About Auroville

Auroville, an international township founded in 1968 , is home to approximately 3,000 residents from 58 different nationalities as of today. Inspired by Sri Aurobindo’s teachings and guidance of the Mother, it is not an ashram but an experimental community, replete with the many challenges common to all, that endeavours to bring an enlightened future to our doorstep. Its diversity is evident in the cultures of people, languages, multi-ethnic cuisines, film festivals, world music, theatre, fine arts and handicrafts.

Concern for ecology is paramount and practised through organic farming, reforestation, rainwater harvest, sustainable working units, e-vehicles, and garbology. Auroville may be small but functions organically as an integrated community. And of course, no pollution here!

Since the beginning, people in Auroville and its bioregions have been living and working together with one another. There are schools for Auroville children and village children. Health service, women’s education, technical school for adults, and working space are available for people in nearby villages.

For over five decades, the people of Auroville have been relentlessly harvesting rainwater and planting trees in a once barren terrain, making the now lush green township of Auroville known worldwide for its ecological achievements.

The Matrimandir is the Soul of Auroville. Futuristic meditation chambers are housed in a world-famous architecture icon. Its exquisite gardens are landscaped in the form of a galaxy with an ancient banyan tree as its point of origin.

To learn more about the story of Auroville, its entire timeline is presented in a multi-media narration at the Visitor Centre.

The city of Pondicherry is 7 km away. Its attractions include the White Town with its elegant French style architecture, the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, the seaside Promenade, various bazaars and local cuisine, and a Sunday Market located at the intersection of Mission and Gandhi streets.

The Bay of Bengal is only 1.1 km or 20 minutes’ walk from Gaia’s Garden. Embrace the glorious rising sun!

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