Auroville/India

Auroville Charter

Auroville belongs to nobody in particular.

Auroville belongs to humanity as a whole.

But to live in Auroville, one must be the willing servitor of the Divine Consciousness.

Auroville will be the place of an unending education,

of constant progress, and a youth that never ages.

Auroville wants to be the bridge between the past and the future. Taking advantage of all discoveries from without and from within, Auroville will boldly spring towards future realisations.

Auroville will be a site of material and spiritual researches for a living embodiment of an actual Human Unity.

Auroville - www.auroville.org

The concept of Auroville - an ideal township devoted to an experiment in human unity - came to the Mother as early as the 1930s. In the mid 1960s the Sri Aurobindo Society in Pondicherry proposed to Her that such a township should be started. She gave her blessings. The concept was then put before the Govt. of India, who gave their backing and took it to the General Assembly of UNESCO. In 1966 UNESCO passed a unanimous resolution commending it as a project of importance to the future of humanity, thereby giving their full encouragement.

Today Auroville is recognised as the first and only internationally endorsed ongoing experiment in human unity and transformation of consciousness, also concerned with - and practically researching into - sustainable living and the future cultural, environmental, social and spiritual needs of mankind.

When did Auroville start?

On 28th February 1968 some 5,000 people assembled near the banyan tree at the centre of the future township for an inauguration ceremony attended by representatives of 124 nations, including all the States of India. The representatives brought with them some soil from their homeland, to be mixed in a white marble- clad, lotus-shaped urn, now sited at the focal point of the Amphitheatre. At the same time the Mother gave Auroville its 4-point Charter.

Where is Auroville?

Auroville is located in south India, mostly in the State of Tamil Nadu (some parts are in the State of Pondicherry), a few kilometres inland from the Coromandel Coast, approx 160 kms south of Chennai (previously Madras) and 10 kms north of the town of Pondicherry.

Who are the Aurovilians?

They come from 50 nations, from all age groups (from infancy to over eighty, averaging around 30), from all social classes, backgrounds and cultures, representing humanity as a whole. The population of the township is constantly growing, but currently stands at around 3000 people, of whom approx one-third are Indian.

Climate

Auroville is located in a subtropical zone on the coast of the bay of Bengal.The temperatures from december to march are usually around 24 to 30° C (74 to 85° F) daytime. Nights are generally about 5° C (9°F) cooler than the days.

Flight and arrival

A number of major airlines fly in to Madras/Chennai, the nearest major airport handling international flights. These include (alphabetically) Air India, Air Lanka, British Airways, Emirates, Gulf Air, Lufthansa, Malaysian Airlines, Oman Air, Sabena, Saudi Airlines and Singapore Airlines. Other package deals with less-known airlines may also be possible.

We send you a taxi direct from the airport Madras/ Chennai to the guesthouse in Auroville.

What to wear

Cotton light clothing, long pants, long sleeves shirt (legs and shoulders covered in respect to Indian customs) outside the dance sessions. Open shoes, sunglasses and hat recommended

Moneychange

ATM widely available, Traveller cheques facilities in Auroville, Cash

Medicine and vaccinations

Tetanus, Dyphteria, Hepatitis A and B vaccination are recommended by tropical institutes. Check with your doctor. No malaria cases in the area. There is a Health Center in Auroville for minor injuries and a very good dental clinic. An international hospital is 4km away from Auroville.

Services available

Bank, post office, supermarket, cinema, cafes, shops, art exhibitions, massages, music evenings...

Visa to come to India/Auroville

The best is to get a tourist visa in your local Indian embassy or consulate (check on internet for more details).