ACRES FOR AUROVILLE (A4A) APRIL 2026 NEWSLETTER

Acres for Auroville (A4A) April 2026 Newsletter – Stories of Growth, Aspiration & Creativity.pdf

Acres for Auroville (A4A) April 2026 Newsletter – Stories of Growth, Aspiration & Creativity

Scenes from Auroville’s 50th Birth Anniversary Day in 2018

1. The Acres for Auroville Flier – 24th April 2026
2. LFAU Letter – 24th April 2026
3. La Petite Épicerie – A New Community Service on Auroville’s Land
4. From Integral Education To Action Research – a Journey, a Perspective by Srijita Roy
5. Conversation With An Artist – Marie-Claire Barsotti
6. Inspiring Quotes – The Mother on Aspiration

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Dear friends of Auroville’s bright future,

We are happy to share with you our latest newsletter, marking this very special day, the 24th of April, which we remember as the day of The Mother’s final return to India and the start of her intensive spiritual work with Sri Aurobindo.

We invite you to journey through these articles, which weave together the progress of land consolidation, additions to Auroville’s life built on its land, and the profiles of two dedicated Aurovilians and their work in the areas of vital community service and artistic creativity and education.

Our solidarity action is the only source of financing for Auroville’s crucially-needed land consolidation. We are happy to report that 30.87 new acres have been registered in the two months since our last newsletter, paid for by Acres for Auroville. This new land includes 17 acres that were gift-deeded to the Township in line with The Mother’s statement that there should be no private property in Auroville. An additional 13.87 acres were gained in Auroville’s designated Master Plan area via the exchange of 3.87 acres located outside the Master Plan. The new land gained via exchange is located in the City Area’s International Zone (near Bharat Nivas and the French Pavilion) and in the Greenbelt (near Fertile Windmill, Fertile field, Sharanga, Infinity and Nine Palms), supporting road access and farming.

In this issue, in addition to our A4A Flier and LFAU Letter, we are very pleased to share:

From Integral Education To Action Research: Srijita Roy shares an insightful perspective on her personal journey from integral education to the world of action research.
La Petite Épicerie: We highlight a new, heart-warming community service now operating on Auroville’s lands.
Conversation With An Artist: Marie-Claire Barsotti shares her approach to art and creativity and her work at Auroville’s Oli School. Several of her works are on display at the current Art for Land exhibition at the Unity Pavilion..
The Mother on Aspiration: We conclude with select inspiring quotes to center our focus and strengthen our resolve.

A focus for our action is always the Matrimandir area. In this light, we are happy to share the video of AVI USA’s recent live meeting on “The Matrimandir and I” video series by Aurovilian Serena Aurora and her team. 90 people from around the world took part in last week’s inspiring Zoom event: https://aviusa.org/mmandi-2026/

We thank you for your continued solidarity. It is your trust and partnership that make this unfolding dream possible, ensuring that the physical ground for Auroville has a maximum, secure and vibrant base.

We hope you find this edition interesting and inspiring.

With trust in Auroville’s sunlit future,
Aryadeep and Mandakini

1. The Acres for Auroville Flier – 24th April 2026
One thing unites all who come to Auroville – it is aspiration, that seeking for something higher, and the possibility of making this something higher a reality. Auroville gives us the opportunity to manifest our individual and collective aspiration for this goal, here, on its physical land, designated for this purpose. But this role and possibility is not just limited to Auroville’s space – for Auroville is meant to be a place of positive contagion, a beacon, showing the world what aspiration can bring. Version française en pdf … …பிடிஎஃப்பில் தமிழ்ப் பதிப்பு.
https://land.auroville.org/the-acres-for-auroville-flier-24th-april-2026/

