Matrimandir, Meditation structure in Auroville, India

The Matrimandir is a golden sphere at the center of Auroville covered with reflective brass discs that gleam in the sunlight. Inside, a meditation chamber features white marble walls and a crystal sphere that gathers light through an opening in the roof above.

The Matrimandir was conceived in late 1965 by Mirra Alfassa, known as the Mother, who marked a lone banyan tree as the heart of Auroville. Its foundation stone was laid at sunrise on 21 February 1971, her 93rd birthday, and the four supporting pillars were concreted on 17 November 1973, the evening she died. Building took 37 years, ending with the gold-clad sphere in May 2008.

The name Matrimandir comes from Sanskrit, meaning "Temple of the Mother", and the site is called L'âme de la Ville, the Soul of the City. The four pillars carrying the Inner Chamber are named after aspects of the Mother described by Sri Aurobindo: Mahakali (north), Maheshwari (south), Mahalakshmi (east) and Mahasaraswati (west). In 2016 a pandal here honoured the victims of the 13 November 2015 attacks in France.

Visitors must first visit the Visitors Centre and watch an introductory film before entering the meditation area. The experience is best enjoyed in early morning hours when fewer people are present and the space feels quieter.

The inner chamber holds a glass globe 70 cm across, described as the largest optically perfect one in the world. Mirrors mounted on the roof channel sunlight down onto it, and the chamber keeps no flowers, incense or music. The four pillars carrying it stand at the compass points and bear the names Mahakali, Maheshwari, Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati.