Matrimandir bonfire

The 15th August is always a special day in Auroville, but this 15th was particularly so as it marked the 150th anniversary of Sri Aurobindo’s birth and 75 years of India’s independence.

One of the most popular images of Auroville in the local press and social media is that of the bonfires in the Amphitheatre that are organized annually to celebrate Auroville’s and Sri Aurobindo’s birthdays.

Auroville’s birthday, on February 28, was celebrated with the traditional dawn bonfire. For the first time in the history of Auroville, the attendance of over 5,000 people exceeded the Amphitheatre’s capacity with many people standing on the rim, listening to Mother’s reading of the Charter of Auroville and its translations in English, Sanskrit and Tamil.