2. LFAU Letter – 28th February 2026

April 24th celebrates a pivotal moment in human history: the 106th anniversary of the Mother’s final 1920 arrival in Pondicherry. It was, she said “… the tangible sign of the sure Victory over the adverse forces.” The Mother’s founding of Auroville is a part of this profound spiritual “certainty, for just as the Mother’s physical presence in 1920 anchored the new evolutionary force on earth, the consolidation of Auroville’s physical land anchors Auroville’s lofty ideals into the material plane. Version française en pdf … பிடிஎஃப்பில் தமிழ்ப் பதிப்பு https://land.auroville.org/the-lands-for-auroville-unified-letter-24th-april-2026

3. La Petite Épicerie – A New Community Service on Auroville’s Lands
February 28th, Auroville’s birthday, saw the joyful opening of Sunship’s ‘La Petite Epicerie’ (‘The Little Grocery Store’) inaugurating this beautiful space created with an aspiration for collective participation. Situated in the Habitat Zone of the City Centre, it serves the residential communities of the area and the surrounding neighbourhood. It has been a story of dedication by the team of Louis, Anandi, Arul and Ananda, who patiently bore several years of hurdles to be able to offer this service to the community. https://land.auroville.org/la-petite-epicerie-a-new-community-service-on-aurovilles-land/

4. From Integral Education To Action Research – a Journey, a Perspective by Srijita Roy
Srijita first visited Auroville at age 4, the first of many visits over the decades. After studies at the Ashram School in Pondicherry, she worked within India and then moved to France. She worked with European and International associations in the fight against human trafficking and domestic violence. She then did her thesis at the Sorbonne in Social Sciences. Joining Auroville in 2008, her first work was at the Matrimandir Offerings Desk. Later, in addition, she worked as police liaison for the Safety and Security team and now as primary dispatcher and coordinator for Auroville Emergency Medical Services. Committed to the Auroville Dream, she seeks to put in practice The Mother’s words on “work done as an offering to the Divine”. https://land.auroville.org/from-integral-education-to-action-research-a-journey-a-perspective-by-srijita-roy/

5. Conversation With An Artist – Marie-Claire Barsotti
For as long as I can remember, drawing has been my oxygen …. and my quest for Being has been ever-present since childhood.’ Discovering Auroville in 1992 was an extraordinary key, ‘a remarkable opportunity to explore and express every facet of my being in service of Consciousness.’ In this second article in Art for Land’s ‘Conversation with an Artist’ series, Aurovilian Marie-Claire shares her aspirations and approach to the creation of art in various media. In addition to her art and exhibitions, she is an early childhood teacher at Auroville’s Oli School and does art therapy with adults. She says, ‘Art is a living dialogue between Matter and Spirit’ – one that can ‘provoke a spiritual transformation.’ (In English and in French) https://land.auroville.org/conversation-with-an-artist-marie-claire-barsotti/

6. Inspiring Quotes – The Mother on Aspiration
‘This taste for supreme adventure is aspiration – an aspiration which takes hold of you completely and flings you without calculation and without reserve and without a possibility of withdrawal into the great adventure of the divine discovery, the great adventure of the divine meeting, the yet greater adventure of the divine Realisation.’
We are pleased to present here The Mother’s many instructive messages on aspiration for the period 1934 – 1956. One of which was her 1955 message : ‘Keep the fire burning steadily and wait quietly for the sure result …’ the result which did come, on 29 February 1956. https://land.auroville.org/inspiring-quotes-the-mother-on-aspiration/

There are many ways to make your donation. Please click here to know the details and recent changes for both foreign and Indian donors. When you donate, kindly send us a mail at lfau@auroville.org.in or write a letter or call us (see contacts below), informing us of your donation so we can better track and immediately respond to your solidarity!

Now in the 12th year of the A4A campaign
we thank all the many friends
who are bringing their encouragement and solidarity
for the City of Dawn, creating a dynamic space
for the ideal of human unity to flourish and grow – a hope for us all !

For the Acres for Auroville team
Aryadeep, Mandakini, Jothi
In solidarity and trust in Auroville’s bright future

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