February 20, 2018: Auroville’s 50th Anniversary

The water ceremony after the early morning meditation of 28th February, 2018 was reminiscent of the soil ceremony that took place on 28th February, 1968. The joining of the waters of the world symbolises unity and the unity of the waters of the world. However, the very nature of water, which transcends boundaries of nations, gave a more universal quality to the ceremony this time. Water is like The Mother’s force, which permeates into every nook and corner of the universe and is there for all.

As the water samples arrived from all over the world, they were entered into a chart, while paper cut-outs in the shape of water drops were prepared by an Auroville press and then spray painted in blue by an Auroville unit which also provided the paper and made them ready. Following this, Auroville calligraphers carefully wrote out the names of the sources. An Auroville potter diligently made 200 beautiful pots for the water samples.

Meanwhile, the Auroville schools collaborated in training and preparing the children for the ceremony, while a huge group of volunteers from Auroville and the Ashram organised themselves to receive and guide an expected crowd of 6,000 or more attendees.

On the 28th, as the children carrying the water samples went up the incline leading to the Urn, came down the other side and moved across the stage to the Golden Disc used as the water receptacle, their steps traced the pictorial symbol of water that the Mother drew for the Ashram children to pray for rain during a severe drought many years ago. The water bearers then placed the paper ‘drops’ with the name of the water source on it at the edge of the stage, and exited, while the Auroville Choir sang ‘Earth’s Aspiration Chant’ as given by the Mother, and the musicians played inspired music to the large gathering. The whole ceremony was symbolic of Auroville’s aspiration not only for water but also for the ‘New World’ as described by Her.

It was a collective effort where all collaborated enthusiastically and joyfully.

We believe that the event of 28th February 2018 was a gift from the Universal Mother to Auroville.

She put the idea of a water ceremony into our heads, motivated us to go for it, inspired all who heard about it to bring or send water samples from all over the world, brought together all who were meant to participate in it, galvanized the organisers into action, and finally presided over the whole event to see that everything went smoothly, serenely, beautifully. It was really She who made the difference. All who went back touched by the event did so because something in them responded to Her subtle yet all-pervading presence.

Jai MA!

Where the water came from

1. Algeria: 1) Source Zarif, Tlemcen

2. Angola: 1) Okavango River

3. Antarctica: 1) Chipped from an Iceberg, Mikkelsen Harbour, Antarctic Peninsula

4. Argentina: 1) Water from Salta, 2) Rio de la Plata, Bueno Aires

5. Auroville: 1) Eau de Conscience de Coin de Terre

6. Australia: 1) Paramatta River, Clarke’s Point Reserve, Woolwich, 2) Lake Joondalup, Perth, 3) Rain Water from Melbourne, 4) Southern Ocean of Melbourne, 5) Flat Rock Galley Stream, Sydney

7. Austria: 1) Water from Bad Walters Dorf, 2) Water from Vienna, 3) Inn River, Schaerding, 4) Oberwaltersdorf Lake, 5) Zauchen See, 6) Dreamicon Valley

8. Bangladesh: 1) Karatoya River, 2) The Jamuna, 3) Surma River, Kishoreganj Dist. 4) Buriganga, Dhaka, 5) Padma River, 6) Bhoirab River, 7) Karnaphuli River, Chitagong, 8) Sitalakshya River, Kishoreganj Dist. 9) Phooljore River

9. Belarus: 1) Well water, Stankovo Village, Minsk Region

10. Belgium: 1) Hertebrons, Source des Cerfs, Sint-Joris-Weert, Meerdaalbos, 2) Zennebeck River, Rose Garden, Coloma Parc, St. Pieters Leeuw, 3) Tap Water from Diest, 4) Tap Water from Halen

