Auroville's monthly news magazine since 1988
Nov 2023 (23 months ago) Download PDF (free download)
From the editors — Words by Editors
A long read — Reported by Alan
In our July issue, we reported on recent developments on the site of the Matrimandir lake. These included the excavation of section two of the lake, which will be 250 metres long, more than twice the length of the existing test lake. This has involved, among other things, the transplanting or cutting of a considerable number of trees, some of which were many years old.
Long-term Aurovilians Gillian, Roy, Angad and Adil met in Adil’s house in late September. Angad and Adil are working potters, Roy a former potter and Gillian, Roy’s partner, ran a crafts workshop and has been active in promoting village clean up and cycle path initiatives. During a convivial evening they discussed pottery, the current state of Auroville, why they came and why they are still here.
On art and form — Written by Alan
After the event — Written by Peter
In 1993 Lyndi Fourie, aged 23, died in the Heidelberg Tavern Massacre in Cape Town, South Africa. Thirty years later, Lyndi’s mother, Ginn Fourie, and the man who gave the orders that resulted in Lyndi’s tragic death, Letlapa Mphahlele, sit together as they lead a workshop titled Equity Matters at Auroville’s Pavilion of Tibetan Culture. Auroville Today covered this story in 2007 when the pair first travelled to Auroville [Issue 219]. Sitting in the room as a participant whilst Ginn and Letlapa work together is such a remarkable and emotional experience. Their combined presence remains a seemingly impossible, yet evidently possible, example of love and forgiveness. It is rare in life that time stops, the heavens seem to open and something beyond sweeps in. Hearing them tell their story is such a moment and as the saying goes, when they speak you can hear a pin drop. The pair stayed in Auroville for over three weeks in September, offering the Equity Matters workshops and a public talk in the Unity Pavilion. In each instance, their own story served as a springboard. Through the telling, we witness the pair’s gentle, light and mutually respectful way of working together. They demonstrate a new way of being in the world: one where black and white, man and woman, those born into power and those into poverty, mother and freedom fighter, can transcend hurt and oppositional roles to find in the most extreme of circumstances a common unity. They both inhabit and transcend these archetypal roles. Their being among us in Auroville is a reminder of humankind’s healing potential and shared essence.
A long read — Reported by Peter
Study on Auroville’s organisation Contrary to our announcement in the previous issue, the 650-page study on Auroville’s organization made by Professor Raag Yadava and his team, has not yet been published...
Heart weaving expansion Heart Weaving was started in December last year in an effort to deepen our capacity for dialogue in Auroville and to be able to truly listen to each other across differing perspectives and opinions...
Dreamcatching Since August 2023 Dreamcatching sessions have begun again after a gap of almost 15 years on different roof tops, every Monday from 6-8 am...
Self-education programme From the presentation of the Dreamweavers, a new initiative called the ‘Self Education Programme’ was launched on 12th September...
Integration of Auroville borewells The FO L’avenir d’Auroville / ATDC announced that the preparation of the development of Auroville-City, planning and development of roads, sectors and facilities has implications for the borewells also...
AVFO asks for ‘No Dues Certificate’ in order to receive visa Now residents applying for a visa letter of recommendation (LOR) will not have their request sent to the Foundation Office until they receive a ‘no dues certificate’ from the AVFO ‘BCC’...
Satprem update On 19th June Satprem Maini was notified by the FRRO Chennai that he had to leave the country on or before 1st July, although he holds a valid visa until December 2025, since the Secretary had apparently withdrawn his recommendation to work and live in Auroville...
Earth Institute update Satprem set up and is deeply involved with the Auroville Earth Institute (AVEI), which has become one of the world’s foremost centres for excellence in earthen architecture, and a leader in the research, development, promotion and transfer of earth-based building technologies...
ROR final call On 18th October, K...
Farm issues In July 2023, an email was received by Ayarpadi farm demanding that they hand over “the land parcel that you are farming in situated next to Windarra, as well as the service farm” so that the land could be reallocated to “Aurovillians [sic] who have undergone 6 months of training at Unity Farm”...
RA TDC reports on tree-cutting The RA TDC is continuing to document and report on instances of tree cutting across Auroville...
David Nagel scholarship AVI USA has created a special scholarship fund in collaboration with Auroville’s Botanical Gardens and with sponsorship from HiDesign...
Botanical Gardens networking workshop In the middle of October a 3-day Botanical Gardens of India Networking Workshop was held at the Auroville Botanical Gardens...
Request to all electric cycle users The Auroville Vehicles Service, on the request of many Aurovilians, asks all electric cycle users to pedal while using the cycle paths instead of using the motor...
