Acres for Auroville

In this newsletter, in addition to our A4A flier and LFAU letter, we present fascinating profiles of two young people in Auroville -one is Aurovilian Navanitha, born in nearby Nadukuppam, whose parents are longtime Aurovilians, and the other is Anita -a Newcomer from Zahedan, Baluchistan (part of modern-day Iran). We also cover the news of the latest edition of the Art for Land Exhibition and the three solidarity gifts that A4A has received. Our Inspiring Quotes this time presents a perspective on spiritual life and progress with an extract from Sri Aurobindo’s book “The Human Cycle”. All of this testifies to Auroville’s continuing creative energy, cultural diversity and future-oriented vision! The newsletter summary appears in French and Tamil: Version française en pdf … பிடிஎஃப்பில் தமிழ்ப் பதிப்பு

Aurovillian Navanitha was born in Nadukuppam, a nearby coastal fishing village. His father Jayamoorthi joined Auroville in 1997 and his mother Premalatha in 2000, and both parents instilled in him a belief in Auroville’s vision. Navanitha’s young years were filled with experiences of playing and interacting with peers from diverse backgrounds and cultures. After outside professional experience with to National Disaster Management program, he now works with Auroville’s Land Service on the Surveying Team for protection efforts against encroachments. He also participates in community activities and actions with young people. He wrote « Growing up in a family devoted to the ideals of Auroville, I developed an early appreciation for the values of unity, collaboration, and a sense of purpose ».

Auroville newcomer Anita was born in Baluchistan, an ancient region that is now part of Iran and which has many strong cultural links with India. Her life has been an intense quest for fusion – connecting the past and present, the traditional with the future, one culture with another. Her academic and professional life before Auroville was made of a constant search into these connections, as do her life, activities and work in Auroville. For Anita, «Auroville is like an endless ocean of cultural diversity; an ocean that offers the opportunity to explore, understand, and connect with other nations and cultures. This is a place where the boundaries between people not only dissolve but also seek connection and solidarity. Here, one can reach human commonalities. »

On February 2nd the Unity Pavilion hosted the inauguration of the Art for Land February 2025 exhibition – ongoing till March 30th. Flowers hold a profound significance in Auroville’s spiritual landscape since The Mother assigned deep symbolic meanings to various blooms. The exhibition honors this important theme with a dual presentation of original artworks: ‘The Spirit of Auroville’ with artworks from 1971- 1973 by Sri Aurobindo Ashram artists, inspired by flowers and qualities chosen by The Mother for Auroville, along with works by Dilip Patel and Jyoti Khare; and ‘Flowers by Hasi’ – a radiant tribute to the late Hasi Grandcolas.

One of the ways some friends and well-wishers of the A4A campaign show their goodwill and solidarity is by gifting their literary, artistic, or scholarly publications. In recent months, we have received three such works: “My Narrative 2025” an aesthetically and spiritually appealing diary by Lalit Bhati and Shaileja—an architect and town planner couple residing in Auroville for 25 years; “The Nectar within the Nectar – Poems, thought and a life inspired by Sri Aurobindo and The Mother” plus “50 More Poems from Auroville” by Vikas, a former Auroville pioneer who had met The Mother; and “Reflections upon the Psycho-Spiritual Obstacles on the Journey to the Divine – An Insider’s view” by longtime Aurovilian, Dr. Joseph Vrinte. If you wish to receive any of these books, please contact us at lfau@auroville.org.in With our sincere thanks to their creators for their solidarity for the land!

Sending our New Year’s card is an opportunity to present something of the spirit of Auroville and the futuristic vision of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother among Auroville’s worldwide friends. Before we start distribution, we hold a small Card Inauguration Ceremony in our Lands for Auroville Unified (LFAU) office and invite an Aurovilian to release the card. This year, we had the pleasure to invite Zech, an Auroville poet and philosopher from the Philippines! Our card is available at Auroville’s Town Hall Reception Area, and you can also receive the card by writing to lfau@auroville.org.in

‘Modern society has discovered a new principle of survival, progress, but the aim of that progress it has never discovered, — unless the aim is always more knowledge, more equipment, convenience and comfort, more enjoyment, a greater and still greater complexity of the social economy, a more and more cumbrously opulent life… That so far has been the nature of modern progress. Only in its new turn inwards, towards a greater subjectivity now only beginning, is there a better hope; for by that turning it may discover that the real truth of man is to be found in his soul…. ‘

The year 2025 is upon us! We, at the land fundraising team, take this occasion to create a New Year’s card with the idea and hope to bring out something of Auroville’s inspiration and its profound goal of human unity and spiritual evolution. This year, we present images of the Matrimandir – the heart and soul of Auroville, and the manifestation of decades of dedicated commitment by Aurovilians and friends in support of that goal. The beautiful photos have been offered by Auroville photographer and architect Lalit Kishore Bhati. If you have not received our New Year’s mail and would like to receive a hard copy of our card, please write us at lfau@auroville.org.in