Auroville matrimandir

First time visitor - No advance bookings You can visit the park anytime. It's open until 5:30 pm. if you want to meditate and see the Matri Mandir from inside then you must register yourself and it can only be done at the visitor center except on Tuesdays when the visitor information center is closed. Timings- 10 am - 12:00 One cannot register others without them being present. You need to carry your ID for registration A yellow card will be given. For a second visit inside the Matri Mandir you can book over telephone too. After the registration is done you will be told when to visit. It could be the following day or the day after depending on the number of registrations. You will have to be there at the meeting point by 8:45 am You will be shown a video in the auditorium on how the Matri Mandir was founded. A bus will take you to the Matri Mandir. Cameras and phones not allowed inside. You have to deposit it outside. The visit to the Inner Chamber of Matrimandir needs passes. These passes have to be collected in person from the Visitor's Centre between 10-11 am or 2-3 pm. The passes are issued for the next available slot - that could be the next day or the day after that. Make sure that the passes are collected on the day you reach Pondicherry. That way you have high chances to get the passes if its a 2 or 3 days stay. The entire experience to the Inner Chamber of the Matrimandir is a surreal . One cannot express in words the feeling one gets upon entering that chamber. Y...

The Matrimandir in Auroville, India designed by Roger Anger and Mirra Alfassa was constructed between 1971-2008. The inner chamber contains a meditation hall which houses the largest optically perfect glass sphere in the world. Auroville is an international peace community founded as a project of the Sri Aurobindo Society in 1968 with the endorsement of the Government of India and UNESCO.. Image © James Ewing Brooklyn based architectural photographer “The land was in an advanced state of desertification when the

While there are many guest houses and home stays around Auroville, only guests staying inside Auroville are eligible to receive an AuroCard. The AuroCard serves as your identity card, showing you are a registered guest of Auroville, and is required for visiting Matrimandir and attending many cultural events. The Aurocard can also be set up as a debit card for your expenses within Auroville (some Auroville units do not accept cash). ×

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my Looking for the best things to do in Auroville? You’ve come to the right place! When I was heading to I had never heard of this place before I landed inIndia and so, as everyone was recommending it, I decided to do some research. Here are 5 epic things to do inAuroville. What is Auroville? Auroville is an experimental township in India. The land was bought by “The Mother” or Mirra Alfassa in 1968 and today, it is a community where everyone of all creeds and classes is welcome. The Matrimandir is at the centre and is the‘soul of the city’. The orb made of gold is a symbol of spiritual significance to those who practice integral yoga, a philosophy which was practised by Shri Aurobindo and “The Mother” here. It took 37 years to build. However, beyond the Matrimandir, there are actually a lot more reasons why you should stop by if you find yourself in the area. These are the top things to do in Auroville 1. Visit the world-famous Matrimandir First and foremost, the ‘soul of the city’ is the main draw of Auroville. It’s free to view and is open to the public every day of the week. Opening times for the Matrimandir are; • Monday – Saturday:9am – 4.30pm • Sunday: 9am – 1pm If you head through to the visitor’s centre you’ll receive a free signed visitor pass to head to the viewing point. You’ll be invited to watch a short video presentation of the Matrimandir and the visitor centre is an informative introduction to the land, “Th...

Sharell Cook Auroville, meaning the "City of Dawn", is an experiential spiritual community set up with the objective of human unity. It was founded in 1968 by a French woman called "The Mother". She was the successor of Sri Aurobindo, a renowned Indian spiritual leader whose teachings were based on the concept of integral yoga and surrendering to a higher consciousness. According to The Mother, "There should be somewhere on earth, a place which no nation could claim as its own, where all human beings of goodwill who have a sincere aspiration could live freely as citizens of the world and obey one single authority, that of the supreme truth; a place of peace, concord and harmony...". Hence, one of the goals of Auroville is to be free of religion, politics, and nationality. It's governed by a statutory foundation (the Auroville Foundation) that's controlled fully by the Indian government. Members of the Foundation's board are appointed by Ministry of Human Resource Development. Although the government owns and controls Auroville, it doesn't fully finance the community. Most of the money comes from Auroville's flourishing commercial industry (which contributes part of its profits), compulsory payments from residents and guests, and donations. The underlying principle at Auroville is that "consciousness develops better in work done as an offering". All residents are required to take up an activity that's useful to the community. Residents are also expected to fund the building...

