28th Day 12-Nov.-2022 Sat CHENNAI AUROVILLE
Paula 02
Mahabalipuram
Auroville
Today we will travel along the coast of the state of Tamil Nadu to Auroville for approx. 3 to 4 hours. On the way we will visit temples that are over a thousand years old, from a dynasty called Pallava. One temple is on the edge of the sea and two groups of temples and sculptures a little further in.
Next to Pondicherry is a city created by people from all over the world and by the Mother, Sri Aurobindo's companion, with the aim that its residents can live in inner, social and environmental harmony. Auroville is a case for all humanity. Formed by a great cultural diversity for more than 50 years, in an area of approx. 20km2 with soil that had already been depleted by monoculture, when entering its streets and trails we clearly feel the difference, for example, in temperature compared to neighboring areas and common cities. It is a living laboratory of diverse pedagogies, types of agriculture such as permaculture, studies and development of renewable energy technologies, bioconstruction, in addition to a rich cultural activity. His projects are located around a large meditation hall, the Matrimandir, and an area dedicated to peace and awareness.
After checking in at the inn in Auroville, a suggestion: go to the Visitors Center on foot or, if you really feel like it, with one of the inn's bicycles. There is a simple restaurant, very tasty (we can have juice), exhibitions and films about Auroville, as well as a store with products from the region. We will inform you a few weeks in advance about the possibility of a visit to Matrimandir. Being open to visitations, we will see how the current process is (changes a lot) of scheduling and films that ask to watch there at the Visitors Center itself. At the end of the day, if you want to stop by the café La Terrace, above the Solar Kitchen, it is a place with delicious dishes and juices. Take the opportunity to visit the Solar Kitchen, which is the cafeteria where Aurovilians eat at a very good price, with a kitchen that heats the water with solar energy (you will see the large capture panel). At La Terrace, as well as at the inn and at the Visitors Center, there is a panel with information about the events and courses for the next few days. It's always worth checking out if there's something that interests you. We used to see the News & Notes newspaper that La Terrace printed for us. If you have prints, great. If not, today we easily download from the Auroville website (here). In it we also see AV events, courses and news.
The idea in Auroville is that we explore what is happening, projects that interest us according to our personal interests: organic agriculture, pedagogy, well-being, philosophy, bio construction and so on. Suggestions for the next few days: a little farther a very beautiful project is the Sadhana Forest, for reforestation. They usually present the project to visitors on Fridays (we'll confirm if they follow that way), before dinner. If we're not in AV on a Friday, we can talk to them about another possibility. Next to the Visitors Center is Solitude Farm, with an interesting farming method. Next door is the Tibetan Pavillion. There is good cinema in AV, usually with good movies. Let's see it together, with the greatest pleasure, ok?
One of the ways we understand Auroville is by looking at it, more than a big project, as a mosaic of projects. A tip to help with visits, each project usually has a time of day or day of the week in which they are presented, as living in a more sustainable way, in a community, ends up requiring a lot of focus and dedication. This is how they organize themselves and make it possible to present their work. Talking to the staff at the inn, in cafes and restaurants, through News & Notes or by contacting us, we learn about the best way to visit the projects that interest us the most.
29th Day 13-Nov.-2022 Sun AUROVILLE AUROVILLE
Auroville
Day to explore Auroville
30th Day 14-Nov.-2022 Mon AUROVILLE AUROVILLE
Auroville
Day to explore Auroville
31st Day 15-Nov.-2022 Tue AUROVILLE PONDICHERRY
Auroville
pondicherry
We can use this morning or even the day to enjoy Auroville, its activities, courses. We just need to notify a day before the time for the driver to pick up at the inn. Pondicherry is 15 or 20 min by AV.
Pondi had great importance in several kingdoms during the history of India, in the last two millennia at least, such as the Pallavas and Cholas. It was also the basis of the French East India Company between the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries. XVII and XIX. Thus, the part of the city closest to the coast, where the ashram of Sri Aurobindo is, is a few blocks away in a very pleasant area, with a beach promenade where the locals also like to stroll. It is suggested that we do a few minutes meditation today, together with the locals, at the end of the day in Sri Aurobindo's own ashram.
32nd Day 16-Nov.-2022 Wed PONDICHERRY PONDICHERRY
pondicherry
Today was thought to be very peaceful, at the hotel, reading, walking around this quieter area of Pondi. There is the beach avenue, with a simple restaurant but nice to sit there for a while to have a tea or a snack (picture above). We have the ashram of Sri Aurobindo, if interested, it is worth participating in the meditation at the end of the days. There is a temple next to the ashram that if Lakshmi is not on vacation (temple elephants these days spend a few months of the year at an elephant resort to rest in the forest), he might be at the entrance blessing visitors. The temple is called: Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Devasthanam.