06Aug
11 Interesting facts about Auroville – The City of Dawn
ByKishen PrasadIndia, South Indiatravel to India0 Comments
Pondicherry or Puduch*erry is popular for its beaches and pretty french colonies. Not far away from Puduch*erry is the experimental community of Auroville. People from all over the world live here in harmony. This township thus is a perfect example of human unity. Mira Alfassa – the spiritual companion of Sri Aurobindo founded Auroville in 1968. The concept of Auroville was well supported by the Indian Government as well as UNESCO.
11 Interesting facts about Auroville:
- Auroville is also known as the City of Dawn
- The founder Mira Alfassa is called The Mother
- The 100+ year Banyan Tree in a way was responsible for the geographical location of Auroville
- 5000 people from 124 countries attended the inauguration and deposited soil from their homeland to an urn
- Auroville built to house 50,000 people from all over the world, now has a population of only 2500 people
- Auroville’s plan mainly constitutes of 3 areas: a Peace Area, City Zones and Green Belt
- Auroville doesn’t use currency but an aurocardfor making transactions
- Healthcare and electricity is free for residents
- Schooling is free with students having the flexibility to study subjects at their own pace.
- Any money earned contribute to the towns upkeep
- One can volunteer or intern, study in Auroville
Places to visit in Auroville:
- Matrimandir:Matrimandir – a meditation place is the major attraction of Auroville. However the inner sanctum is only open to residents of Auroville. If you would like to visit the place, passes need to be availed in advance. Resembling a globe or golf ball, ‘The Mother’ inspired the gold plated Matrimandir’s design.
- Botanical Gardens: Spread over 50 acres, this has many trees and plantations native to the region. This garden is immensely popular amongst meditators.
- Auroville Bakery and Boulangerie: Bakery items here are made from local produce. Hence it’s worth a visit. You should definitely try the Cheese cakes there.
- Beaches and Shopping: The beautiful Auroville beach is a nice place to unwind or meditate. The beach is also a nesting ground for the Olive ridley sea turtle. A visit is never complete without shopping for items that serve as memory. Auroville is popular for its local handicrafts and home decor items.
Best time to visit Auroville
The best time to visit Auroville is from November to March.
How to reach Auroville?
By Air:
Chennai is the nearest airport and Auroville is about 180 kms away from it.
By Rail:
Puduch*erry is the nearest railway station and Auroville 20 km away.
By Road:
Chennai to Puduch*erry is approx 160 kms and Auroville another 20 kms away.
For more such spiritual experiences in India, check out some of the spiritual tourist destinations in India. In case culture is of interest, check out the best tourist places to visit in India.
In case you are keen on traveling to Pondicherry, you could then take a look at the Tamilnadu itinerary and cover Auroville by adding an additional day.
India is not just about spirituality. There are many more facets to this ancient land – culture, mystery, history, nature, wildlife and so on. Read more about more such holiday and tour packages.
For more such off-the-beaten track sights in India and the rest of the World, visitBeyonder Travel.
Author
Kishen Prasad
“Kishen is a man of many talents – an engineer by training, an entrepreneur by attitude, a long-distance runner, a sport-enthusiast (he loves all sports – from table-tennis and squash to carrom and ludo), a history-buff and a passionate traveller. He has had a couple of decades of tech-work in companies like Bank of America and Tech Mahindra across India, Australia and the US before settling (or is it unsettling) down to an entrepreneurial venture with Beyonder in a space he loves – travel. The fittest person in the team, he has been tasked with running enough for the entire team to feel fit… Mr. Nice-guy of the team, he is the possibly the most popular chap around, except when he tries to sing in office…”
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Related Posts
14Aug
My Experiences in Tawang Arunachal Pradesh – Its Time to Tawang
ByRashmi S
Tawang, a place for soul searchingVisualise a spiritually enlightened Buddhist outpost at 10000 feet ! Now imagine a grand welcome with the chants of the monks and beats of the traditional Buddhist instruments. Welcome to Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh !Tawang has a great importance in Buddhism... read more
27Mar
Bull Surfing in Kerala
ByAnand Parameswaran
Bull surfing is an old and obscure cultural practice. This underlines the man-animal relationship. It is a part of the Maramadi Festival in Kerala, South IndiaSurfing is all about the sea, water, pristine nature and a single person’s effort to control and ride the waves,... read more
13Jul
Houseboat Experience in Kerala
ByAnand Parameswaran
The houseboat experience in Kerala is chief among the many attractions in Kerala, God’s Own Country. A few of these attractions are nature at its greenest, mountains, lakes, beaches, Ayurveda, culture and traditions… Oh, and food… Let me start by talking of the backwaters of... read more
02Jul
Kashmir-the paradise on earth
ByRashmi S
Kashmir, romancing the paradiseThis couplet from Amir Khusrau says it all about Kashmir.Agar firdaus bar roo-e zameen ast,Hameen ast-o hameen ast-o hameen astIf there is a paradise on earth,It is this, it is this, it is this”So what does a paradise look like ? Meadows,... read more
17Jun
Nameri National Park-an ideal vacation option
ByRashmi S
Nameri National park – for the wildlifeand nature loversAssam is blessed with a diverse wildlife and there are many national parks and sanctuaries in the state. Nameri national park is spread across an area of around 200 square kilometres and the Jia Bhoroli river flows... read more
24Jun
Ajmer Sharif – The Dargah of the Sufi Saint Moinuddin Chisti
ByKishen Prasad
During my last trip of Rajasthan many a years back, i happened to visit Ajmer Sharif. I was aware that it was a popular shrine that of Moinuddin Chisti. Khwaja Garib Nawaz (patron of the poor) is the namesake for Moinuddin Chisti. This dargah is... read more
30Mar
Athi Varadaraja Perumal Temple – What lies beneath?
ByKishen Prasad
The Athi Varadar festival shot into prominence last year (2019) with people from all over India flocking to the holy city of Kanchipuram. This festival is celebrated at Athi Varadaraja Perumal temple.The Athi Varadaraja Perumal temple was built by the Chola's in 1053. Basically Athi... read more
26Jun
Ladakh-the land of high passes
ByRashmi S
My flight was about to land at Leh airport, and my first feeling was, where is this flight landing … I am not trying to hint at turbulence, rather trying to divert your attention towards the scenic beauty. Leh airport is one of the highest... read more
05Jun
Mysterious India – a land shrouded in a sheen of Mystery, Myths and Legends
ByAnand Parameswaran
Mysterious IndiaIndia is waiting for travelers. To explore and gently remove the shroud of Mystery, Myths and Legends. Only then will they get a glimpse of the real India beneath.India has a rich history of centuries of civilization. And hence as an off-shoot, it is... read more
15Jun
Sundarban Mangrove Forest – Mystery and Allure
ByAnand Parameswaran
Sundarban forest has been of great fascination for me from my growing-up years in Calcutta. It was probably the lure of the mystery surrounding it. Or maybe the legend of the Royal Bengal Tiger that lives there. The various myths and legends – of spirits... read more