11. Bhutan: 1) Water from Bhutan

12. Bolivia: 1) Lake Titicaca, La Paz Departement

13. Botswana: 1) Chobe River

14. Brazil: 1) Water from Brazil (source unknown), Spring Water from Ribeirao City, Pernambuco

15. Bulgaria: 1) Spring Water from the ‘Giving Hands’, the Sacred Seven Rila Lakes, Rila Mountains

16. Canada: 1) Bay of Fundy, 2) Glacier Colombia-Athabasca, Rocky Mountains, Alberta, 3) Riviere du Chicot, Mirabel, Quebec, 4) Ottawa River, Ottawa, 5) Pacific Ocean, Peterscove, Pender Island, 6) Pacific Ocean, Medicine Beach, Pender Island, 7) Fish Lake, In Mountain, Yokon Territories, 8) Lac Bromont, Quebec, 9) Spring Water from Mount Shefford, Quebec

17. Chile: 1) Pacific Ocean of Concon, Playa Ann Maria

18. China: 1) Hupao Spring, Hangzhou, Zheijian Province, 2) Yunlong River, Xuzhou City, Jiangsu Province, 3) Yangtal River, Yibin

19. Colombia: 1) Iguaque, 2) Amazon River Leticia, Amazonas

20. Costa Rica: 1) Naciente Spring Water, Montana

21. Croatia: 1) Krka River, Sibenik, Dalmatia, 2) St. Jana Spring

22. Cuba: 1) Yayabo River, Sancti Spiritus, 2) Rio del Miel, 3) Cueva del Indio

23. Czech Republic: 1) Vltava (Moldau,) River, Prague

24. Denmark: 1) Water from Byvaenget, Hojby, Nordsjolland

25. Egypt: 1) River Nile, Luxor

26. England: 1) Avon River, Malmesbury, 2) Spring Water from Scotland, 3) Highland Spring, Scotland, 4) Stream Water from Portheras, Cornwall, 5) Lathkil River, Over Haddon, Derbyshire, 6) Cumbrian Spring, Scarfell Peak, 7) Sacred Chalice Well, Glastonbury

27. Ethiopia: 1) Unknown Source, 2) Source of Nile

28. France: 1) Vaison La Romaine, Le Crestet, 2) La Seine, Cathedrale St. Michel, Notre Dame, Paris, 3) Orge River, St. Germain Les Arpagon, 4) Mediterranean Sea, Carnon Plage, Montpellier, 5) La Source du Colonel St. Georges, Corsica 6) Fountain of Champs de Mars, Paris, 7) Le Ballon d’Alsace, Lepuix, 8) Spring Water from Quatre Vents, Telos, 9) Rivière La Brisse, Loire et Chèr, 10) Fountain of Sainte Appoline, Forêt de Broceliande, Bretagne, 11) Rain Water from Malachappe, Moelan sur Mer, Bretagne, 12) Sacred Fountain of Lourdes, 13) Fontaine de Baronton, Forest of Broceliande, Bretagne, 14) Le Guindy River, Cavan, 15) Spring Water from Rosey, Oise, 16) Source Marie Madeleine, Fontaine des Amours, Le Rec d’Aze, from La Blanque, Aude, La Salz, 17) Water from Herault, 18) Le Sapey River, La Chabanne, Auvergne, 19) Le Tir a l’Oiseau, Burgundy, 20) Water from Vellexon

29. Germany: 1) Spring water from the Black Forest, 2) Rhume Spring, 3) Necker Anke, Blashofer, Tubinger, 4) Isar River, Muenich, 5) River Isebek, Eppendorf, Hamburg, 6) Ploener See, Ploen, Schleswig-Holstein, 7) Danube, Niederalteich, 8) River Lippe, Dorsten, 9) Wuesten See, Osnabrueck, 10) Spring Water from Amorsbrunn Chapel, Unterfranken, Bavaria, 11) Spitzing Lake, Bavaria, 12) Elbe River, Hamburg, 13) Spring Water from Lillach-Quelle, Bavaria, 14) Water from St. Ulrich, Black Forest, 15) Dreisam River, Freiburg

