Auroville, Intentional community in Viluppuram district, India
Auroville is an international township in Viluppuram district in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, spreading across roughly 20 square kilometers in a circular layout. The area contains residential zones for around 3000 people, research facilities for sustainable development, educational centers for children and adults, and agricultural land for self-sufficiency.
French philosopher Mirra Alfassa, known as The Mother, designed the concept for this experimental township in the 1960s as a place for international living beyond national boundaries. At the foundation ceremony in February 1968, representatives from 124 countries brought soil from their homelands and placed it together in a shared urn.
The community follows principles of human unity, visible in daily life through shared meals, collective decision making, and cooperation among people from over a hundred countries. Visitors encounter an environment where no official religion is practiced, but individual spiritual paths coexist and are respected by residents.
A visit typically starts at the Visitor Center, where you obtain a permit and learn about guided tours or public events. Many areas require advance booking, so it helps to plan your stay ahead and allow time for conversations with residents.
Residents do not use conventional money in daily life, but rely on an internal financial system where each person contributes skills and receives basic needs through central distribution points. The Matrimandir, a twelve-sided meditation chamber at the center, is covered with golden discs outside and completely white inside.
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