NGOs in Auroville

In September of 2005, we planned to spend our 6 months in and around Pondicherry, settling into our newly chosen “second” home, working with people and NGOs in Auroville and Pondicherry. We spent a total of three weeks, combined, in Pondicherry in the 6 months we were in India. You can read about some of our projects in this blog’s archives from October 2005 to April 2006. India Bound Published November 10th, 2006 Travel , India

Mirapuri as spiritual-ecological city of the future

Mirapuri - City of Peace Future Man in Europe, ItalyFilmaur Multimedia KG, Germany1 hr 24 min 25 sec - May 4, 2006

This 21st century free cinema documentary by Michel Montecrossa presents the spiritual background and growth of Mirapuri, the City of Peace and Futureman in Europe, Italy and of Miravillage, the first satellite of Mirapuri in Germany. Mirapuri and Miravillage are based on the Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo and Mira Alfassa - The Mother and are the outer frame for realizing their ideal of human unity for a better future.

The movie shows the life of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother and the significance of their endeavour, highlighting in particular Sri Aurobindo's major work 'Savitri' Biografic documents from the life of the futurist, cyberartist and musician Michel Montecrossa who founded Mirapuri and Miravillage, show his coming together with The Mother and their friendship which is the creative spring for his futureoriented artistic and musical work. It is this creative joy which brought into existence the community of people dedicated to building Mirapuri and Miravillage.

The movie shows the main stages of the building of Mirapuri as spiritual-ecological city of the future, the inhabitants and their ways of expression as well as the futuristic atmosphere of Miravillage. Today Mirapuri and Miravillage are the largest centres in Europe based on the Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother and its active expression in life. Blog tag: Century theatres

Healing and Mystical Experience

Mystical Experience: These differences of opinion, even amongst the most advanced mystics, are striking but not often discussed. As an example, it amused me to see Ramana Maharshi make gentle fun of Sri Aurobindo's doctrine of spiritual planes. I love and rever the works of both of these sages... Technorati Tags: Aurobindo, Cosmic Consciousness, Gurdjieff, Individuation, Jacob Boehme, Krishnamurti, Morihei Ueshiba, Mystical experience, Psychosis, Ramana Maharashi, Richard Maurice Bucke, Simone Weil, Spirituality Richard G. Petty, MD Healing, Meaning & Purpose

Powerful spiritual experiences in prison

Sri Aurobindo - Extract from play 2006-10-01 10:04 Posted by Richard Pettinger Permanent Link Inspiration, Sri Aurobindo

Sri Aurobindo was a poet, philosopher and Spiritual Master. In Sri Aurobindo’s early life he threw himself heart and soul into politics and the Indian independence Movement. However at various times and particularly during a spell in prison, very powerful spiritual experiences came to Sri Aurobindo. These spiritual illuminations encouraged him to leave the political struggle to others and concentrate only on his future spiritual mission.

Sri Aurobindo's Compassion

Engagements - Chennai In Chennai Today The Hindu Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 ePaper

Aurobindo's Compassion: S. Annapoorani, 5, Smith Road, Anna Salai, 10.30 a.m.

Ancient history, growth and culture

This book aims at familiarising the young generation of today with not only the story of how the Hindu nation came into being but also its ancient history, growth and culture...India has been the birthplace of Vivekananda, Aurobindo and it even adopted Margaret Nobel who became a Hindu to don the name of Sister Nivedita before becoming a disciple of Swami Vivekananda...This is a book which enlightens one on India’s state of advancement in an era when the rest of the world was underdeveloped in comparison to the developed India. (Vishwa Samvad Kendra, Mahakaushal, Dr Hedgewar Medical Bhawan, behind Mehta petrol pump, New Adarsh Colony, Gadha Marg, Jabalpur.) Home > 2006 Issues > November 05, 2006 The story of Hindu culture By Manju Gupta