30. Hawaii: 1) Pacific Ocean at Kailua O’ahu, Kalama Beach

31. Hungary: 1) Kirali Hot Spring, Budapest, 2) St. Peter’s Kut Natural Spring, Islo, Transylvania,

32. Iceland: 1) Vatnajoekul, 2) Lake Tjoernen, Reyjkavic

33. India: 1) Hot Spring of Vashishth Temple, Manali, 2) Brahma Ganga, Manikaran, H.P. 3) Bharatpuzha River, Kerala, 4) Gaumukh, Gangotri, 5) Ganges Water, Jonk, Uttarkhand, 6) Water from Leh Glacier, 7) River Beas, 8) River Ravi, 9) Malung River, Ladakh, 10) Water from the Sahyadri Hills, Nasik, Western Ghats, 11) Golden Temple, Amritsar, 12) Triveni Sangam (confluence of Godavari, Manjir & Harida Rivers), Telengana State, 13) Spring of Swayambhu Shila Tirtha, Telengana State, 14) Narmada, Gujarat, 15) Kaveri River, Kaveripattinam Temple, AP. 16) Then Pennai River, AP. 17) Agniteertham Teerthamali Temple, AP, 18) Teerthagiriswarar Temple,Teerthamalai Ramar Teertham, AP, 19) Water from Dzukou Valley, Nagaland, 20) Kolab Dam, Koraput, Odisha, 21) Stream Water from Mt. Kailash, Southern Face, 22) Kshipra River, Ujjain, MP, 23) Mahi River, Ratlam, MP. 24) Narmada, Onkareshwar, MP, 25) Gomukh Glacier, Himalayas, 26) Sanagam, confluence of Ganga, Jamuna, Sarawati, Allahabad, 27) Sabarmati River, Gandhi Ashram, Ahmedabad, 28) Mahi River, Baroda, Gujarat, 29) Ganga Water , 30) Well Water from Ramanathaswamy Temple, Rameshwaram, TN, 31) Zanzkar River, Chilling, Leh, 32) Water from the 22 wells of Ramanathaswamy Temple, Rameshaswaram & Leh City, 33) Ganga Water, 34) Water from Sri Aurobindo Ashram Delhi, 35) Ganges Water, Rishikesh, 36) Confluence of Kaveri, Bhavani, Amuda, Erode, Tamilnadu, 37) Narmada, 38) Koti Teerth Jal, Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple, Ujjain, MP, 39) Tap Water from Trivandrum, 40) Valapattanam River, Kannur Dist. Kerala, 41) Source of Narmada, Amarkantak, MP, 42) Azhaharmalai Teertham Natural Spring, Madurai, TN, 43) Godavari, Nanded, Maharashtra, 44) Brahmani River, Dist, Jaipur, Odisha, 45) Kharasota River, Dist, Jaipur, Odisha, 46) Baitarani River, Dist. Jaipur, Odisha, 47) Gangajal, Rishikesh, Haridwar, 48) Gangajal, Varanasi, 49) Ganga Water 1008 in one, Mayapuri, West Bengal, 50) Gangajal, Rishikesh, 51) Pachaiaru Ponthupuli River, Palani Hills, Western Ghats, TN. 52) Bhima River, Alegaon Village, Pune, 53) Dal Lake, Dharamshala, 54) Ganges Water, Kolkata, WB, 55) Golden Temple Lake, Amritsar, Punjab, 56) Mahendratanaya River, Paralakhemundi, Odisha, 57) Bikha Behram Well, Mumbai, 58) River Shivna, Mandsaur, MP, 59) Bindu Sagar Lake, Ananta Basudeva Temple, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 60) Narmada of Karnali Temple, Baruch Dist, Gujarat, 61) Mansoravar (Alpesh Kava), Kailash, Himalayas, 62) Mansoravar (Sudha Patel), Kailash, Himalayas, 63) Gomukh Water, Haridwar, India, 64) Godavari, Rajamundri, East Godavari Dist. AP, 65) Krishna River (Sanatan), Vijaywada, Krishna Dist. AP, 66) Markandeya River, Belgavi City, Karnataka, 67) Sindhu River, Ladakh, 68) Ganga Water, Rishikesh, Haridwar, 69) Bhima River & Kedarnath, Karnataka & Himalayas, 70) Well Water from Tiruvannamalai, TN. 71) Tap Water from Puducherry, 72) Bahour Lake, Puducherry, 73) Kavery Teertham, Tiruchirapalli, TN. 74) Holy Spring Water from Nupura Gangai, Alagar Kovil, Madurai Dist, TN. 75) Mahanadi, Cuttack, Odisha, 76) Yamuna River, Delhi, 77) Ramgada River, Madhuban Area, Dist. Nainital, Uttarkhand, 78) Water of 108 Rivers, Akshardham, Delhi, 79) Mansoravar, Himalayas, 80) Well Water from Shilpa Paddiam Paattiam, Kannur, Malabar, Kerala

