that Aurovilians would take advantage of the higher educational opportunities of the new Auro Vidya Retreat, and noted that Ananda and SACAR have much expertise in providing higher education.

Shraddhavan in her comments recalled how the Mother had invited Ananda Reddy, a graduate of the Ashram school, to work in Auroville education when the Aspiration school opened in December 1970. She had worked with Ananda at the school then, and over the years they have had many interactions in their common aim “to spread the understanding and appreciation of Sri Aurobindo’s vision and teachings.” She also noted how Ananda had been the first to start giving classes at the keet hut that would eventually become Savitri Bhavan, classes on The Life Divine which continued for many years during which time the first permanent building was competed and inaugurated by their “dear elder brother Nirod-da.” Shraddhavan welcomed Ananda’s return to Auroville with the upcoming completion of the Auro Vidya Retreat and soon an office and regular presence at Savitri Bhavan.

Ananda and his wife Deepshika have now become Friends of Auroville and the link between SACAR and the Auroville Foundation now awaits to be formalized so that Aurovilians and visitors to Auroville can benefit from the educational opportunities provided by the Retreat Centre and SACAR. As someone who has been long associated with SACAR, I was particularly pleased to see the Auro Vidya Retreat come up practically next door to my home, and look forward to personally collaborating in making a spiritually-oriented higher education available in Auroville.