Everything has to be transformed by the power of the spirit

Then I read Sri Aurobindo's books and came to Pondicherry (instead of a monastery in Dharamsala). The Bengali sage who had been the first to advocate Purna Swaraj in the early years of the 20th century, did not reject life. According to him, everything had to be transformed by the power of the spirit. This Indian philosophy of life, whether it is called Sanatan Dharma or by any other name is my first love. Other reasons ensue from it. Courtesy: Claude Arpi # posted by Makrand @ 11:07 PM

Handmade in Auroville

eka wear
It's definitely time to wrap up warm, so for a quality new collection of Fairtrade fashion, visit www.ekawear.com As the website states:"Drawing influence from the 1920s, the eka collection is for those who want to stand out in a crowd".
The eka brand was set up in 2004 by Gilly Seagrave and is designed in England. The collection of hats, gloves and laptop/iPod cases are then handmade in Auroville, a self-sustaining community in South India. All eka business profits go into developing the town and surrounding landscape. Take a look: www.ekawear.com www.auroville.org November 07, 2006 Permalink

Tsunamika ambassador

A Child of the Tsunami Oct 2, 2006 When the tsunami swept across south Asia on 26 Dec 2004, it devastated many fishing villages along the south east coast of India. Uma Prajapati, living just miles from the shore in the universal township of Auroville near Pondicherry, gathered her young colleagues from her clothing company Upasana Design Studio to brainstorm how they could help.The group conceived the idea for Tsunamika and offered it to the local fisherwomen to help them generate a new source of income...

• If you are interested in becoming a Tsunamika ambassador please write to umap@auroville.org.in
• If you want to send a donation please visit www.tsunamika.org By Peter Lloyd
posted by Sasmen at 9:15 AM Tuesday, November 07, 2006

It felt like I might as well be walking in a small town in France

Pondicherry Rendezvous: Just got back from a nice and relaxing trip to Pondy aka Puducherry aka Pondicherry .I wanted to take a break away from work and the regular mundane world and didn't have any bookings or any inclination to head out to the tourist infested destinations in and around Bangalore for the 1st Nov. holiday here.Reaching Pondy from Bangalore is really easy and convenient. One could drive down(6-8hrs) or just get yourself a KSTRC Volvo bus ticket(150Rs Non-AC and 300Rs for AC) and you are all set. I didn't want to drive all the way down and hence booked myself a bus ticket. Once you are in Pondy just go and hire a cycle/bike(20/100 Rs a day).

One can also explore the city on foot walking around.Pondicherry is famous for its French Connection and became part of India in 1954 ,however it has had Portuguese ,Dutch ,Danes and English visitors over the centuries.There are tons of options one can find for spending a few days in and around Pondy. Places start from Rs100 and go all the way upto Rs 7000 a night. I booked myself into an Ashram Guest House (Park Guest House) with its wonderful sea facing Rooms. Thanks to a friend of mine ,Kartik who suggested this place. This place might not be for the city hoppers looking out for a bit of fun with its strict rules and 10:30pm entrance curfew!I was transported into a tranquel environment with no access to TV ,newspaper but just the sound of the waves.

As I spent most of days exploring Pondy on foot, I was transported into a different India, rather it felt like I might as well be walking in a small town in France. The place has maintained its heritage and architecture and one gets to see tons of different designs patterns and shapes .The surprising and astonishing part of the town is the stark difference between the Indian and French part of it. The french part with its well laid, sparkling clean streets with almost close to zero traffic sound/pollution with foot , cycle , two wheelers being the main form of travel. As you cross over the canal and move to the more newer Tamil part of Pondy , you come across the familiar chaos of an Indian town .

I also visted Auroville one of the days. Wish I could have spent a few days there. I am sure my next Pondy trip will only be to Auroville.The purpose of Auroville is to realise human unity and build a self sufficient community. 75% of its residents are foreign nationals who have made Auroville their home. Really green, peaceful and serene. I came across some intersting places inside the green forest and a few on the beach. There quite a few interesting projects pertaining to Architecture, Art, Organic Farming etc. happening here.

pics from Pondy: Sun n SandStreets of Pondy Useful Links: AurovillePondy Tourism WebsiteAurobindo Ashram posted by Anu at 8:46 AM, PermaLink Tuesday, November 07, 2006 Bangalore, Karnataka, India