34. Indonesia: 1) Natural Spring from the Temple of Varuna

35. Ireland: The Spour (spring), Lisemore Castle Garden, 2) St. Brigid’s Holy Well, Liscannore, County Clare, 3) River Lee, Cork

36. Israel: 1) River Jordan, 2) Jordan River, Yardenit Baptismal Site, Kibbutz Kinneret, Jordan Valley

37. Italy: 1) Fonte del Parco, Rozzano, Milano, 2) Sesia River, 3) Natural Spring Water from Aurora Community, Modena, 4) Natural Pools of Pozza, Leonardo da Vinci, Bocche d’Adda, Val Chirigina, Bormeo, Italy, 5) Mountain Spring of Andrate, Torino, Italy, 6) Aqua Riserva, Santa Maria La Scala, 7) Water from Eloro, Syracusa, Sicily, 8) Castel de Fiori, Terni, Umbria, 9) Esino River, Mergo Village, 10) Spring Water from Mt. Lavane, Marradi, Tuscony, 11) Fonte Riardo, Cessna, 12) Trasimeno Lake, Monte del Lago, Magione, Perugia, 13) Natural Spring Water from the Alps, Sondrio Italy, 14) Water from Mongna Morgantina, Aidone, Sicily

38. Japan: 1) Water from Yoro Mountain Gifu Prefecture, 2) Motoyasu River, Hiroshima, 3) Spring Water from Sapporo

39. Jordan: 1) Dead Sea, Aquaba

40. Korea: 1) Well Water from Jinjo-Ri 222 Dae Ryeong Park, Pyenongchang County,

41. Laos: 1) Luang Prabang Water Fall,

42. Lebanon: 1) Aliya Water,

43. Lesotho: 1) Mohokare River

44. Lithuania: 1) Confluences of Vilkmergi & Sventoji, Vilnia & Niris, Niris & Nemunas, Pajanta Valley

45. Luxemburg: 1) La Petrusse River, La Petrusse Valley, Luxemburg City, 2) River Sure, Esch-sur-Sure

46. Mauritius: 1) Indian Ocean of Blue Bay,

47. Morocco: 1) Mineral Water of Sidi Ali, Oulmes

48. Mozambique: 1) Olifantsnek

49. Myanmar: 1) Mountain Spring of Tlai Sun, Falam, Chin State

50. Nepal: 1) Unknown source from Nepal

51. New Caledonia: 1) Spring Water of Plum

52. New Zealand: 1) Whangarei Falls, Hatea River, Waikato River, Auckland

53. Norway: 1) Water from Uvdal, Baskerud, 2) Araksfjorden Lake, Aust-Agder County

54. Pakistan: 1) Datta Sahib Mazar, Lahore,

55. Peru: 1) Tipun Lake, Cusco, 2) Mountain Spring Quoyority, Quoyorita, 3) Spring Water from Cusco City

56. Portugal: 1) Gilao River, 2) Oracle Spring, Tamera Peace Research Centre, 3) Atlantic Ocean, Carcavelos Beach, 4) Atlantic Ocean, Peniche Beach, 5) Atlantic Ocean, Caparica Beach, 6) Atlantic Ocean, Guincho Beach

