Auroville's monthly news magazine since 1988
Sept 2014 (133 months ago) Download PDF (free download)
A long read — Authored by Carel
The lake around the Matrimandir was foreseen by The Mother. Already in 1965, years before Auroville was founded, She had given Nata the task of studying the lake and how the water could be sourced. Nata’s research assumes a 100,000 square metres lake area and mentions desalinated water, not only for filling the lake, but also for drinking water purposes. As he wrote to Mother on 31st October 1965, “There exists also the possibility, envisaged by you, Mother, to have drinking water through the process of desalination of sea water.” Desalination, in those days, was just in its beginning phase. Since then, the Lake has been a topic of study and dispute. [See AVToday # 259, January 2011.] Last year, a self-appointed Lake Team took matters in hand. It executed a number of drillings in the area of the future lake, to ascertain the underground structure. [See AVToday # 290, September 2013]. Now, the team have started digging mini test ponds. Auroville Today talked to Michael Bonke, who is one of the moving forces behind this latest initiative.
A long read
A long read — Authored by Alan and Carel
Auroville International Advisory Council (IAC) member Kabir Shaikh has had a long and distinguished career in education. He has taught in London and been a top educational administrator in the U.K. and in the Middle East. Until a few months ago, he was Interim Director of the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development, the first UNESCO Category 1 Institute of Education in Asia and Pacific. Auroville Today spoke to him when he came for the meeting of the IAC in August.
A long read — Authored by Alan
Is Bharat Nivas coming alive again? For some years the area, which houses the activities of the Indian pavilion, has seemed dormant, but today old structures are being demolished and new building projects underway. Is this project, which was so important to Mother herself, at last beginning to manifest its true form? And will it be an expression of India’s true mission in the world as defined by the Mother? O India, land of Light and spiritual knowledge, wake up to your true mission in the world. Show the way to union and harmony.
Nicole, who has been part of the management team for the past 15 years talks about the function and challenges of running the Auroville Visitors’ Center.
A long read — Authored by Ing-Marie
Two years ago, the Auroville Ambulance was purchased with funds from the cyclone relief fund. Today, the ambulance steadily continues to serve the community. Having attended to 98 patients in this time, the ambulance, on average, transports someone to hospital once every six days. The majority of these people are Aurovilians, with only 20 out of 98 non-Aurovilians. While the male to female ratio is roughly even, 62 out of the 98 people were above 60 years old.
Some months ago a new introductory film on Auroville, Auroville: The City the Earth Needs, was presented to the Aurovilians. The film, which begins with The Dream and ends with the Auroville Charter, gives a brief overview of the main projects and activities, including Auroville’s outreach activities in the nearby villages. It also explains the importance of Auroville for the world as a place dedicated to a change in consciousness which, according to Sri Aurobindo, is the only solution to the present global crisis. Aurovilians identify the main challenges today and attempt to answer key questions like ‘What is human unity?’ and ‘What is the importance of karma yoga in Auroville?’ The viewers’ response was positive; the high quality of the filming and editing was particularly praised. But how do you go about making a film on Auroville? And is there more than one way to approach it? Olivier and Christine, who worked on the new film, give their views.
Event review — Words by Lesley
Dubbed a ‘Laboratory for Theatre Arts and Research’, Adhishakti , an experimental theatre company located near Auroville, pushes boundaries and provokes through its work, whilst being relevant to contemporary audiences in India. The troupe’s performances always embody strong concepts, an expansive imagination and high-standard execution, appealing to audiences that like to be challenged.
A note to the Editors — Reported by Gilles Guigan
Dear Auroville Today Team, In your interview with Shri N. Bala Baskar published in the August issue of Auroville Today, you wrote: “No Tamil Nadu Chief Minister has ever visited Auroville”. This statement is incorrect. Mid 1965, Thiru Bhaktavatsalam, the Chief Minister of the then Madras State, visited Auroville. A photo of him with Navajata at the site of Promesse (Bajata is on the left) was published in the August 1965 issue of the Bulletin. On October 28th, 1973, Dr Karunanidhi, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, laid the foundation stone of the Tamil Nadu State Pavilion in the Bharat Nivas Complex at a function where Dr Nedunchezhian, Education Minister, presided. Earlier they had both gone around Auroville and were very highly impressed. Dr Karunanidhi, in his speech, promised full cooperation and support to Auroville on behalf of the Government of Tamil Nadu and expressed the hope that Auroville would shine in the world as a rising sun. Sadly, the foundation plaque is untraceable. The building is now occupied by the Laboratory of Evolution. Warmly, Gilles Guigan
Auroville Council start work The Auroville Council, in its first interactive meeting with the community, reported a huge workload consisting of 17 personal issues, 6 policy mandate issues and 4 immediate community issues...
www.auroville.org renewed A brand new public website for Auroville has now replaced the old one which has been in existence for 14 years...
Board of Services annual meeting The Auroville Board of Services (ABS), in its annual gathering on August 13th, observed that service managers who rely on a community maintenance find this is too low to cover their basic needs, even with the provided in-kind component, which still does not cover expenses such as transport or housing...
Developing Sri Ma The Housing Board has informed the community that it believes that the development of Sri Ma as a beach resort, a large-scale income generating unit with a 50-rooms guest facility, is not developing as planned...
Sri Aurobindo in Arabic A 30 minutes video titled “Sri Aurobindo in Arabic” made by Zackaria Moursi, Jim Page, Lynda Lester and Nihal Rashinkar is now available on YouTube...
Standards for Auroville eggs Auroville has a few farms and communities that keep chickens ‘the natural way’...
ONE ASIA 2014 Taipei ONE ASIA 2014 in Taipei will take place from October 25th to November 5th with the participation of 28 artists from all over Asia...
In memoriam:
Aurovilian R. Kannan, passed away on August 8th in his home at Meera Youth Camp at the age of 71. Kannan was one of the early Aurovilians. In 1970, he left Abhay Singh’s workshop in the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry, and joined Auroville. Since then he has been living and working and fighting for Auroville, fasting under the Banyan Tree and going to prison for Auroville. Many people remember him as the driver in Auroville, especially in the early years of the Berijam Nature Camp. During his last years, Kannan was the caretaker of Meera Youth Camp, where he also lived. Khannan’s body was cremated at the Kuilapalayam mandappam.
