Planned to resemble a galaxy

On Sunday, I go to Auroville on a colleague's suggestion; fascinating little town with a unique charter all about the unity of humanity and not belonging to any nation but rather to truth. Started by 'The Mother,' a Frenchwoman who settled in Pondicherry and ran the ashram with Sri Aurobindo. Auroville sustains itself in a very eco-friendly way, with residents producing clothes/edibles/pottery/candles, running schools, working to regenerate the local vegetation and repopulate the area with indigenous wildlife, and dining in a common hall called the Solar Kitchen.

Sounds just like a kibbutz, except for the big gold epcot ball (Matrimandir) in the centre (also known as the town's soul). Apparently there's a massive crystal inside, light shines through the crystal and pulsates throughout the town, which was planned to resemble a galaxy. Sadly, visitors are not allowed inside the gold ball - probably because cynics like me would wreck the vibe. Anyhow, the grey urn to the front and right of the Matrimandir apparently contains soil from 124 countries - nice earthy touch. Posted by Tova at 9:41 AM