The Matrimandir: Auroville’s meditation centre.
The Matrimandir: Auroville’s meditation centre.
Making the inside of the Matrimandir: these panels channel the sunlight inwards.
Making the inside of the Matrimandir: these panels act as a prism and channel the sunlight inwards.
Jitta and her Indian friend.
Anna’s daughter Jitta and her Indian friend.
Auroville’s secondary school called “The Last School”.
Auroville’s secondary school called “The Last School”.
Meditation after work in the gardens of the Matrimandir.
Meditation after work in the gardens of the Matrimandir.
A teacher of comparative religion and spirituality at ìThe Last School.
A teacher of comparative religion and spirituality at ìThe Last School.î
Blowing bubbles in Pondicherry, a nearby village .
Blowing bubbles in Pondicherry, a nearby village where Aurovillians do much of their shopping.
The stunning golden dome of the Matrimandir.
The stunning golden dome of the Matrimandir.
Joan, from America, in front of her first home in Auroville: a tree house in the highest tree.
Joan, from America, in front of her first home in Auroville: a tree house in the highest tree.
Access gate to the beach, blocked by a company guard.
Access gate to the beach, blocked by a company guard.
Scale model at the Information Centre.
Scale model at the Information Centre.
Body awareness class at school.
Body awareness class at school.
Mushroom mansion , designed by the German architect Rolf.
Mushroom mansion with its proud owner, designed by the German architect Rolf.
Scale model of the city plan in the Information Centre.
Scale model of the city plan in the Information Centre.
Easy riders in Auroville
There are good roads in Auroville: good enough for these easy riders.
Aurovilleís Solar powered kitchen can cook for over a thousand people .
Aurovilleís satellite dish.
A “green” cement mixer, designed by the Centre for Scientific Research.
Old and new: a modern cement mixer, designed by the Centre for Scientific Research, is carried to the workplace on a cart drawn by oxen.
In Auroville, everyone does what they are best at.
In Auroville, everyone does what they are best at. Some work in the more artistic fields, others maintain the computer systems.
A close-up of the stunning dome of the Matrimandir.
A close-up of the stunning dome of the Matrimandir.
Tai Chi class on the roof of the sports centre .
Tai Chi class on the roof of the sports centre with the Dutch Mauna as a teacher.
Two teachers having lunch in front of Auroville’s library.
Two teachers having lunch in front of Auroville’s library.
Technology spreading quickly: an Indian girl plays with a robot in Pondicherry.
Modern technology spreading quickly: an Indian girl plays with a robot in Pondicherry.
Hindu temple in Auroville
Statues on the face of a Hindu temple in Auroville
Incense drying in the famous Auroville incense factory which uses only natural materials and methods.
Incense drying in the famous Auroville incense factory which uses only natural materials and methods.
An artist at work in one of Aurovilleís cultural zones.
An artist at work in one of Aurovilleís cultural zones.
Not everything in Auroville is modern.
Not everything in Auroville is modern. Some prefer more traditional-style homes.
East and west walking hand in hand: friendship across the cultural divide.
East and west walking hand in hand: friendship across the cultural divide.
India’s City of the Future
Auroville, in the costal province of Pondichery, India was built as a symbol of the aspiration for a new world. A lush, high-tech town inhabited by 1,800 people from 40 countries, eager to create a ‘city of the future’. The Matrimandir, a huge dome covered in gold discs, used for meditation and reflection, is an awe-inspiring sight. But is this really a contemporary Garden of Eden?
Text Beverly Shaver