How I Came to Auroville – by Antoine.pdf
How I Came to Auroville – by Antoine
I’m from Bordeaux, a city in the southwest of France whose rich history dates back over 2,300 years. Today it is recognized by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage site.
There, having gotten my degree in general engineering, I spent most of my career in IT development (scientific, technical and industrial) for the French Space and Defense industry. After, as a self-employed professional, I developed websites, particularly for the world-famous wine sector for which Bordeaux is renowned.
During all this time, I had never heard of Auroville, nor of the Mother or Sri Aurobindo.
Then, in late November 2011, I met Marc Vella, the nomadic pianist and founder of the “Caravane Amoureuse” (Caravan of Love). This man was to play a significant role in my life, in my transformation.
Interested in music and singing, I met him at a piano workshop in France, where, over two days, he taught us how to improvise on the piano, even if we’d never learnt to play before. It wasn’t just a technique but a genuine teaching experience. That workshop played a major part in my inner transformation.
The workshop also gave me the chance to discover Marc’s Caravane Amoureuse. With the goal of sharing harmony and understanding, Marc voyages with buses full of “lovers” of peace – and a grand piano, which he plays in each destination. His Caravan has touched people in places as far-flung as Morocco, Kosovo, Romania, France, Turkey, Quebec, India, Nepal and more.
When I met him, he had just returned from Quebec, where a Caravan had travelled to meet the Indigenous peoples of Canada. I therefore decided to take part in one of these famous Caravane Amoureuse trips. The one planned for 2012 was too soon for me, so it would have to be the one in 2013.
And the 2013 Caravan’s destination was … India, starting and ending in Auroville!
It was there that I discovered Auroville, a learning experience which held so many great insights. And I discovered southern India, where I felt very much at home.
Then, invited by a friend who had taken part in that Caravan and who often visited Auroville, I returned in early 2015 for a three-month trip, during which I spent half the time in Auroville and the other half elsewhere, travelling back and forth.
I was immediately captivated by Auroville! Yet, I wasn’t sure where my future would lie…
It was after my last return to Auroville that I realised my place was here. I’d just come back from ten days of Vipassana in Kerala. It felt completely natural; I didn’t ask myself any questions, I didn’t let my mind get in the way; life told me, ‘This is where you belong’…
And I simply said, ‘All right’.
After that, everything went very smoothly. First, I met Aurélio and told him I wanted to volunteer at Svaram and its work with music. Back in France, I held a car boot sale to get rid of most of my belongings. How it usually goes is that you end up taking back home 80 per cent of what you had brought – well, I sold and got rid of 80 per cent of what I’d brought … and this was the first sign!
I returned to Auroville at the beginning of August to complete my three-month pre-newcomer period at Svaram, and then set off again on a new Caravane Amoureuse to southern Ethiopia to meet the tribes of the Omo Valley.
Back in Auroville, accommodation was waiting for me! A few months earlier, I’d met Claude Jouen, the manager of the French Pavilion, and he’d said to me, “We’re building a temporary pavilion; I’m looking for a caretaker – would you be interested?”. And so that was my first free accommodation here in Auroville; I stayed there for nearly a year and a half.
Later, one day while I was working in the metal workshop at the Matrimandir, I was working on the air-conditioning in a Petal with a French-speaking friend. The person on duty in that Petal, hearing French being spoken, came to see who it was. Recognising me, she said, “Come and see me when you’ve finished; I need to speak to you” which I did. She then explained: “Louis Cohen is building Sunship and is looking for someone to take care of the technical maintenance. What’s more, you’ll have free accommodation and receive a maintenance.” And so that was my second free place to live. I stayed at Sunship for over six years and served there for four.
I now live in Prayatna, where I was lucky enough to be allocated an unfinished flat, which I was able to fit out to my own taste.
In the meantime, I have become an executive at the Matrimandir, against all expectations. When I stepped down from my role at Sunship, I was called upon to help form a new team of executives at the Matrimandir, a call to which I responded. I’d already felt this call two years earlier, and it had frightened me, but this time I applied with confidence … and now here I am today as a member of this team managing the development of the Matrimandir, its gardens and its lake, planning to be finished for Mother’s 150th birth anniversary, 21 February 2028.
I feel at the right place here.
Another important aspect for me is choral singing, which I’m passionate about and have been practising since I was 10 years old. I naturally joined the Auroville choir, conducted by Nuria. As I’ve been a choir conductor myself, I immediately wanted to set up my own choir. After a few months of trying to recruit men, I suggested to the few singers who had joined me that we turn this choir into an all-female ensemble. And “Auroville Harmonies” was born.
The first year was chaotic, with choir members coming and going, which meant the group lacked stability – so much so that I wondered whether I had been right to want to set up a choir. I asked Mother to send me a sign, and that sign came: The International Day of Peace was approaching, so I put out a call for volunteers to sing a song of peace as part of the events organised by Unity Pavilion. Several responded to the call, and several women among these volunteers wished to continue in the choir. So I had my answer, my sign. Since then, this women’s choir has continued to thrive and perform, both in Auroville and at the Ashram in Pondicherry. Next year, the choir will celebrate its tenth anniversary.
A few words about my spiritual journey and my philosophy of life:
I was married for 23 years, and I separated from my wife in 2007. I began my spiritual transformation in 2011, the year I turned 50, when I felt more guided than ever before. The first spiritual book I read was “Talking with Angels” by Gitta Mallasz. Many others followed, such as: “We Are All Immortals” by Patrick Drouot, which helped me become aware of reincarnation, and a book that remains foundational for me: “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz.
Very quickly, I took responsibility for my life; I understood that I was 100% responsible for everything I experienced.
So now, when I encounter a difficulty, rather than blaming the person in front of me, I ask myself what I need to understand, what I need to heal. That’s how I move forward.
Of course, ever since I’ve been here, Mother and Sri Aurobindo have taken center stage. What’s more, I discovered that I was born on Mother’s birthday, February 21st 1961.
In conclusion, I would say that, apart from setting up the choir, I have never made any major decisions on my own. I always trust Mother and I have always followed my intuition.
In short, whatever trials life throws at us, I would say that I feel right at home here – here, in Auroville.
Antoine,
Auroville August 2026
