Auroville's monthly news magazine since 1988
May 2024 (17 months ago) Download PDF (free download)
A conversation with Michael Bonke — In dialogue with Alan and Carel
Dr. Jayanti Ravi, the Secretary of the Auroville Foundation, recently has looked into the possibility to build the remaining section of the Crown Road with all components being manufactured in Auroville and using Auroville resources for its construction. Michael Bonke and his team have offered to organise this and even take up organising the finances for the project. Michael explains the new development, his plans for this and other roads and his hope that this new development will help in bringing people in Auroville together.
Feature story
There have been many requests for clarity on the background and status of the numerous court cases that are pending in various courts in India, including in the Supreme Court of India, regarding the present situation in Auroville. Here we give some background of the Auroville project and an insight into the nature and status of the various cases pending in Indian courts.
The earliest mention of Auroville was in the monthly issue of the Sri Aurobindo Society (SAS) Information Letter of March 1965, where its General Secretary Navajata wrote: “You will be glad to know that the Mother has taken up the model township project. She has named it Auroville”. The township project had been accepted by the Society by a resolution passed its First World Conference, held in August 1964, “to develop a township near Pondicherry … for those who want to prepare for a better life.”
A conversation with Michael Bonke, Arjun and Rohan — In dialogue with Alan and Carel
April 2024. Trucks are driving up and down, day and night, to transport earth dug up from the second section temporary hillock opposite the Town Hall. Auroville Today interviewed Michael Bonke, Arjun and Rohan to understand what’s going on and what their plans for the future are.
A conversation with Suhasini — In dialogue with Alan
Recently, as there was widespread concern about what was happening with the Matrimandir lake excavation, a task force was created at a General Meeting to prepare a design brief that would frame the aesthetic, environmental, functional and technical parameters to undertake the preparation of an alternative concept design. It would be for an aesthetic, living water body with aquatic flora and fauna, with an undulating shoreline and shading trees; it would be rain-fed, capturing the run-off from the outer gardens and the city, and it would be integrated into the natural topography of the area, with the minimum depth needed for a natural balanced freshwater habitat.
Feature story — Reported by Carel
On April 1st, 2024, the Auroville Boutique in Pondicherry closed its operations. More than 50 years ago – the exact date is lost in history – it was started by the visionary André Tardeil who felt that an Auroville outlet cum information office in Pondicherry was necessary. He rented a prime location in Nehru Street, convinced Auroville units to put their products there and managed the shop for a few years. He had many successors, including the French Aurovilians Ananda and Subhir. But it is Bhoomi (J. Dharma) who, for the last 36 years, commuted daily to run the shop. “I didn’t mind the driving,” he shrugs, “even though in recent years traffic was much more intense.”
Feature story — Reported by Chetana and Chandra
BloomO! was launched during a warm and dynamically engaging event in Auroville as part of the Auroville week in February 2024, followed by a launch in Pondicherry. The game, created by Jyoti Khare (watercolour illustrations) and Chetana Deorah (design), helps discover the spiritual significance of flowers, through memory, observation, and reflexes with the art of attention. It invites you to go deeper with reflective insight, based on the messages and significance for each of the eighty flower cards.
A conversation with David Blamey — In dialogue with Lesley
David Blamey is an established London-based artist who works in the western tradition of post-minimal and conceptual art. His multidisciplinary practice includes a film, sound, exhibitions and the independent publishing imprint Open Editions. His exhibition The Long Now is the outcome of an artist residency awarded by Centre d’Art Auroville, undertaken in February and March 2024.
Impressions from the event — Authored by Yuvabe Education and Deepanam School
The annual STEAM Fest organised by Yuvabe Education at Deepanam School in Auroville was held on 6th April 2024. Once again the fest captured the imagination of students and families alike. This year’s theme, “Explore the Magic: Where Literature Meets Learning,” brought together the worlds of storytelling and science in a celebration of creativity and innovation.
Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu states his support for Auroville Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Mr...
Local politician alleges mismanagement by Auroville Foundation On April 3rd, 2024, Shri M...
Request to restore community budgets and maintenances On April 9th the Working Committee of the Residents’ Assembly (RA-WCom) sent an email to the Budget Coordination Committee (BCC) demanding that the BCC restore access to the budgets and Financial Service accounts of the working groups and services that have been selected or appointed by the Residents’ Assembly (RA), and to ensure that the maintenances of the RA members and Services are restored through the Auroville City Services Budget...
Request to hand over Auroville.org.in domain By letter dated April 9, 2024, the RA-WCom requested the Secretary of the Auroville Foundation to hand over the management and credentials of the domain auroville...
Decisions of GB-FAMC not recognized The RA-Working Committee and the RA-Town Development Committee sent a joint note to the community advising to disregard notices sent by the GB-FAMC with the request to vacate at the earliest the Auroville assets they are stewarding to make way for roads or ‘lines of force’...
Censorship of News & Notes The Auroville Council reminded the community that in December 2022, following instructions from the Auroville Foundation Office (AVFO), the Auroville News & Notes (N&N) began censoring the content received from a portion of the Residents’ Assembly...
General meeting on TDC regulations The RA-WCom has invited residents for a General Meeting in Kalabhumi on April 30th, regarding formulating draft regulations about the constitution and function of the Town Development Council (TDC)...
TLC closed On April 17th, the SAIIER board informed TLC (The Learning Community) that SAIIER has decided to withdraw all financial support for TLC (facilitators’ maintenances and running budget), to reclaim all assets accumulated over the years, and that the TLC Base Camp has to be vacated by July 2024...
Auroville Fellowships The Auroville Foundation has advertised for 30 fellowships positions: Social-Media (4) , General Management (2), IT (6), Medicine and Health Management (2), Agriculture / Forestry / Environmental Engineers (2), Economists (2), Educational Researchers (2), Civil Engineers / Structural engineers (2), Marketing (2), performing artist for music / dance / drama/ other art forms (4), and Security Officers (2)...
Positive news from Auroville farmers Auroville farmers reported that despite the recent setbacks, they sent 3,128 kilos of 46 different vegetables, 3,301 kilos of 24 sorts of fruit, 19,764 eggs, 6,327 litres of milk, 846 kilos of various sorts of rice and 327 kg of polished and unpolished varagu (the latter procured from the bioregion and processed in Auroville) to FoodLink in March to be distributed to the Auroville community...
Awards for Auroville architects In March 2024 it was announced that Suhasini Laxman Iyer had won the Indian Institute of Architects IIA National Awards 2022 in the category Residential Projects for the Humanscapes Habitat buildings...
Auroville choir 30 years film Auroras Eye Films (an Auroville unit) recently produced a documentary celebrating 30 years of the Auroville Choir...
YouthLink’s vision: A Vocational Training Centre YouthLink informed the community that it would like to create a Vocational Training Centre to provide for a safe environment where Auroville youth and youth coming to Auroville can explore and develop various skills, and contribute to positive change without the need to leave the community...
A tribute to
On March 26th, Eveline Preibsch left her body in Sweden. Together with Ulf and Staffan she had been taking care of the work of Auroville International Sweden since 1983, providing a stable connection between Sweden and Auroville. Eveline was a strong woman. In her contained and quiet way, she held Auroville’s four qualities of goodness, generosity, equality and peace in her movements and actions. Eveline had gone through cancer in 2005 which after some years had returned. In the last two years she had been living a quiet life, giving up her regular winter visits to Auroville.
