Auroville's monthly news magazine since 1988
Nov 2024 (11 months ago) Subscribers-only download Download PDF
Feature story — Written by Luise Pape
Try to imagine a life without water. Just think of your morning routine: you drink water from your filter or tap, you flush your toilet, take a shower and brush your teeth. And that is just the water you directly consume.
Profile: Jothi G. — Words by Chandra
Jothi was born in 1964 in Kuilapalayam. He joined Auroville by himself at a young age and has contributed in numerous ways, through service, education and sports, while battling long-term health challenges.
A visual notebook
John Mandeen, who passed away recently, was one of the early Auroville Today photographers and designed the cover of its first compilation.
A wide-ranging dialogue with Anshul — Questions by Alan
Anshul joined Auroville in 2019 and works at AuroOrchard. His journey with farming started in Auroville ten years ago with his intention to grow his own food. In recent years he has been working on a vision for an ‘integral agriculture’, researching the different dimensions and relationships of food, soil, humanity and the growth of consciousness. He engages with schools of Auroville and the volunteers at AuroOrchard to understand the future of agriculture and the agriculture of the future.
Art review — Words by Chandra
Walking into the room of this exhibition curated by Art Service and CREEVA feels like stepping into a conversation in multiple languages – some loud and vibrant, others quiet and subtle.
Governing Board members meet in Auroville A report in The Hindu newspaper said that on October 2nd the Board members were apprised of various projects and interacted with various community groups, including representatives from the Funds and Assets Management Committee (FAMC), the Working Committee, the Land Board and the Auroville Town Development Council, in the interest of “fostering dialogue”...
Diplomats visit Auroville On October 4th a delegation of diplomats from various nations visited Auroville...
Meeting with Home Minister It was reported on Auronet that on Tuesday, September 24th a small group of Aurovilians met with the Union Home Minister in Delhi...
Judgement on legality of Foundation Office Working Committee The RA Working Committee’s Quo Warranto petition against seven members functioning as the Working Committee of the Residents Assembly was dismissed by a judge at the Madras High Court, citing there is no clear framework for selection of the Working Committee...
Mixed messages on entry The Admissions Committee (i...
AVI Board letter to Director-General of UNESCO The Chairman and Secretary of the Auroville International Governing Board have written to the Director-General of UNESCO regarding ‘disturbing developments’ in Auroville...
New Eco-Service landfill site RA L’Avenir reported that on the morning of Thursday, September 19th, the Nine Palms Forest Stewards discovered an area had been cleared without prior notice for a new Eco-Service landfill...
Forest clearances continue apace A 6 metre wide road has been cleared through Auroville’s Northern Forest Area (NFA), in order to gain access to the area that has been earmarked for a 30 meter tall hill to be built from the soil excavated from the Matrimandir Lake...
‘Red assets’ note A note from the RA L’Avenir and RA Working Committee, pointed out that there are feasible alternatives that would allow roads to be constructed without impacting our community’s assets...
Annapurna Farm in difficulty Annapurna, Auroville’s largest farm, is in financial difficulties...
No new Foundation Secretary yet, but three new Deputy Secretaries The Auroville Foundation has announced via a recruitment notification that there will be three new Deputy Secretaries, alongside a new Under Secretary, recruited to work in the AVFO...
Earth Shastra Youth Alliance in Auroville Between September 21st – 29th, Auroville hosted the 8th edition of Earth Shastra, a 9-day immersive journey in the lap of nature, that brought together 30 young changemakers from across India...
Revising the Residents Assembly Service (RAS) mandate At a Residents’ Assembly meeting, the Council explained that this revision of the RAS mandate has been long overdue...
