Auroville's monthly news magazine since 1988

Issue Nº428

Mar 2025 (8 months ago)
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Navigating change at the Visitors Centre

An interview with Auroananda, By Carel

Inside the Auroville Information Centre

The Auroville Visitors Centre is Auroville’s reception and information disseminating centre for the often thousands of tourists and visitors coming to Auroville daily.

Minutes of the 67th Governing Board meeting

Feature

In response to a Right to Information request of 7 December, 2024 the Department of Higher Education of the Ministry of Education has sent the applicant on 3 January the minutes of the 67th Governing Board meeting held in Auroville on 31 May, 2024.

Auroville’s governance crisis: a call for transparent residents’ control

An interview with Abha Tewari and Claude Arpi, By Carel

Abha and Claude on a tour to the Himalayas

Claude and Abha have been living in Auroville since 1974 and 1978 respectively. For the last 45 years, Abha has been running the handicraft unit Shradhanjali while Claude has become a scholar who has authored several books and articles on Tibet, China, India and on Indo-French relations.

The power of silence

Reflection, By Alan

“In absolute silence sleeps an absolute power” — Sri Aurobindo, Savitri Sometimes I feel I am drowning in words. And not only mine. For it seems that every day someone in Auroville is bombarding us with words, telling us what to think, to do this and not to do that, to listen to them and not to others.

Auroville’s global community continues to offer support

An interview with Friederike Mühlhans, By Alan

Friederike

Friederike Mühlhans has a long experience of working for Auroville International (AVI). Since 1997 she has been a board member of AVI Germany and since 2003 she has been Secretary of the AVI Board, with a four-year break when she served as Chairperson.

Letter on the Auroville crisis

Letter to the Editors, By Anand K Bachhawat, PhD

Dear Friends, As Auroville goes through its worst crisis ever, it was relieving to see efforts from outside Auroville coming forward. Thus the compilation “Auroville in Crisis” by the “Auroville Global Fellowship” composed of people who are not residents of Auroville is a reminder that the success of Auroville is not just important for Aurovilians, but for humanity as a whole, because of its unique spiritual dimension.

Leaving the comfort zone: Changing perspectives through the Weltwärts programme

An interview with Abishek, By Lesley

Abishek and friends

Abishek, a youth from Annai Nagar village, recently spent 18 months volunteering in Germany, as part of the Weltwärtsprogramme.

From spiritual refresher to living together

Reflection, By Pragna (Christian Feuillette) and Shaktiprem

Those who have put forward the idea of a “Spiritual and Material Refresher programme” [a condition for living in Auroville mentioned in the Auroville Residents Criteria Standing Order] to be given at regular intervals to Auroville Residents have either – at worst – not read Sri Aurobindo’s works or – at best – have only read them superficially.

The heart’s pure sight - an exhibition by Crystal

Art review, By Chandra

Artwork by Crystal

Set within Pitanga’s tranquil backdrop, this exhibition invites visitors to explore the interplay between natural material and artistic expression.

Artists in Auroville – the current trends

An interview with Krishna D., By Alan

Krishna Devanandan

Krishna Devanandan has a background as a dancer, cultural event organiser and teacher of Tai Chi. She helped organise the Auroville Film Festivals and managed the Auroville Art Service from its inception in 2012 until 2023, when the Auroville Foundation appointed new executives.

The art of rule-breaking (for a happier life)

Book review, By Lesley

Fif Fernandes with her book The Joy of Living Lightly

If the self-help genre had a naughty cousin who snuck a whoopee cushion under the seat of life’s seriousness, The Joy of Living Lightly by Fif Fernandes would be it.

Auroville Foundation (Residence Criteria) Standing Order 2024 challenged The Working Committee appointed by the Residents’ Assembly (RA-WCom) have published a legal opinion from lawyer Suchindran Bala Baskar as to the validity of the Auroville Foundation (Residence Criteria) Standing Order 2024 (AVFRC), which lays down certain criteria to be followed by the residents of Auroville [see AVToday # 426, page 2].