I would not have to expect a Eiffel tower

Pondicherry 27th - 29th of October In the south of India, I had already everything seen which would be worth seening, except for one destination, called Pondicherry. Pondicherry has been a French colony some decades ago. Hence, I was eager to see what there is around. I was sure that I would not have to expect a Eiffel tower, but at least nice cafés would be good. Furthermore, it is supposed to be famous for its beaches as it is located at the Eastern coast. The 29th of October then finally 12 trainees took a semi-sleeper bus to Pondicherry. The bus left Bangalore at 10.15pm. I could catch some sleep but honestly speaking I just slumbered the most time on the way to Pondicherry. I was surprised as at 5am the bus driver shouted “Pondicherry!”. Could we have already arrived, at 5am? Well, obviously, then I read the name Pondicherry on the plates and commercial posters around. But what the hell should we do at 5am in Pondicherry. Everything was still closed and it was still dark. Well, time passed by as Simon first had to arrange his return ticket.

At about 6.30am then we took the bus to Auroville beach which is located at about 8km away from Pondicherry. When we arrived in Auroville, it started raining. And I can already reveal that we would not get rid of the rain for the time we stayed in Pondicherry. The accommodation we have chosen was quite nice but very simple furnished. Actually, we had to stay in palm huts which have been erected on stone pillars. Inside there was nothing else but mattresses and a lot of flies. In fact, they were everywhere and tried to assault me when I was trying to get some sleep. It must have been hundreds of flies. I have never seen something like the before. In order to protect I covered myself under my blanket. I could hardly breathe anymore now but at least I got rid of these flies.

When I woke up, the rain has gone. Therefore, I decided to go for a walk on the beach which was just a stone throw away. And what I have seen there is incredible. I say an Indian shitting on the beach, just two metres away from the sea. He just sat there and shitted while he was cleaning his teeth at the same time. I mean, if he had shitted in a hole on the beach or just a few metres away from the beach, I would have tolerated it. But this upset me really. The truth is that if he had shitted far away from the water, he wouldn’t have been able to use the sea to clean his ass. Unfortunately, after some minutes it started raining again. As for me, the wish of going back to Bangalore the same day arose more and more. As I was not the only one, some guys and I took a bus to Pondicherry to check whether there are some vacancies in some of the evening buses. Thank god, we could book four tickets in a sleeper bus for 10pm.

After this victory we went around Pondicherry in order to do some sightseeing. But what to see, there was not much so see. We saw rickshaw drivers trying to hire passengers in vain, beggars asking for some bugs and Indians throwing their garbage in the streets. Honestly speaking, this place was not different than the others I have seen down to the present day. Anyway in this rain, it wouldn’t have been much fun. To my surprise, the names of the streets are labelled in French. But I have seen any Indian speaking French. Probably, this is just a remainder of the time when Pondicherry was a former colony. So, we decided to do some errands and to have a cup of tea or whatever. For that reason we went to Daily bread Café where we also got some very good pastry. Daniel bought the horn form the rickshaw driver who conveyed us there coz the rickshaws in Pondicherry are furnished with simple horns which you have to push to make it honking; really funny.

In the late afternoon we went back to Auroville again getting our luggage. When we arrived there, I was completely soaked. The rain was so strong that even a rain coast was of no use. Hence, with time passing by I became more and more indifferent concerning the rain. While I was taking shelter of the rain at the beginning, I now didn’t care anymore about the rain. Anyway it just would have extended the time I would have kept more or less dry. All the others as well came to the decision to go back to Bangalore the same day. At about 6pm we started for Bangalore. But as we had more than three hours left when we arrived in Pondicherry, we decided to hang about in Daily bread Café again and have dinner. It was a miracle that we arrived there coz nobody of the rickshaw drivers we requested to convey us there, knew the place or understood the word channel. In Pondicherry, in contrast to Bangalore, they don’t speak any word in English. Punctual, at 10.15pm our bus started for Bangalore. Daniel and me shared one cabin the bus. I could sleep quite well in the bus. And again, after a ride of seven hours we reached Bangalore. All summed up, the trip was rather disappointing but at least I can assert having been there. And even if we could have taken a bath in the sea, the beach in Mamallapuram is much better. posted by Thorsten in India at 7:15 PM Bangalore, Karnataka, India Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Physical realm is merely a reflection of the occult event

