Such a pervasive and beautiful energy

Pondicherry. No room at the inn. I had hoped to stay at one of Aurobindo Ashrams many affiliated guesthouses. It's not a typical ashram, rather a conglomerate of buildings scattered all over Pondi most of which house different services to the community, eg. School for Perfect Eyesight. There's no schedule, no demands, no rituals, nothing. So the kindly man at the Info Centre gave me a meal coupon (20 rupees -- less than 50 US cents -- buys 3 hearty meals a day) and said he'd hold onto my backpack until I found something. I enjoyed my meal, mostly because it was quiet, clean and in a lovely old French building with lofty doorways and high ceilings.

Then I traipsed around Pondi. An interesting thing, it's the only place I've been to in India where you can actually forget you're in India, granted only for a few minutes at a time and only on the 3 or so streets that run parallel to the seafront. This is the old French Pondi. It's shady and pretty and the domain of exclusive hotels and expat abodes. When you cross the canal you're thrown brutally back into India. Is it just the contrast that makes it seem so...cruel? Or is it the ashram and all the charitable services it provides that draws the most wretched of the poor? I had to step over a mangled old woman who I really couldn't believe was still alive. Lots of toothless pavement dwellers and gut wrenching attacks on the senses and soul that are just 100% India.

After walking walking and walking I stumbled into the Samadhi shrine to The Mother and Aurobindo, founders of the ashram. Well. Knocked my socks off and more importantly, knocked every thought out of my head. I just stood there, utterly dumbfounded. Such a pervasive and beautiful energy. I sat there for a while and sent out a little call for help. Returned to the Info Centre having decided that I could still make it to Auroville and hopefully find a bed for the night. A beaming guy told me that Mother had kept a room for me. What? And as I sat there the phone kept ringing and people kept coming in, all turned away, many of them have been waiting for days. I not only have a bed, but 3 and its spotlessly clean, with a lovely garden. It costs...wait for it...70 rupees! I'm so blessed, so happy, so grateful. And I better get back, because the only real rule is that one needs to be in by 10pm. Goodnight :) posted by Charisse at 8:26 PM 2 Comments: Charisse Location: Kerala & the Andaman Islands, India Citizen of the World, hopeless romantic and dreamer, in love with it all. Monday, January 08, 2007

Aryadeep said... Charisse, A representative of Auroville from USA sent your diary note of 8th January saying it is "above average". Indeed, it is! In fact, I was amazed by your quick grasp of things at Pondicherry and the Ashram! I am a resident of Auroville since last 15 years, originally from Ahmedabad, Gujarat, West India. If you are still in Pondicherry and/or Auroville, will be happy to invite you to my office at Town Hall which is just above the Financial Service where you will be visiting for opening the guest account. My phone: 2623 699 Office email: aryadeep@auroville.org.in Hope to hear! 11:12 AM

Charisse said... Wow! News really does travel fast these days! Thank you for the invitation, I will certainly do my best to drop in. Many thanks! 1:28 PM Post a Comment <<>