Blueprints and battle lines

A development master plan resembling a galaxy has the Auroville community divided

- LAKSHMI SUBRAMANIAN

Peace and tranquillity greet the dawn along Puducherry’s coastline. The sound of waves recedes as one turns into the French Quarter’s well-laid streets, lit by soft yellow lamps. A grille gate opens into a serene area, where the scent of flowers deepens the silence. Volunteers guide visitors toward the rectangular marble samadhi of Sri Aurobindo and Mirra Alfassa at the iconic Sri Aurobindo Ashram. A 30-minute meditation near the samadhi makes you experience inner peace.

Sri Aurobindo arrived in Puducherry in 1910 to pursue his spiritual quest. His vision and teachings attracted a growing circle of disciples. When he withdrew into seclusion in 1926, the mantle passed to Alfassa, known as the Mother, who carried forward the spiritual torch of Aurobindo’s teachings.

Auroville—a lush, sprawling 57-year-old township with international roots—lies barely 12km away from the French Quarter. A narrow lane dotted with tamarind and neem trees hides the iconic golf ball-like structure at the centre of the township. The Matri Mandir, as it is known, describes the divinity and the serene beauty of Auroville.

Launched by the Mother after Aurobindo's passing, it was envisioned as a place where people from all over the world could live together in peace and harmony. Situated in Tamil Nadu's Villupuram district, with parts of the 3,000-acre property extending into Puducherry, the township was designed by the French architect Roger Anger. Auroville is derived from the French word Aurore, which means dawn. It is believed that the Mother brought handfuls of soil from 124 nations and 23 Indian states, and placed it in a lotus-shaped marble urn at the centre of Auroville to mark the laying of its foundation on February 28, 1968.