As a person very much interested in occult studies and metaphysical phenomenon, I look at very situation that obtains, personal, political and sociological from the occult point of view. I believe every situation has an occult counterpart and the event in the physical realm is merely a reflection (prathibimba) of the occult event. The occult event is in that sense the "real event" and is the one that results in the physical phenomenon. The two world wars were the result of activities of the Asuras in the Higher Planes , and in fact according to Aurobindo was brought about by the same Asura. Like wise India's freedom struggle was the result of the inrush of the divine forces into the earth plane...You can find more such occult analyses in my website www.indiamystica.com mail me at harishkumar09@yahoo.co.in posted by Harish Kumar 1:20 AM Wednesday, November 08, 2006

The small place could be covered on foot

Wednesday, November 08, 2006 Pondicherry-Giving time a break !
The red circles formed a gleaming halo around the calendar dates. The routine weekend with the added bonus of a Monday and Tuesday was a divine interruption to the maddening pace of official activity. Kudos to the diverse and ebullient festive spirits of the Indian citizen! Plans were made in advance to rise up to the occasion. I was sure of many other Sanjays marking their calendars. Scuttled on the narrow roads and in front of 15 inch monitors, inhaling lungs-full of carbon monoxide laden air – almost everyone will be looking forward to the weekend. True to my certification in project planning, I reserved spaces at a midrange hotel in Pondicherry. We were set to take a break in Pondicherry for the Diwali, Ramdan holidays.

The Maruti Alto Lxi the part of our extended family was made ready with a general check-up for the 7 hr journey.We started early on Saturday morning to make sure we are in at the hotel for lunch. Also wanted to hit the road early to avoid any heavy traffic. In addition to the routine carry-on items, made sure I have kept few shorts for the beaches, Outlook Traveller Getaways and printouts from various sites telling me what to do in Pondicherry.I took a different route than the one mentioned in the book. After hitting Hosur Road from Bangalore, the road was empty as expected. However there were some trucks that will make you shift the gears down.

At Krishnagiri, we took the road to Chennai. Around one km from the junction that divides the road to Chennai and that of Salem, you need to take a right. If you are NOT looking out you will miss the board pointing towards Pondicherry. We got into the state road, much better than many of the state roads I have gotten into. The initial stretch had freshly laid bitumen. The road takes you all the way to Pondicherry. Krishnagiri–Uthangiri–Chengam–Thruvanmalai–Didivanam – Pondicherry. The road turns somewhat dangerous during the uthangiri–chengam stretch and a bit beyond. A smooth road is ominously interrupted with potholes, which could prove dangerous if you do not hit the brake pedals at the right time. The journey will take you a travel time of around 7 hrs excluding the stoppages.

Entry into Pondicherry was marked by the famous JIPMER campus. The town was dotted conspicuously with liquor shops–one of the top reasons why people flock into Pondicherry. We checked into hotel Surguru–a hotel with decent enough car parking. Many refer to Pondicherry as a place having a French hangover!(owing to earlier French occupation). Having studied French, I was thinking of trying out my French too! I was to expect ‘Merci’ and ‘Bon jour’. However I was in for a surprise. The small place could be covered on foot, if you really want to do so and merge with the local population. Owing to the Diwali weekend, the beach was crowded. The monuments along the beach – Gandhiji’s statue, the lighthouse, the War memorial were not different from the umpteen ones you might have seen at many place. The beach itself was not exciting, except for some big waves breaking against the huge boulders which seemed to have smoothened over the years. The beaches are a thumbs-down especially if you have been to the sun bathed sandy beaches of Goa or Kerala.

