Pondicherry - Day 2

Today was sightseeing in Auroville which is where our accommodation was based, can't argue with £2.50 a night but it is 3 people sharing a small room. Made it feel like home though, home being Alangayam. The main thing to see in Auroville is the Matrimandir which is at the very centre of the town. It has been built this way as it is seen as a centre of spirituality and concentration. There are many different nationalities who have come to live/retire in this laid back community, so hippies are fairly common :P. 

Background: The Matrimandir (Sanskrit for Temple of The Mother) is an edifice of spiritual significance for practitioners of Integral yoga, situated at the centre of Auroville initiated by The Mother of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. It is called soul of the city and is situated in a large open space called Peace. Matrimandir does not belong to any particular religion or sect.The Matrimandir took 37 years to build, from the laying of the foundation stone at sunrise on 21 February 1971 - the Mother’s 93rd birthday - to completion in May 2008. It is in the form of a huge sphere surrounded by twelve pedestals. The Geodisic dome is covered by golden discs and reflects sunlight, which gives the structure its characteristic radiance. Inside this central dome is a meditation hall known as the inner chamber - this contains the largest optically-perfect glass globe in the world. The Matrimandir, and its surrounding gardens in the central Peace Area, is fully open to the public by appointment. The four main pillars that support the structure of Matrimandir, and carry the Inner Chamber, have been set at the four main directions of the compass. These four pillars are symbolic of the four aspects of the mother as described by Sri Aurobindo, and are named after these four aspects.

After a nice walk around the area surrounding the Matrimandir we did some shopping and then a party with all of the groups in one of the hotels social rooms. Really good but late night.
You HAVE to watch this video before you are permitted to visit the Matrimandir viewing platform, it explains about the community and the place itself.
Miniature of Auroville.

Signs of the 12 virtues on the path to the viewing platform, each one with an associated flower. Very peaceful and clean, lovely change from dirty cities and villages.
















The Matrimandir








The Matrimandir panorama. 

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