Auroville's monthly news magazine since 1988

Issue Nº417

Apr 2024 (19 months ago)
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UTSAV, a mixed use experimental building complex

An interview with Mona Doctor-Pingel, By Alan

Roadside view of UTSAV

In November 2019, Auroville Today introduced UTSAV (meaning ‘Celebration’), a combined commercial and residential project which aimed to bring new energy on a major Radial of the Industrial Zone.

Svaram’s new milestone

An interview with Aurelio, Karthik and Shankar, By Alan

From left: Shankar, Karthik and Aurelio

On 29th February, Svaram inaugurated its new Sound Garden at the allocated 2-acre site for its projected campus in the Industrial Zone of Auroville, in the presence of Special Guests of Honour, Thiru R.N.

The relevance of urban design for Auroville

An interview with Bhavya, By Carel

Map of city development

In February, the Pavilion of Tibetan Culture hosted a double exhibition: Bhavyo’s paintings of the icy peaks of the Himalayan Tosh valley were displayed in its main room, while a number of urban design studies of his twin sister Bhavya were hung around the courtyard.

A snapshot of our working youth: a YouthLink survey

Survey, By YouthLink team

Which high school attended

In early 2023, YouthLink conducted an initial survey on the working situation of Aurovilian youth aged 18-30. 116 youth (24% of the total 492 Aurovilians in this age bracket) chose to participate.

AUM Festival

Feature, By Namu

AUM festival 2024

This year’s AUM (Auroville Underground Music) Festival, organised by Youth Center, YouthLink and Svaram on March 16 and 17, featured two days of live music and performances by artists from in and around Auroville.

A tapestry of tradition, creativity and learning: the enchantment of the Endangered Craft Mela

Feature, By Deepthi Indukuri

Palm leaf weaving

In the heart of Auroville’s The Learning Community’s (TLC) base camp, where the gentle whispers of the wind were rustling along with the vibrant hum of creativity, a humble spectacle unfolded during the sacred week of Auroville’s Birthday.

Small wins, big dreams

Feature, By Nadia Akcadurak

Women's day - AVAG

Auroville Village Action’s Women’s Day inspires inclusion Imagine a scene bursting with vibrant energy, a gathering of over 500 women and 50 children, all united by a common goal.

A modest proposal

Reflection, By Alan

I’m not the most observant of mortals, but even I have noticed, over the past couple of years, that two different worlds have been forming in Auroville.

Remembering The Mother’s first arrival in Pondicherry On Friday, 29.3.2024, the date of The Mother’s first arrival in Pondicherry, there was a morning meditation and a silent evening gathering under the Banyan tree at Matrimandir.

High Court Madras judgement On March 15, a bench of the Madras High Court consisting of its Hon’ble Chief Justice Mr. Sanjay V. Gangapurwala and the Hon'ble Mr. Justice D.

Status of pending court cases The cases challenging the Admission and Termination of Residents in the Register of Residents Regulations 2023 and the Selection of the Working Committee Regulations 2024 have been posted for another hearing on April 22nd.

Update on the entry process Further to the High Court ordered interim stay on the AVFO’s Auroville Foundation (Admission and Termination of Persons in the Register of Residents) Regulations 2023, [see AVToday 415, March 2024], the Auroville Entry Board selected by the Residents’ Assembly informed the community that it will not process new applications, but will continue to take care of existing Newcomer processes.

Exit Review Committee (ERC) update The ERC, which has been meeting on a weekly basis since its formation in January 2024, reported that a positive and harmonious group dynamic has been established and that the group has focused on studying the Exit Review Policy which was drafted a few years ago but which was never approved by the RA.

RA-WCom response to 66th GB meeting minutes The Working Committee of the Residents’ Assembly (RA-Wcom) has sent an extensive response to the Governing Board and its Secretary regarding the content of the minutes of the 66th meeting of the Governing Board [see Avtoday # 415 page 3, February 2024, eds.]