57. Romania: 1) Vulpachi Spring, Lipovianca, 2) Angel’s Arm Spring, Transylvania, Romania,

58. Russia: 1) Baikal Lake, 2) Neva River, St. Petersburg, 3) Borewell Water from Kostroma, 4) Spring of St.Sergiy, Moscow, 5) Svetloyar Lake Water System, Shadrino Village, Nizhny Novgorod Region, 6) Water from Gatchina Park, St. Petersburg, 7) Water from Krasnogorsk City, Moscow Area,

59. Rwanda: 1) Source of Nile, Karuruma,

60. Singapore: 1) Sembawang Hot Spring, 2) Symphone Lake, Botanical Gardens,

61. South Africa: 1) Perennial Spring, Colonel Bird’s Bath, Cape Town, 2) Magaliesburg River, Magaliesburg,

62. Spain: 1) El Naixement del Liu Llobregat Castelar de n’Hug, Barcelona, 2) Water from the Mediterranean Sea, Catalunya, 3) Spring Water from Barcelona, 4) Fuente de la Immaculata, Sarral, Catalunya, 5) Herriko Plaza Source, Euskadi, Pasaia, Basc Country, 6) Source of El Tosca River, Tortosa, Catalonia, 7) Font de la Coveta, Source of Vinalopo River, Alicante Country, 8) Seixo Branco Fountain, Mera-Coruna, Galicia, 8) Mar Menor Lagoon, Cartagena, 9) Font des Teix, Mallorca, 10) Aqua del Segura, Rio Segura, Murcia, 11) Water from Cantabria, 12) Water from Santolin, Burgos, 13) Santa Ana Source, Villaescusa, Cantabria, 14) Water from Montserra, Catalunya,

63. Sri Lanka: 1) Kelani Ganga, 2) Well Water of Anuradhapura, 3) Well Water of Candy

64. Sudan: 1) The Blue Nile,

65. Swaziland: 1) Ncotshane River, Mohambe Border,

66. Sweden: 1) Offerlunden Havang, 2) Well Water from Nottebaecks, Norrhult, 3) Bay Inlet, Baltic Sea, Hauslatt Beach, Oskarshamn,

67. Switzerland: 1) Lac Leman, 2) Lac Leman, Pully, 3) Lake Zug, 4) Kriesbach Creek, 5) Waterfall in Ticino, 6) River Lorze, Zug,

68. Syria: 1) Spring Water from St. George’s Church, Basra

69. Thailand: 1) Water from Chiang Mai,

70. The Netherlands: 1) Nieuwe Maas, Rotterdam, 2) River the Linge, Beesd, Gelderland, 3) IJsselmeer Lake, 4) River De Waal, Nijmegen, 5) River Eem, Soest

71. Tibet: 1) Tributary of Yarlung Tsaugpo, Tingri, Gangga Town

72. Tunisia: 1) Gulf of Tunisia, Mediterranean Sea

73. Turkey: 1) Madram Spring, Mugla, 2) Kizilirmak River, Nevsehir, Avanos/Capadoccia, 3) Water from Bahcekoy, Istanbul, Sariyer, 4) Bozdag River, Izmir, Odemis

74. Uganda: 1) Source of Nile, Jinja

75. USA: 1) Lake Washington, Marina Park, Kirkland, 2) San Antonio Creek, Southern California, 3) Sacramento River, Knight’s Landing, Northern California, 4) American River, California State University, Sacramento, 5) Lake Kaleshwar, Laytonville, California, 6) Los Angeles River, Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, 7) Spring Water from Rock Spring House, Governor Dodge State Park, Wisconsin, 8) Lake Washington, Seattle, 9) Hudson River, New York City, 10) Water from Matagiri, State of New York, 11) Glen Ellen Water Fall, Sonoma County, California, 12) Reservoir Rain Water from San Francisco, California, 13) Reservoir Rain Water from Boston, MA, 14) Mountain Water from Bryant’s Brook, Andes, New York State, 15) Lake Murray, South Carolina, 16) The Michilimackinac (waters of great lakes Huron, Michigan & Superior), Michigan

76. Vietnam: 1) Saigon River, Ho Chi Min City, 2) Mekong River.

77. Zambia: 1) Zambezi River, Kazungula, 2) Zambezi River, Victoria Water Falls