Pondicherry is divided into two quarters (someone needs to educate me on why they are quarters and not halves). The French Quarter and the Tamil Quarter. You are familiar with the latter. You have come across them in Tamil Nadu or even in Singapore or Malaysia–wherever you find the population. The French quarter is more sedate and calm. The streets or Rues cut each other at right angles. Aurobindo Ashram, Vinayagar Kovil, Notre Dame des Anges(The Church of Our Lady of the Angels) are some places to see or visit during your stay. 8 kms from Pondicherry on the way to Cudalloore falls Chunnabar. Access to backwaters there offers facilities like pedal boats, speed boats etc in a small creek. The backwaters didn’t seem to have much depth.

Auroville–the utopian paradise conceived by Mother ( Aurobindo’s spiritual collaborator) lies around 12 kms Northwest of Pondicherry. The idea was to build a city with a culture of goodwill and harmony among human beings. The Matri Mandir-a finely-crafted structure-forms the focal point of Auroville. It is said that during its inauguration ceremony representatives from 124 countries placed a handul of earth from their homelands in a lotus-shaped urn in a symbolic gesture of human unity.The shopping areas fall in MG Road, Mission Road, Nehru Street etc. however I did not find anything unique to Pondicherry to carry back as a memento or as a lingering taste in my mouth.

So here is my take of things you should do in Pondicherryo Visit the Pondicherry Tourism Office (PTTDC) as soon as you reach. Pick up the Travel Guide & Magazine. This has enough information from eateries, places to visit, packages available with a mapo Leave your car at the hotel. Take a bicycle on rent and explore the streets.o Things to buy include – Petrol (costs Rs 10/litre less vis-à-vis Bangalore), BeerSome of the resources on web that provide useful information are Pondicherry Tourism , AurovilleLeave your baggage of unfinished program codes, unmet sales targets, unsuccessful speed dates and be one among the many on the Pondicherry streets. The people are really friendly, helping us with directions etc. However the laziness in the air seemed to have got on to the motorists. It is a common sight to find people in two-wheelers moving side-by-side merrily immersed in their conversations!The official tag line or punch line of Pondicherry Tourism board reads

Pondicherry–Give Time a Breakand probably that sums up what it can offer. Carry back memories of a break where time just stopped. Sanjay Gopinath Labels: Aurobindo, Auroville, Give time a break, Pondicherry posted by Vagabond Mind @ 4:22 PM Kochi, Kerala, IN

One of the very first cast-in-place, reinforced concrete building

Wednesday, November 08, 2006 the introduction of modernism in india. golconde, pondicherry, tamilnadu, southeast india. a dormitory for aurobindo ashram constructed in 1942. designed by george nakashima and antonin raymond. one of the very first cast-in-place, reinforced concrete building in india. environmentally sensitive, uncompromising construction standards. more: www.aia.org/SiteObjects/files/Gupta_color.pdf. posted by chintan gohil at 11:26 PM

Sri Aurobindo said, "All life is yoga"

Hi All, On a recent, con-call KW mentioned, almost in one breath, three yogas, namely Karma-yoga, Bhakti-yoga, and Jnana-yoga; and surprised me with the suggestion that this trio can be associated with the big three, I we and it –the man has an amazing way with pronouns!

We can use English names for them, the yoga of work, the yoga of devotion, and the yoga of understanding, respectively. My view holds these three to be linked, not just in theory, but in actual practice...In view of this modest little scene its no wonder my favorite yogi, Sri Aurobindo said. "All life is yoga." Warmly, Charles 88W18'28" 41N58'02"

Integrated farming and waste management

Effective Microorganisms and Vortices as Part of a Integrated Farming Approach at the Auroville Ecovillage in India Posted by jef buder under Bio-Reactors , IFS Best Practices

Recently I was introduced to Jean-Francois Audic’s work in promoting integrated farming and waste management solutions at Auroville through a corespondence via Prof Chan’s network. Jean-Francois’ work has involved investigating the subtle nature of water at Auroville, a well known ecovillage in Southern India. This research led him to EM (Effective Microorganisms) technology - a proven and effective technology used for developing healthy agricultural and environmental systems. The technology of effective microorganisms was developed by Dr. Teruo Higa of the University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan in the 1970’s.

