Auroville
Auroville is an intentional utopian community located close to the coast in in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu in south-east India. Founded on 24 February 1968 by followers of the the Indian mystic and philosopher Sri Aurobindo, led by Mirra Alfassa, known as the "Mother", Aurobindo's spiritual collaborator and leader of the Sri Aurobindo's community after his death in 1950.
Auroville wants to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities. The purpose of Auroville is to realise human unity. [from Alfassa's first public message regarding the project in 1965]
Notes
Mirra Alfassa (the Mother) - 2023-02-05
- Born in France in 1878 to bourgeois jewish recent immigrants (from Turkey and Egypt)
- Became part of a group of spiritual seekers
- Travelled to Pondicherry in 1914 and met Sri Aurobindo.
- After a 4y forced departure to Japan, returned to Aurobindo in 1920 and stayed with him and his Ashram for the rest of her life
- Became Aurobindo's collaborator, helped found (1924) and then lead he Sri Aurobindo Ashram (officially from 1930)
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirra_Alfassa
The Mother was a revered yoga teacher in a modern context.[32] On 24 November 1926, later declared as Siddhi Day (Victory Day) and still celebrated by Sri Aurobindo Ashram,[33] Mother and Sri Aurobindo declared that overmind consciousness had manifested directly in physical consciousness, allowing the possibility for human consciousness to be directly aware and be in the overmind consciousness
Milestones in development:
- Around 1924: formation of the Ashram "With time many influenced by Arya Magazine and others who had heard about Sri Aurobindo started to come to his residence either permanently to reside or to practise Sri Aurobindo's yoga. … Around 1924 onwards … the house was turning into an ashram with many followers flowing in every day."
- April 1930: Aurobindo clarifies in writing that Mother is in charge of the Ashram
- Aug 1930: Ashram has 80-100 members.
- 1937: Ashram grown to over 150. start construction on new buildings (took 10y to construct)
Asides
- cf Lay awakening: re Integral yoga "This yoga was in variance with older ways of yoga because the follower would not give up the outer life to live in a monastery, but would be present in regular life and practise spirituality in all parts of life." (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirra_Alfassa#Integral_yoga_and_the_Siddhi_Day)
2023-02-03
Consciousness evolution: man is a transitional being
From https://auroville.org/page/the-founders
Man is not final, he is a transitional being. Beyond him awaits formation the diviner race, the superman. –Sri Aurobindo
Some history 2023-02-02
Auroville was inaugurated on February 28th, 1968, in the presence of 5000 people
To build an ideal society, an ideal city
Note: This is the architect's mockup. Today only the very central section with the Matramandir temple is fully realized.
Today, over 3300 people from 60 nations
At present, Auroville is a growing community of over 3300 people from 60 nations…
