Contents:
- Acres for Auroville Flier – 24 April 2020
- LFAU Letter – what sustains Auroville?
- Story of Sri Aurobindo’s Journey to Pondicherry
- The Album (1910-1920)
- Frederick, An early Pioneer – “What the Mother Told Me”
- A Promising Flower of Tamil Nadu
- Auroville’s “Sound Experience” at the Raj Nivas on The Golden Day!
- New A4A Video Clip by AUROIMAGE & Our Complete Film Library
- Peacocks, the Symbols of Victory, on the Mother’s Terrace!
Dear friends of Auroville’s bright and unified future,
Despite the ongoing grim appearances on account of Covid-19, we would like to point out that April is a very special month – we could even say a Victory month. It was on 4th April, 1910, that Sri Aurobindo came to Pondicherry and gradually grew aware of his evolutionary mission. Exactly one hundred years ago today, on 24th April 1920, the Mother returned to Pondicherry to join Sri Aurobindo. According to renowned writer Manoj Das, this event constitutes one of the greatest days in history – it was with the Mother’s permanent return that Sri Aurobindo’s mission took off with assured success. And it was on April 24th 1956 that the Mother first announced the momentous event of the Supramental Descent that took place 64 years ago, on 29th February 1956.
1. ACRES FOR AUROVILLE FLIER – 24 APRIL 2020
Our flier marks the centenary of the Mother’s final arrival back to India and focuses on the photos of peacocks that symbolise victory. These peacocks were sighted recently, both in front of Sri Aurobindo’s statue at the Delhi branch of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram and on the balcony of Mother’s room in Pondicherry. For us, this is more than a coincidence. Please click here for the PDF and here for the Web page. |
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2. LFAU LETTER – WHAT SUSTAINS AUROVILLE?
Our letter seeks to answer a question: what sustains Auroville’s growth process, and how that can be made more pronounced and real in our individual and collective life? Drawing upon from a recent doctoral dissertation “Towards a Spiritualised Society: Auroville, An Experiment in Prefigurative Utopianism” by an Auroville-born youth Suryamayi Aswini, we are happy to quote a centrally relevant guidance from Sri Aurobindo which can help in Auroville’s journey forward on sunlit path. Click here for the PDF version of our letter and here for the Web page.Suryamayi’s speech at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) based on her PhD thesis can be heard here. |
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3. Story of Sri Aurobindo’s Journey to Pondicherry
In 1910, Sri Aurobindo found safe refuge in Pondicherry, initiating a series of events that have impacted the world consciousness and its future. We are happy to provide historical narrative of how and under what circumstances Sri Aurobindo moved to Pondicherry. These have been culled from a scholarly biography of Sri Aurobindo. It can be read here. |
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4.The Album (1910-1920)
The Mother came to India and first met Sri Aurobindo in 1914 at the top of these steps, preceding her final return for their evolutionary collaboration on April 24, 1920, one hundred years ago this month. We are pleased to present an album of photos covering the 1st decade of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother in Pondicherry, namely the years between 1910 and 1920. It can be accessed here in PDF and here on the web page.
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5. FREDERICK, AN EARLY PIONEER – “WHAT THE MOTHER TOLD ME”
Frederick Schulze-Buxloh first came to India in 1959 when he was 20 and met The Mother, a “life-changing experience”. In 1966, he settled in the Ashram, surrendering himself and all his material belongings. He began working for Auroville’s inauguration and at The Mother’s request, he built the community’s first permanent house. One of the original pioneers, he shares what The Mother personally told him about the importance of the geographical base for the City of Dawn. Please click here for PDF version of Frederick’s reminiscences and here for the web page. This account is based on the AuroImage-A4A film “Early Days Landing Auroville” https://vimeo.com/showcase/3521859/video/154614571
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6. A Promising Flower of Tamil Nadu
Since its start, Auroville has been a magnet for the youth of the villages around. Many have joined the project and became talented actors in Auroville life. Poovizhi, born in Edayanchavadi on Auroville’s birthday in 1996, has decided to join Auroville. In her interview with Rakhal of the YUCCA Newcomer Program, we see the close links of the past 50 years, and the inspiring role Auroville has played for so many for village youth. Here you will find the PDF version of the interview and here the web page.
By the way, “Reach for the Stars”, referred to in the interview, is one of Auroville’s appreciated outreach programs. See the clip on it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAtrM0KRXmI
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7. AUROVILLE’S “SOUND EXPERIENCE” AT THE RAJ NIVAS ON THE GOLDEN DAY
Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry Dr. Kiran Bedi honoured Auroville with her invitation to hold a week-long continuation of Art for Land 2020 at the Governor’s mansion in Puducherry, inaugurated on the Golden Day of February 29 th. The Inauguration’s highlight was the performance by Svaram’s Sound Bath and its rhythmic magic! You can experience the event – the performance on February 29th: https://youtu.be/u_4_gvn4ar8 and with “extra musicians” Dr. Bedi and her staff playing along with Sound Bath: https://youtu.be/-lCiMrlDEicPlease find the report of the event in PDF and here on the web page.
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8. NEW A4A VIDEO CLIP BY AUROIMAGE & OUR COMPLETE FILM LIBRARY
AUROIMAGE- in collaboration with A4A – has created a new video clip “Solidarity for the Land of Auroville” with music by Nadaka, available in English and in French. It is another inspiring addition to our rich collection of original films about the City of Dawn, and the land that is designated for it. Here in PDF you will find a list of all our films and here on the web page.
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9. PEACOCKS, THE SYMBOL OF VICTORY… ON THE MOTHER’S TERRACE!
In India the peacock is the symbol of VICTORY. Unusually, a pair of peacocks were seen on The Mother’s Terrace recently. This and other special peacock sightings seem particularly significant, coming at the time of the March and April events. Perhaps these peacocks express a deeper, encouraging truth behind the present difficult circumstances due to Covid-19. Please click here for the report and photos in PDF and here on our web page.
With all these signs of better things to come, hinting at the truth behind circumstances, we continue on with our work of consolidating Auroville’s designated material base. We invite all friends and well-wishers to join us in helping to secure the remaining missing plots. Together we can fulfill The Mother’s Dream of a physical space for Sri Aurobindo’s great Vision, and continue the positive evolution of decades of Aprils to come!
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When you donate, kindly send us a mail, or write a letter or call us, informing us of your donation to lfau@auroville.org.in so we can better track and immediately respond to your solidarity!
We thank all the many friends who are bringing their 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 !
Thank you for joining your hands of collaboration!
In solidarity and trust in Auroville’s bright future,
Aryadeep and Mandakini
For the Acres for Auroville team
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Dear Friends and Supporters,
Thank you so much for your support in these challenging days…
If you would like to know more about our activities for Auroville’s unified geographic base, and maybe help or support us in any way, please contact LFAU or Aryadeep at lfau@auroville.org.in (please allow for response until end of lockdown)
or Joel at his whatsapp: + 91 8072725598
or Mandakini in France: + 33 6 81717097 |
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