However Jean-Francois’ work also adds a novel component to the EM process that includes the use of Vortices or Flow Forms. This approach has worked so well that it is now included as part of a integrated waste management and farming approach being deployed at Auroville. Jeff Buderer oneVillage Foundation

Many of them are Auroville lovers

While I was India I met several ex-patriot Americans and many other western ex-pats. All of them love India (and/or Auroville. Many of them are Auroville lovers) I was able to get the "inside scoop" on living in India as an ex-pat. Interesting stuff. As I've said, I have a lot to think about. But right now I must admit that I believe I'll be going back to India again. If not to stay, at least for another long visit. There is just too much to see there for one visit to be enough. There are other places I want to see first though, so India will probably need to wait for a while. Posted by lordtangent at 8:46 PM Labels: India

The journey continues. Onwards. Inwards. Outwards.

Saturday, October 28, 2006 Farewell to India- for now.
I write this on my last night in India. Seven weeks in India. Seven weeks of what? Of colour, lots of it. Colour as iridescent saris blaze around every street corner. Then the glossy black and yellow of taxis and the glaring orange of festival flowers. The piquant green of tea plantations. The lush green of coconut plantations. The lazy green of cardamom trees. The black of a girl’s oiled hair, the black of men’s moustaches, the pupils of eyes (you staring at them, them staring at you). The chorus of colour as Diwali swings into fare; fireworks painting the sky like a circus. The pink of pickle. The night blue of night trains. The bright light of bright days...

I’ve been into temples. I’ve been blessed with blessed water. I’ve been given flowers, sweets, spontaneous hugs. I’ve meditated in Auroville’s matrimandir. I’ve seen a solar powered kitchen and a battery powered car. I’ve met people working to combat child sex abuse, child labour, child trafficking. I’ve met others working to promote rural innovation. I’ve met a women who creates beautiful children’s literature. I’ve met another who helps kick-start social ventures. I’ve met up with old friends from Ireland and met lots of new friends.

I’ve seen flowers which bloom once every twelve years. I’ve seen ancient sculpture. I’ve been to a crocodile farm. I’ve touched a python. I’ve seen women stand up for their rights. I’ve danced with former child labourers and heard the stories of their liberation, from their liberators. I’ve given puppet shows, with mixed success. Seven weeks. I know. I can hardly believe how much can be packed in. A lot has happened, and there is still a lot more to come. I am thankful. I am lucky. I am learning. The journey continues. Onwards. Inwards. Outwards. posted by Clare Mulvany at 11:56 AM Dublin, Ireland

Indian Iridescence from Auroville

At The Cloud Appreciation Society we love clouds, we’re not ashamed to say it and we’ve had enough of people moaning about them. Read our manifesto and see how we are fighting the banality of ‘blue-sky thinking’. If you agree with what we stand for, then join the society for a minimal postage and administration fee and receive your very own official membership certificate and badge. Recently Updated: New additions to the Photo Gallery Latest Art: Peter NisbetLatest Poetry: From Marian Neary Burke. Cloud of the Month: Anti-Crepuscular Rays (November 06)

Eric Avril Indian Iridescence from Auroville, Tamil Nadu. Comments welcomed on this one, not knowing the weather conditions at the time, as yet, could this be Cumulonimbus with iridescent Pileus or is it an iridescent Altocumulus Lenticularis?

Japa Yagya by D.N. Srivastava

Engagements - New Delhi In the Capital Today Sri Aurobindo Ashram: Lecture on `Japa Yagya', by D.N. Srivastava, Sri Aurobindo Marg, 10 a.m. to 11-15 a.m. The Hindu Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 ePaper

