Writers

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.

Born in Paris, Nathalie grew up surrounded by the evocative scents of her grandfather’s painting studio. At the age of seven, her life took a profound turn when her family moved to India, eventually settling in Auroville.

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.

François Gautier came to India in 1969 at the age of 19, with the first Auroville caravan. Deeply impressed by Sri Aurobindo's writings, he chose to reside in the Sri Aurobindo Ashram for about seven years, after which he joined Auroville, where he has been living since.

Few are those from whom the Grace withdraws, but many are those who withdraw from the Grace. Sri Aurobindo

Deepti Tewari joined Auroville 47 years ago and teaches at Last School. She is editor of the Bharat Nivas Journal. Earlier she had edited the Matrimandir Journal.

An interview with Joel Koechlin

On October this year, the Ministry of Education of the Government of India appointed Auroville’s new Governing Board and new International Advisory Council.

On February 2, Martin Sobieroj passed away in his room at Arka. He was 76 and had been suffering from pancreatic cancer. Martin was ready to go and had opted to stay away from heavy treatment and follow the natural course of the disease, a choice which he – admirably – adhered to apart from accepting some pain plasters at the very end.

Navoditte (Norman Thomas) came to the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in 1967 with his wife, Alice, and in February, 1968 attended the inauguration of Auroville.

I am Mitali Joshi, 24, born and bred in Bombay, India, I have been volunteering with Thamarai Educational Projects as content writer, editor and facilitator in the after-school program.

Roger Harris was a founding member of Auroville Today and for many years attended its weekly meetings. It was an interesting experience for all of us.

Dr. Prema Nandakumar has written and spoken to audiences the world over about Sri Aurobindo's writings and philosophy. She is the author of many articles and books on Sri Aurobindo and on Indian culture.

On April 1, Rauf Ali passed away in his house at Aurodam, at the age of 62 due to leukemia. He was lovingly surrounded by close friends and his sister-in-law.

Johannes Hohlenberg had important contacts with both The Mother and Sri Aurobindo in the early years of the century, and was the first writer to introduce the Integral Yoga to Europe.

On 2nd January, Aurovilian Georges Blanchet left his body at the age of 65 in PIMS hospital. He had suffered a general systems collapse caused by a long-festering lung infection, which had become only apparent a few weeks before.

With the demise of Dr. Kireet Joshi on 14 September 2014, the Aurobindonian firmament has lost one of its brightest stars. Born on 10 August 1931, he studied philosophy and law at the Elphinstone College under the University of Bombay.

La Musica Deuxième, a play for two actors by Marguerite Duras, was performed this summer by Theatre d’Expression d’Auroville, on three consecutive evenings in Auroville.