Designed by French architect , Image courtesy of The Image courtesy of The temple consists of a meditation chamber which is enveloped by a flattened sphere. The form of the structure symbolically represents a cosmic egg. The chamber is located in the upper hemisphere with its floor positioned at the widest point of the shell. A processional path runs all around the spacious chamber. The meditation chamber is dodecagonal in plan and has a conical roof. Its walls are clad in white marble and the floor is covered with white carpet. A pair of spiral ramps provides access to the chamber. Meditation Chamber. Image courtesy of A crystal globe has been placed at the centre of the meditation chamber as focal point of attention, and a heliostat has been designed to direct the sun rays onto this globe. This is the only illumination for the meditation chamber. The heliostat has a mirror which rotates in consonance with the movement of the earth so that the sunlight is reflected constantly at the same angle. When the sun is not shining, artificial lighting is used to simulate the effect of natural light. Image courtesy of Image courtesy of modernica.net The super structure is supported by four pairs of 38-metre-long sickle-shaped piers which are the principal load-bearing components. These piers were named by the Mother as Mahakali, Maheshwari, Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati, symbolising strength, wisdom, harmony and perfection respectively. Cross Section Views of model. Image courtesy ...

The Mother’s Symbol, as shown above, has become a representative icon for the Sri Aurobindo Ashram and The Mother herself. In Auroville, you will see this symbol everywhere – as it is The Mother who started Auroville and who remains a beacon and guide for many community members. The meaning behind this symbol is elaborate, and each layer has its deeper meaning. We take you through the layers to get a sense of the different aspects of The Mother represented in this elegant piece of art. The Mother, The Mahashakti. Many may think that the symbol refers to The Mother, or Mira Alfassa herself. In reality, the symbol is a representation of the Mahashakti or Supreme Mother in Indian scripture, the source of all manifestation.As Sri Aurobindo recognized in Mira Alfassa a direct incarnation of that original source, it is also the symbol associated with her. The central circle represents the Divine Consciousness, the Supreme Mother, the Mahashakti. The four central petals are the four aspects of The Supreme Mother—and the twelve petals around it, Her twelve attributes. The Four Aspects The four central petals represent the powers or personalities of The Divine Mother. These are: Maheshwari (Wisdom) Mahakali (Strength) Mahalakshmi (Harmony) Mahasaraswati (Perfection). For those not familiar with the significance of these 4 aspects, you can find what Sri Aurobindo writes of them • The Twelve Attributes The twelve attributes represent the powers The Mother manifested in Her work.Here ...

This post may contain affiliate links to things like tours, hotels, Amazon associates and products. These help me earn a small commission at no additional charge to you. When I heard about and saw photos of the Matrimandir, a giant gold meditation hub in the South Indian countryside, I was instantly intrigued. It’s a must-visit while in Tamil Nadu and, in this blog, I’m going to tell you how to visit Auroville from Pondicherry as a day trip. This spiritual town of Auroville is about more than just practising meditation: it’s an alternative society, separated from the rest of India by its deeply ingrained longing for a utopian lifestyle. What is Auroville all about? Auroville is a small city in Tamil Nadu, South India, dedicated to human unity. It was founded by a woman called The Mother in 1968 (real name Mirra Alfassa) based on the visions of Sri Aurobindo, a famous Indian yogi and philosopher. The gold Matrimandir dome is a symbol of the community and a central focus point for the area. In The Mother’s words: Auroville wants to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities. The purpose of Auroville is to realise human unity. Auroville.org Quick Auroville history Auroville was born, it seems, as a response to the events of the 1960s. The Cold War was escalating and there was the feeling in India that a safe place was needed, free from politics and ideology. No...