Honouring
Maggi Lidchi-Grassi, an esteemed Friend of Auroville, passed away on the 30th of September 2024, in the early hours of the morning at her residence behind Fertile, at the age of 94. Maggi was born in Paris on the 9th of May 1930. She first visited the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in 1959 and settled there permanently in 1960. She was well-known as an author of works such as Earthman, First Wife, Great Sir and the Heaven Lady, The Great Golden Sacrifice of the Mahabharata, and The Light That Shone into the Dark Abyss. She also founded Domani, an Italian magazine where the teachings of the Mother and Sri Aurobindo were shared. Additionally, she was actively involved in the publication of World Union, the Ashram’s magazine. Beyond her literary contributions, Maggi is remembered as a homeopath and as Mother’s secretary. She was responsible for taking letters from Aurovilians to the Mother, arranging appointments for those who wished to meet with Her, and maintaining the birth records for children born in Auroville after Mother’s passing. Maggi also had the honour of being one of the voices to read Auroville’s Charter during the inauguration ceremony on the 28th of February, 1968. A devoted follower of the Mother, Maggi played an important role in Auroville’s early developments. Together with Nata, she prepared the amphitheater for the inauguration ceremony, while Vincenzo prepared the urn. She and Nata also co-founded Auroshika, an incense-making unit in Edayanchavadi, and later, they established Udavi, initially a school for the children of the women working at Auroshika. Over the years, Udavi has grown into a well-established and recognized school in the community. Maggi also started the very first Free-Store within the grocery shop that Nata had set up in Edayanchavadi. She later founded the Quiet Healing Center and, more recently, was working on a new project called Stillness—a retreat center she was developing with her companion and partner, Surakshita. The funeral service was on Thursday, 3rd October, at Karuvadikuppam, Pondicherry.
J. Jayaraman, Jairam for those who knew him, joined Auroville at a very young age in 1970. He was born in Alankuppam (1959) and his childhood in the village had been a difficult one. He had ended up staying with his grandmother in Kottakarai, who was also hardly able to look after him. As soon as he heard that Auroville was coming, he applied to join. With Varadharajan as an intermediary, he was accepted by The Mother and began living with Daniel (an American pioneer Aurovilian) on his farm in Kottakarai. All he aspired to do in Auroville was to be of service. Very early on, he worked with Paul Vincent as a tractor driver, ploughing some newly acquired fields which later became Djaima, and started volunteering at Matrimandir with Ruud (another pioneer Aurovilian), also as a tractor driver, and in Matrimandir construction work. Later one could find him at the entrance to the Chamber where he served under the guidance of Arjun Puri and John Harper. While he worked at Matrimandir he stayed at the Matrimandir Camp for many years, then later moved to Shanthi Community. He got married to Boomadevi and had a daughter, Vijaya and a son, Viji (Vijaykumar). Unfortunately, he lost both his legs due to gangrene, and his only sadness was that his body would not allow him any longer to be of full service to Auroville. But he did not give up, even though he had to go through multiple operations due to health issues. Many people driving or cycling past the Matrimandir during the last few years would have seen Jayaraman sitting on his wheelchair on the side of the road close to the Matrimandir gate near the big Peepul tree. He would lovingly greet passers-by and chat with them, and also guide guests who wanted to go to the Matrimandir or were looking for other locations in Auroville. He did this service for a long time, till very recently when, due to a head injury caused by a fall, he passed away on Friday 11th October, 2024, aged 65, at his residence. The cremation took place at the Auroville Burial and Cremation Ground on Saturday 12th October.
Auroshastri was born in Pondicherry at Cluny Hospital on July 4, 1975. His father Gerhard asked Nolini for his name and received Auroshastri, meaning “he who has knowledge of the divine law.” He spent his early years happily alongside many friends – Aurosylle, Sukrit, Ritam, John Bosco, Mukta, Auralice, Angiras and others, while living at Isai Ambalam in Auroville. When he was six, the family moved to Germany for a few years before returning to Auroville in 1989. He attended Kodaikanal International School and at the age of 17 he went back to Germany, where for some years he lived and worked with his father in the clothing industry, travelling a lot. Then their work took them to England for several years before he came back to live in Auroville in 2000 at the age of 25. Among many other things his father taught him to play GO, which he continued to enjoy throughout his life. In later years, he was deeply fascinated by water and dedicated much of his time to researching it. Living waters and natural energies were passions that consumed Shastri, driving his curiosity and commitment to understanding the world around him. He wasn’t content with simply reading about concepts—he had to test them, experience them firsthand, and make them his own. Whether it was an experiment he devised or a theory he tested on himself, he held fast to his convictions, even when others didn’t understand his thinking. Walking barefoot on the earth and swimming in the sea were his natural ways of reconnecting, balancing his body in harmony with nature. Auroshastri had strong convictions and was full of bold, unconventional ideas. He embraced his eccentricity, often enjoying life on the fringe of society. He thought in ways that transcended his time, envisioning a world that others could not always see. He followed his own path and wrote his own life. Throughout his successes and failures he touched many hearts and minds. He is dearly loved and will always be missed. Love never dies. Auroshastri was buried on 17th of October at the Auroville Burial and Cremation Ground.
