Issue Nº424 – In Memoriam

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.