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Starting as a small child, Joy grew up and studied in the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. In 1977 she joined Auroville, following Jean Legrand, a former teacher at the Ashram School, and now her life partner of 45 years. After living at Aspiration, they helped found Djaima, where their daughter Anandamayi was born. Over the decades, they each and together have made significant contributions to Auroville life – Joy in myriad areas of the performing arts, and Jean as a Last School math teacher and light designer for Auroville performances. Anandamayi grew up, studied, and lives in Auroville, has performed in numerous Auroville plays, and is now a member of the AV Security Service. Joy’s story shares a rich history of Auroville’s growth and the dedicated aspirations of its pioneers.

We are happy to announce the current exhibition of works by Auroville artist Pierre Legrand at Auroville’s Unity Pavilion, ongoing till March 12th: « The Material and the Spiritual can influence each other to alter Life and the Environment ». Pierre is a versatile creator whose skills as an engineer combine with rich artistic talent to blend beauty, mathematics and art. His meeting with The Mother in Pondicherry in 1968 sparked his invention of a special coded script which has structured all his work. You can view and also purchase his beautiful works in support of Auroville’s land consolidation at the Unity Pavilion or at https://artforland.in/artists/pierre-legrand

Aurovilian Loretta has created an open-access, gift-economy website, which is freely available to all: https://www.integral-yoga-talks.com/en with the aim of bringing the presence of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother and encouraging the practice of their Integral Yoga. This wonderful resource shares text, audio and film, and notably includes an ongoing series of Auroville Radio talks on “Savitri” and talks on Mother’s “Questions and Answers”. Here we also share Loretta’s story of creating the film “The Teachings of Flowers – The Life and Work of The Mother of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram”.

On February 3rd, our dear friend and brother, oldest Aurovilian Thiru Mahalingam Sangukrishna, left his body in peace at the age of 103. Indian Independence fighter, spiritual seeker, Ashramite, long-time Aurovilian, Tamil teacher at Transition School, translator of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother’s works, his life was rich and well-lived. His uniquely humble presence and old-school devotion added a special quality to Auroville’s communal life. The City of Dawn most respectfully salutes him, and will greatly miss him. With gratitude for his presence and example, we share the article we previously published for Mahalingam’s 100th birthday.

For the New Year 2023, here is a compilation of inspiring quotes of wisdom and encouragement from The Mother about the future and us. It begins with “Let the birth of the new year be the new birth of our consciousness” and “Leaving the past far behind us, let us run towards a luminous future”. The Mother encourages us to use the past “as a spring-board to leap towards the future” for “each new dawn brings the possibility of a new progress”. For, as Sri Aurobindo wrote in Essays on the Gita, “We do not belong to the past dawns but to the noons of the future”.

We are happy to present the new November 2022 issue of our quarterly land fundraisers’ newsletter. Our dedicated goal is to create awareness of the need to consolidate and complete Auroville’s physical base and thereby raise the needed funds for this essential action. Our newsletters – what we call “Goodwill Activation Points” – keep us all in touch and serve as reminders of our common goal on the journey of building Auroville. Your support and solidarity are greatly appreciated! Version française en pdf and பிடிஎஃப்பில் தமிழ்ப் பதிப்பு