Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Spiritual center in Puducherry, India
Sri Aurobindo Ashram is a spiritual center in Puducherry, India, spread across more than four hundred buildings throughout the city. The main building houses a marble shrine that serves as a central point for visitors, surrounded by gardens, workshops and living quarters.
The center began in 1926 when Aurobindo Ghosh shifted his focus from political activism to spiritual practice. Over the following decades, the community grew as seekers from India and abroad joined his teachings.
The ashram's name honours Sri Aurobindo, who settled in Pondicherry in 1910; the community was founded on 24 November 1926, a date members call Siddhi Day. In December of that year he withdrew from public contact and gave charge of the ashram to Mirra Alfassa, addressed as "The Mother". No rituals or compulsory meditations are set: each member follows his or her own sadhana, and the white-marble Samadhi in the tree-shaded courtyard is where both were laid to rest.
Visitors can explore the main areas on foot, as the buildings are scattered across different streets in the city. Guest houses are available with prior registration, and international visitors need to complete formalities with local authorities.
The center runs its own printing press that produces photographs and texts about the teachings, distributing them in several languages. Residents practice integral yoga, weaving spiritual development into daily activities rather than relying on set meditation sessions.
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