Published: February 2023 (3 years ago) in issue Nº 403
Keywords: Passings, Prayatna community, Italy, Existence community, Auroville Council and Entry Board / Admission Committee
References: Matriprasad, Jivatma and Amrita
In memoriam - Matriprasad (Marco Zaccanti)

Matriprasad
Matriprasad passed away at the age of 65 in his apartment in Prayatna. His body was found around noon on 26 January; he had earlier informed his colleagues that he felt unwell and wouldn’t come to work for a few days. The cremation of his remains took place at the Auroville Cremation grounds in the afternoon of the next day.
Matriprasad (Marco Zaccanti) came to Pondicherry and Auroville for the first time in 1978 with a group of friends from Italy. In the mid-80s he settled in Auroville in the Existence community and was active with forestry work, the Auroville Council and the Entry Board, of which he was presently a member. He was a silent and persevering presence who will be missed by his friends, colleagues and all those who knew him.
Our condolences go out to his family in Italy and to Ana and her daughters, Jivatma and Amrita, for whom he was a true father figure during his years in Existence. As they put it, “He has been a dearly loved member of our family since our arrival in Auroville and has made our lives brighter with his warmth and affection, his quiet wisdom, and his irrepressible wit, playfulness, and humour. His memory will always remain in our hearts, as will the strength of his faith and commitment to Auroville’s ideals.”