Admissions & Terminations Scrutinising Committee constituted By Office Order dt. 20 February 2025, Dr. G. Seetharaman, Officer on Special Duty, Auroville Foundation, appointed the five members of the Admissions & Terminations Scrutinising Committee (ATSC) and the three members of the Admissions & Terminations Registry, in accordance with the Auroville Foundation (Admission and Termination of Persons in the Register of Residents) Regulations, 2023, issued by the Governing Board and published in the Gazette of India on 4 January 2024.

Evergreen land dispute In two events in early February, residents visited the Auroville Foundation Office to express their deep concerns about the loss of Auroville land near Evergreen community and to request the Auroville Foundation Office to appeal the judgement in which ownership of the land, which had been in Auroville's ownership for 30 years, was passed to a property developer.

More trees cut On 29 January, a member of the Auroville Town Development Council constituted by the Governing Board (GB-ATDC) verbally informed community members that it now “had permission to increase the Outer Ring Road (ORR) to 30 meters wide”.

Road construction problems The construction of the Crown Road, ORR and various radials is running into problems as a number of private, temple or Poramboke (government) lands, which are necessary to complete the envisioned urban plan, have not yet been purchased.

Deviation from the Auroville Master Plan (Perspective 2025) The RA-TDC informed the community that on 27 January it had sent a letter to high government officials addressing ongoing concerns about non-compliance by the GB-ATDC and the Central Public Works Department which executes the road building in accordance with the Auroville Master Plan (Perspective 2025).

Housing takeovers In January 2025, all of the volunteers and guests who were staying in Mitra Youth Hostel were asked to leave in order for the Auroville Foundation Office to house a group of 27 financial auditors.

Youth Center clarifies The Auroville Youth Center has sent out a mass bulletin to all residents stating that the Youth Center is a place of learning, exploration and personal growth for youth of all kinds and ages and that it has recently started to work closely with the community, creating various workshops such as welding, woodwork, kombucha making, mushroom cultivation; with more to come.

Revised mandate of Residents’ Assembly Service approved On 11 February it was announced that Auroville’s Residents' Assembly (RA) has approved the revised mandate of the Residents’ Assembly Service. 359 residents of Auroville voted online and in-person, with 355 votes in favour and 4 against.

GB-FAMC challenged The RA-WCom has challenged the authority of the GB-FAMC which it described as “a group of individuals attempting to impose control over the rest of the community when it has not been selected by the Residents’ Assembly and does not respond to calls of collaboration or transparency.”

Legal updates The RA-WCom has shared with the community an update about recent activities and hearings in the Supreme Court in New Delhi and in the Madras High Court.

15th Auroville marathon Run for the Joy of Running, the 15th Auroville Marathon, took place on Sunday, 16 February 2025. Over 3,300 runners from across the world, each carrying their own unique story, determination, and love for running, participated in the full, half and quarter marathons.

Auroville choir performs On 15 and 16 February, the Auroville Choir, conducted by Nuria, presented songs composed by Ola Gjeilo, Elaine Hagenberg, James Eakin, Eric Whitacre, Jacob Narverud, Don Macdonald, Christopher Tin and Jake Runestad.

Matrimandir Wealth Garden opens As an offering to the Mother on Her Birthday, the Wealth Garden, one of the 12 gardens of the Matrimandir, was opened on 21 February. The flower of the Wealth Garden is the Water Lily, which Mother named “Wealth”.

Humility ’25 Festival In the birthday week, the Auroville Foundation hosted the Humility ’25 Festival, an eight-day celebration that embodies the essence of humility.

Birthday week events Among other events happening during the Auroville birthday week there was a Bansuri flute recital offered by Aurovilian Chandra in the Matrimandir amphitheatre on Mother’s birthday, 21 February.