Tenders From the website it became known that the Auroville Foundation Office has invited many tenders for carrying out various works. Amongst them are: doing a digital topographical survey for the area beyond the Outer Ring Road up to the Green Belt region and a complete layout for Auroville from the centre to the Green Belt; a tender for the execution of the balance portion of the Crown Road, including the provision of led street lighting; a tender for the construction of the Darkali bridge at the Crown Road; a tender for the construction of the Outer Ring Road from the secondary service node to the Visitor’s Centre Parking, including led street lighting; and the demarcation of service nodes and proposed building location as per layout.

Fruit trees auctioned On March 9th the Auroville Foundation Office (AVFO) tendered and on March 27th auctioned the fruits of the fruits trees of the Auroville Farms, without any consultation with the RA.

S.O.S from AuroOrchard In a letter to the Secretary requesting her help, a member of the AuroOrchard team protested that a new land marking will give away, in a land exchange, half of the community’s vegetable fields, which provide Auroville with at least ten tones of vegetables a year.

Outcome of the emergency RAD The Residents’ Assembly Service (RAS) informed the community of the results of an Emergency Residents' Assembly Decision-making process, initiated through a petition signed by more than 300 members of the Residents’ Assembly (RA), (1) to approve or disapprove that the Working Committee selected by the RA will coordinate the functions of the Funds and Assets Management Committee of the Residents’ Assembly (RA-FAMC) until such time as the circumstances allow for the selection and functioning of a new FAMC of the RA; and (2) to extend the emergency functions granted to the Working Committee on 14.08.2023, for a period of six months.

Auroville Council meeting room The (RA-WCom) informed the community that on March 11th, a number of current and former members of the Auroville Council received an email notice from the Funds and Assets Management Committee constituted by the Governing Board (GB-FAMC) that the unauthorised users of the Auroville Council meeting room on the first floor of the Town Hall have to vacate by March 15th and that strict action will taken against violators and unauthorised users.

Further cuts to maintenances At the end of February 2024, a number of Aurovilians were notified by the AVFO BCC that their maintenance would be cut, starting 1st March. This follows earlier suggestions to some residents that their work would be “realigned”. 175 residents have already had their maintenances removed, and it is expected that the further maintenance cuts will affect hundreds of Aurovilians who depend on a City Services maintenance for their livelihood in Auroville.

Cuts to community centres’ budgets In February, Auroville’s Centre for Research in Performing Arts (CRIPA) – a constantly-in-use and free-to-use performance and rehearsal venue – and the Pitanga Cultural Centre, were informed by the GB-FAMC that their funding would be reduced to partial or zero support from April 1st, 2024.

Talam stops support of key software Talam, an Auroville unit that has been providing key software support for many of Auroville’s online services, announced that it will cease to support certain software from 1st April 2024.

Community meetings A community meeting took place in the Kalabhumi amphitheatre on March 16th. The participants were informed, both in Tamil and in English, about the events of the last two years.

Selection process 2024 opens Nominations are being invited for the 2024 selection process for the Auroville Council, Admission Committee and Working Committee. Nominations will close on 1st April, and the entire process should be finished by late April.

Awards for Auroville architects Three Auroville architects received awards in the Indian Institute of Architects awards for excellence in architecture 2022. Mona Doctor-Pingel won in the categories ‘Mercantile Retail category for Cottage Showroom’ and ‘Women Architects to the forefront’; Ganesh Bala won in the ‘Adaptive reuse and conservation category’ for an Auromodѐle House; and Suhasini Ayer received a commendation in the ‘Residential’ category for Humanscapes.

Performances and exhibitions The women’s choir Auroville Harmonies performed a “Singing the World” concert at CRIPA on 2nd and 3rd March, conducted by Antoine. Ceramic artist Supriya Menon Meneghetti presented an exhibition titled “From Darkness to Light” at Centre d’Art, Citadines 8-23 March.

Correction In the February 2024 issue of Auroville Today, in the opening article titled A New World Is Born, it is mentioned that The Mother had the experience that the supramental world already existed in a permanent way on 3rd February, 1959.