New Whatsapp channel for Auroville An Auroville Community Updates Whatsapp channel has been launched which is open to all members of the Auroville community (including residents, Newcomers and volunteers)...
CHATGPT/ LLM/ generative AI user group Residents are invited to join a new ChatGPT group...
New book release A new book, “Prefiguring Utopia: The Auroville Experiment”, by Aurovilian Suryamayi Aswini Clarence-Smith and published by Bristol University Press has just been released...
Peace Tree planting On 18th of August, a small group who had been present at the planting of a Peace Tree in Campinas, Brazil on 25th June 2004, gathered at the Botanical Gardens to plant another Peace Tree in Auroville...
Neem Tree and Dropsy An interesting headline appeared on Auronet recently: “Neem Tree Eatery has joined Dropsy”...
In memoriam:
Pashi left his body on 20th October 2023 at the age of 91, after having dedicated his life to his most beloved idea and project of Auroville. Pashi’s (Prakash Chandra Kapur) life began in Rawalpindi, in Pakistan today, and at a young age left his home to be in Delhi for the historical moment of India’s independence. The tumultuous events of that time made him stay back in India. Life however took him to the United Kingdom for his higher studies in mechanical engineering. Having completed his studies, he returned to India where he worked as a lead engineer in a British firm and lived in Calcutta where he also began a family. He didn’t want his children to have a conventional education and started his quest for a new world. A friend suggested he should visit the Sri Aurobindo Ashram where new experiments in schooling were happening. In an Auroville Today interview in 2016 he recalled “There I met Kireet Joshi, who at that time was the Registrar of the Ashram School, and told him I would like to understand this system of education. He said, ‘Go and see’ and waved me towards the classrooms. I walked into one classroom and sat at the back. Everybody was quietly reading. Suddenly, a student raised his hand and asked a question. The teacher paused, and then said, ‘I am sorry, I do not have the answer. Shall we go to the library and find out the answer together?’ “That really hit me: it was so different from the schooling I had experienced.” But still he was not convinced that the Ashram was the best place for his children. However, in 1968 he had the opportunity to meet The Mother. “It was July, 1968 and the time I was given to meet Mother was 7.13 in the morning. I still remember this because it was so damn specific! But at that time I was very reluctant to accept somebody as a guru, so when this friend gave me flowers to give to The Mother I said ‘I don’t need these, I am just going for an interview’. “Finally I was called in, and she looked up. My eyes locked with hers. All I remember after that is that I had my head in her lap and she was stroking it. I don’t know how long I was there, but when I finally got up, I was shaking and crying. I walked down to the meditation hall and there I kept on crying. “This was the moment that decided my life.” After this he met Navajata, who talked about Auroville. “For me, there were no second thoughts; I fell in love with the concept of Auroville and immediately offered to work for it in any way I could.” In 1970, Pashi suggested that the various Ashram-associated organizations around India could initiate karma yoga activities to benefit the society around them as well as contribute revenue for the Ashram and Auroville. He sent his proposal to The Mother. The Mother sent for him and asked him what it should be called. “I said, “Auroville service”. Then she took a large sheet and wrote on it, ‘Auroservice’. Organizing the activities of Auroservice became one of Pashi’s main jobs. In November 1973, while Pashi was in Assam on Auroservice business, The Mother passed away. “By the time I reached Pondicherry it was too late. She was already in the Samadhi. I cried my heart out because I couldn’t see her one more time. Nolini came by and asked why I was crying and I said I could not have Mother’s last darshan. He said, ‘Don’t you see, Mother is always with you?’ He put his hand on my head, I closed my eyes and since that moment I’ve never felt away from her. It’s amazing.” In May, 1974 he moved permanently to Auroville where, in addition to his work with Auroservice d’Auroville, he worked closely with Roger Anger and his team: “My relationship with Roger was very close.” Events in Auroville during the 1980s made him start a new life as the Indian representative of an international marketing company. Pashi returned to Auroville on 1st January, 2000. “By that time Roger had also returned and he asked me to come back.” Since then, he helped to raise funds for Matrimandir and worked on tax-exemption issues, but his main concern was finding ways to secure the land so that at least the urban aspect of the city can be built. During his last years he worked tirelessly to establish the CIRHU project. “Above all, my faith in Auroville has never been shaken, I have an absolute faith in The Dream, in the Charter and in The Mother’s vision. It has to come because it is what the world needs.” His family, friends and well-wishers are in deep appreciation of his exemplary commitment and dedication to Auroville and The Mother’s work. His cremation took place on Monday, 23 October at the Auroville burial and cremation ground.
