Plain & Simple: Community as Ecovillage

Auroville was originally conceived to become a city for 50,000 people. More photos » Youth from 124 countries placed soil from their home countries in the inaugural urn on February 28, 1968. More photos » All-night birthday celebrations take place near the Matrimandir every February 28th. More photos »

History and Vision Based on the philosophy of Sri Aurobindo and Mirra Alfalssa (a.k.a. "The Mother") , Auroville is a grand experiment in building human unity with the vision of becoming a universal township for 50,000 people. On February 28th, 1968 over 5,000 people from 124 nations assembled for the inauguration of Auroville. After the festivities ended, a handful of people remained to begin the task of transforming a devastated landscape into a vibrant ecosystem and a thriving international community. It worked. Today, Auroville extends over 2 square miles and is home to 1,900 members from 40 nations.

Community as Ecovillage Through overgrazing of cattle and the monsoon rains, Auroville began on land that, as one early visitor described it, "was quickly dying back into a moon." In the first 10 years, over a million trees were planted. The forest slowly grew back, which in turn attracted birds that brought with them seeds from trees they hadn't planted. A positive feedback loop was created and today, Auroville is green and lush. But that is only the beginning of the story. From its 15 organic farms to its 150+ houses fully powered by photovoltaic panels; from its cost-effective building techniques using ferrocement and unfired earth to its ecological wastewater treatment facilities (a.k.a. "Living Machines"), Auroville has become internationally recognized as a leader in sustainable technologies and is well on its way to becoming "a city the Earth needs."
Community Highlights
Even over the course of a semester, students will only scratch the surface of what Auroville has to offer. Some opportunities that are available include:
Cultural activities such as live music and theater, art galleries, and independent video
Classes on everything from Balkan Dancing and Aerobics to Reiki and Aikido
Sports including tennis, basketball, volleyball, and soccer
A wide variety of restaurants serving Indian and western cuisine
Community celebrations such as Auroville's anniversary on February 28th
Seeking silence in the Matrimandir, a stunning meditation sanctuary in the center of Auroville
Regional Highlights
Nearby Pondicherry with the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, bookstores, and great restaurants
Repos Beach where Aurovillians often go to swim and relax
Historical sites and 4-billion-year-old exposed rock formations in beautiful Hampi
Early morning boat ride looking for elephants in the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary
Tamil culture and festivals such as Holi in March and Deepvali in November
Darshan at Mata Amritanandamayi Devi's Ashram on an island in the backwaters of Kerala

Accommodations While in Auroville students stay in one of the communities within Auroville (e.g. Verité, College Guest House). The rooms, typically built with compressed stabilized Earth bricks and thatch roofs, are simple, yet comfortable.

Diet Students generally prepare their own breakfasts, eat lunches at the Solar Kitchen and have dinner in their host community or at one of the restaurants in Auroville. A couple days a week, they eat at the various restaurants in Auroville. Typical foods are rice and ragi with different locally grown vegetables such as carrots, tomatoes, cabbage and beans. Students in general love the traditional plates of idli and dosa (a rice and lentil paste) with a lentil curry called dal. The food is mostly vegetarian with many vegan options. Food grown in Auroville is 100% organic and provides for about 20% of the total food needs of the community.

Climate Auroville is situated on a low-lying plateau in sub-tropical India. Daytime temperatures range from a low of 74-85¡F (December to March) to a high of about 105¡F (June). While occasional rains bring temperatures down staring in July, the main monsoon rains come from October through December when daytime temperatures average 77-83¡F.

Health Students are required to take health precautions standard for travel to this region. These are outlined in the Student Handbook, which is available upon acceptance. Once in India, there are several health centers in Auroville with both allopathic and homeopathic services as well as two well-equipped hospitals within 30 minutes.

Links and Resources

Auroville Community - http://www.auroville.org

Auroville as Ecovillage - http://www.auroville.org/health.htm

Auroville Health Facilities - http://www.erraid.com

Fireflies Ashram - http://www.fire-flies.net

Sri Aurobindo Ashram - http://sriaurobindoashram.org

Integral Yoga - http://www.miraura.org

Pondicherry Tourism - http://www.tourisminpondicherry.com

Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary - http://www.wildlifeinindia.com/periyar.html

Amritapuri Ashram - http://www.amritapuri.org/Mother-page.htm