About Auroville

Auroville, an ideal township for “human unity”, locates itself on the border of Puducherry, combining as many as eighty rural settlements spreading over twenty kilometers and over 1800 residents. Two-thirds of the population is constituted foreigners that represent thirty eight different nationalities. Auroville may not fulfill the defined requirements of a tourist attraction, but the place calls for admiration for its areas of interest and expertise that can be seen across such fields as organic farming, traditional medicinal plants, renewable energy, and women’s groups.

However, for a traveler desirous of exploring a human world near to perfect, Auroville is the ideal place with its off-beat charm. This experimental township was founded by Mirra Alfassa in 1968 and designed by the architect, Roger Anger. The famous Charter laid down by Mirra Alfassa or the “Mother” recognizes Auroville as the perfect place for humanity.

Reaching Auroville

Auroville is in South India at 150 km to the south of Chennai, and near about 10 km to the north of the town of Puducherry. From Chennai it takes three hours to reach Auroville by road. There are frequent buses available from Chennai and the cost is something around Rs.60. A taxi would cost around Rs.2000 to reach Auroville from the Chennai airport which is the closest. Other nearby airports include that of Bengaluru and Trichy. Chennai has connections to almost all the major cities in India and enjoys direct link to the USA, Europe, South East Asia, and the Middle East. Villipuram offers the nearest railway junction.

Staying and travelling around Auroville

The tourists and travelers to Auroville generally find their accommodation in Puducherry. There are lodges, hotels, and guest houses as well. Visitors, who wish to stay in Auroville, can rest themselves in the guest houses there. The peak period of visit to the place extends from March to August and thus reservations should be done in advance to enjoy staying at Auroville while paying a visit to the township. The visitors who look forward to a proper guest house can do their bookings early at the Centre, Sharanga, Samasti, and Kottakarai. The cost of accommodation in the guest houses for one day and night can range between Rs.300 and Rs.900.

‘Matrimandir’, the Sanskrit word translating as “Temple of the Mother”, is the most popular among spots visited by the tourists. It forms both the geographical and the spiritual heart of the city of Auroville. The exterior of the temple is done in gold while the interior is white. A huge crystal is located centrally in the temple. The visitors can inside the premises of the temple after checking with the visitor center. The rules are strict and may take two or three days before a visitor can get into the premises. There is a visitor’s pass that allows a guided tour through one of the areas for meditation. The main temple can only be visited the following day after possessing the visitor’s pass. The weekends are especially busy and may require standing in the queue for thirty or forty minutes. Carrying cell phones, cameras, and bags into the temple are strictly prohibited.

The Auro Beach lies at a walking distance from Auroville Busstop at the East Coast Road. Though thickly polluted, the Auro Beach is one of the calmest of the beaches in India.

Five things to do at Auroville

• Ø  Watching the Indian classical dance performances that are specially organized during the visitor’s season extending from December to March. The Auroville Cultural Exchange organizes such programs.
• Ø  Participating in the vast number of projects in the environmental, agricultural, developmental, social, and economic fields are been worked upon on a regular basis. The tourist and visitors can volunteer such program and projects for about a week. This can offer knowledge into the lifestyle of Auroville.
• Ø  Gorge on the delicacies at Solar Kitchen which the main cafeteria of Auroville and a very popular eatery both among the tourist and the locals. Everyone pays the same amount irrespective of how much is eaten.
• Ø  Taking a stroll around the beach area.
• Ø  Get about buying the special hand woven hammocks, the hand crafted stone sculptures, the hippy clothing, and the books about Auroville that contain the idea about the place, the architecture and the Mother.