Driving out of Auroville

Saturday 10.28.2006…Auroville At Last
In a way I had been preparing myself to be disappointed as the rains and some scheduling issues denied me the chance to take part in a 3-day tour. But the more I read, and once I was there, I realized 1 or 5 days hardly made a difference. One would need to visit for a month!Auroville is based on the concept of a community which is universal; belonging to no one and everyone. People who choose to (and are accepted) live here are committed to work and service for the divine spirit and must be wanting and willing to relinquish all egoistic ties to the world. To say the least it isn’t for many of today’s earthly inhabitants, which is unfortunate to say the least.This is a visual concept from the reception center.
Auroville generates revenue through economic activities such as textile design, papermaking and pottery.
They then sell these items at shops located in their township as well as other places in India.
A side note here: I was first told about Auroville by Surnish’s cousin Benita who is a co-founder of Mercado Global. This is a very progressive organization, which is trying to pair small worker cooperatives of handicrafts and textiles, with international retailers.After enjoying the presentations at the visitors center and picking up some paper items, we opted to call it a day. Much of the grounds were muddy puddles and ponds with rain showers intermittently breaking the constant downpour.Despite this short visit, I felt much more inclined to come back and stay for an extended period of time to really get a feel for the atmosphere of the people and work of Auroville.

Heading Back to Chennai: As the weather would have it, we weren’t destined for 3-days, so we settled for 1 whole and 2 halves. Driving out from Auroville I watched images of village life pass by that were the same and different from what I’d seen in northern India.

The vividness of the landscape inspired the following: Driving out of Auroville…The rains are resting for the moment as I watched the passing scene.With window rolled down I am able to clearly see the one hundred thousand shades of green glowing under heavy drops of water.The wind gently pushes leaves on leaves on branches on twigs. The water rains from one surface to the next.A thousand different kinds of leaves in millions of shapes and form. The brightest still not as bright as the blades I’ve seen in the rice fields; but they try.Tall and thin and short and squat are the cacti I don’t expect to see.Dense are the mangrove and their limbs, which bow down to the commune with the earth on which they rely.The road is lined by red clay waiting for hands to form it and fences so alive with creeper growth one cannot be sure that each vertical piece isn’t rooted to the ground. My eyes strain to see the connection, but the truth cannot be revealed.The road begins to smoothen as more and more earth alone is seen. Small tidy piles of garbage breech the scene.With a final turn and length, the road empties out past buildings of red brick and merges with the expressway.The ocean is just then there across the way. Blue, green and gray in its calmness today, for now. It colors the sky it meets with in the horizon. And for a moment the white sand of beach appears before it all disappears behind the buildings and huts and landscape.Again we’ve met the rain.We drove right into it. And as we continued on we drove passed many acres of salt flats where workers collected and moved this vital element.

I wondered if there was greater satisfaction or sense of dignity in working with this material as it was the very one that is eternally tied with the final throws of struggle for India’s freedom? More likely this is simply the fanciful thinking of a Westerner…a simple Pink American.Peace, A Pink American Posted by A Pink American at 9:38 PM

As Spaceship Earth at Epcot Center in Walt Disney World

Second Saturday: Down the Coast to Auroville & Pondy from Business Trip to Chennai: They Called It "Knowledge Transfer" Trip Date: May 27 '06Location: Pondicherry, India Author: Dr Pop

After the second week of long days of meetings, I was ready for a trip out of town again to go see some more of the surrounding countryside -- and one truly weird sounding place. My driver took me down the East Coast Road to Pondicherry, but we stopped off along the way in a place that was literally a throwback to the 1960's -- Auroville. It was founded by some very idealistic hippie types as a place where people from all over the world could live in harmony, and at the center of it is something that at once is a monument to one of the founders, called "Mother", and a place for meditation with one big, perfect crystal.

Even incomplete, it is the main tourist attraction of their little town, and even from the distance that we were kept away from it due to the construction, it is quite an impressive sight. They call this thing the Matrimandir, and it looks to me like nothing so much as Spaceship Earth at Epcot Center in Walt Disney World. Of course, to them it's a lot more meaningful, so I didn't mention that to anyone there. There are a few thousand people living under fairly primitive conditions in Auroville, still extremely idealistic and still working to build the town and the Matrimandir.

