After the withdrawal of Sri Aurobindo in December 1950, the intellectual community of Karnataka had a lulling period

SRI AUROBINDONEAN MOVEMENT IN KARNATAKA: History cannot and should not be forgotten for the development of any organisation -- spiritual or social since past is the foundation, future is the prospective development and progress and present is the golden thread.

Sri Aurobindonean movement in Karnataka was ushered into existence in its seed form way back in 1914 by a few noted Kannada literary devotees such as Gnana Peetha Awardee Dr. D.R. Bendre, Halasangi Channamallappa, pen- named as "Madhura Channa", Shankar Gowda Patil, Dr. V.K. Gokak, Dr. R.S. Mugali, Sri S.S. Malwad, Sri N.K. Kulkarni, Simpi Linganna, A.V. Shastry, Dr. R.R. Diwakar, Sri. P.B. Naregal, Sri Nagaral, Sri Basappa Akki etc., through a small group called as Friends Group(Gelayara Balaga) under the leadership of Late Dr. D.R. Bendre.

Local study centres in different parts of the state sprouted themselves and restricted their activities only for the serious study of the new teachings and Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother and to print and publish a few books and periodical magazines in Kannada in Karnataka. The devotees used to visit Pondicherry, then a French colony with hardships and used to return being temporarily charged by the spiritual atmosphere as well as the unique darshan of the enlightened Lord Sri Aurobindo and the Mother at Sri Aurobindo Ahsram, Pondicherry.

However, after the withdrawal of Sri Aurobindo in December 1950, the intellectual community of Karnataka had a lulling period for a long time for reasons best known to them. A few dedicated devotees of Karnataka who decided that Poornayoga is the only hope of man, straight way went to Pondicherry with the prior permission of the Divine Mother and settled there at Ashram. Some local study centres led by a few dedicated devotees as stated above continued their maintaining existence.

High Level State Centenary Committee: (H.L. S. C. C.) H.L.S.C.C. with Chief Minister, Karnataka as its Chairman was constituted by the Government to celebrate the Centenary of Sri Aurobindo's Swadeshagaman which event had taken place on 6th February, 1893 at Apollo Bunder, Bombay, when a vast calm surrounded him for the first time as soon as he touched the soil of his Mother land. Such celebrations were observed throughout the country in 1993-1994; another committee constituted by Karnataka Government in August 1997 for celebrating the 125th birth year of Mahayogi & Maharashi was merged in the in the H.L.S.C.C. only. The term of H.L.S.C.C. concluded on the completion of committed portion of the project at the complex. www.newrace.org/Aur_move.htm