After I had had my fill of walking around Auroville, my driver (who had wisely been snoozing back in the car) and I continued down the ECR to Pondicherry. Pondicherry was the place where the French had landed in India and had established their colony, so it has a number of charming-looking French streets that draw the tourists to town. They were indeed different from the rest of India, and you'll see a few pictures of that tourist area of town on this page. However, I also went through the shopping area in town, which is not French-looking at all, but entirely Indian, packed with little shops cheek-by-jowl all the way down the road, which is not entirely in good condition.

I had to watch my step going over the tilted slabs of concrete and avoid the holes in the sidewalk -- apparently, American-style injury law has not made its way to India, which is a good thing, but it does mean that one has to keep one's eyes open. I enjoyed browsing through this little area, getting accustomed by now to brushing off the ever-present salespeople in each little stall who, seeing the only non-Indian face on the entire street, would invariably try to sell me everything in their store at prices I'm sure were much higher than a native would pay. It was a chore to keep moving and looking. Still, though, the prices weren't entirely ridiculous when translated into dollars, and so I got a few shirts and a few souvenirs.

I also walked over to their "beach"; Pondicherry is a coastal town, after all, and they do claim to have a beach. However, theirs is a very rocky coast, as you'll see in the pictures I took. It was something of an adventure picking my way down the rocks to get to the water so that I could cool off my feet, and I did get a few looks from the locals, being the only foreign-looking person in sight. With the rocky shore and the warnings about the current I didn't think it wise to go in any further, but it was refreshing after walking around the crowded shopping streets, and the less crowded coastal tourist area.

The Matramandir is in fact a space ship

Sunday, October 29, 2006 Auroville: About ten miles outside of Pondicherry is a place called Auroville. It is a project in human unity and love that was started by a woman known as ‘The Mother.’ People come from all over the world live there; two-thirds of the residents are foreigners. No religions are allowed, and material possessions are given up. A large portion of the land is used for sustainable agriculture, which feeds the community’s 1800 residents.

This was one of the trippiest places I have ever seen. Being a partial closet hippy, I usually like these kinds of things, but these are some really freaking crazy hippies! It actually felt more like a cult. Whatever the case, it was both cool and strange at the same time.The community is laid out in the spiraling shape of a galaxy. The center of this galaxy is called the Matramandir and is the ‘soul’ of Auroville. The Matramandir is a huge golden sphere. Inside this sphere is a chamber lined with white marble, and a crystal that is two feet in diameter. A tracking mirror in the roof beams sun rays into the crystal to illuminate the room. Residents of Auroville go in this chamber to meditate. Are you freaked out yet? Corinne and I concluded that the Matramandir was in fact a space ship that would ultimately deliver Aurovillains to a much better place.

On the ship we do this thing when people complain about something. Like in the picture, we make a circle with our arms that is supposed to look like the planet Earth. This means "Hey, we are going around the world." So when somebody starts to whine about having to wait in line for dinner, or that the internet is slow, we just make the motion with our arms. Its just to keep the whole thing in context, "Ya thats a real bummer your laundry isn't done, but on the other hand we are sunbathing off the coast of Yemen right now." Its a big joke on the ship, and thats what the picture is all about.

On the way out of Auroville, we came across this huge Banyan tree. These trees grow roots out of their branches that drop into the ground to support themselves. I thought this was really the coolest thing ever. Corinne gave me a bunch of crap for being so excited about this tree, because apparently they have been in every other port we have visited. Whatever, just look at it. That is a damn smart tree. Isn’t that cool? posted by Patrick @ 4:31 AM 0 comments Santa Barbara, California, United States

Sri Aurobindo Memorial School, Banashankari

A classical dance presentation by students of Chithkala School of Dance and a ballet by the students of Shona Dee Academy Dance left the audience spellbound. Those who had contested in the event earlier knew what was required to win prizes. They put in their best in whatever event they participated. The encouragement of teachers and parents were noticeable.

Winners: The list of prize-winners are as follows: Group Dance Indian Popular/film/western: The Oxford Senior Secondary School, JP Nagar (first), Army Public School (second), Sri Aurobindo Memorial (State Board) School, Banashankari (third). The Hindu Karnataka - Bangalore Friday, Nov 10, 2006 ePaper