Auroville's monthly news magazine 1988–2025

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Issue Nº419-420

Jun 2024 (17 months ago)
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Editorial

Supported by its rich biodiversity, India has since ancient times developed its own indigenous systems of medicine. Medicinal plants are found in all of its 15 ecosystems, giving rise to its unique alternative medical systems: Ayurveda, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa and Unani, each of which depends primarily on plant based formulations for its medicines.


Promoting Ayurveda: the knowledge of life

Dr Be teaching Ayurveda to Aurovilians

Dr Bérengère, or Dr Be as she is known in Auroville, holds a French MBA in International Business. She then studied Ayurveda at the Gujarat Ayurved University in Jamnagar, India.


Tibetan medicine and Auroville

Dr Samphel Tsering takes the pulse of a patient

One of the main services of Auroville’s Pavilion of Tibetan Culture is hosting the Tibetan doctor with his trainees and administrative staff for three to four days a month.


Glimpses into the Tibetan medicinal system

In November 2018, the Pavilion of Tibetan Culture hosted Dr. Tsewang Tamdin, Visiting Physician to H.H. the Dalai Lama. In an interview with Auroville Today, Dr.


The basics of Tibetan medicine

Medicine Buddha

The traditional origins of Tibetan medicine stretch back three thousand years.


The making of Tibetan medicines

Tibetan medicinal pills

“This is where I belong”

Michael Zelnick

Michael Zelnick, originally from New York, joined the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in 1968 and later came to Auroville. Here he talks about his work as a homeopath.


Practising Siddha Medicine

Dr

Dr. Sharavanan Padmanabhan runs the Sri Aurobindo Siddha Research Foundation in Pondicherry. He first graduated as an allopathic doctor before specializing in Siddha medicine.


Healing with nature: reconnection, grounding, gratitude

Parvathi giving a Food as Medicine cooking demonstration

Parvathi Nagarajan is a healer, herbalist, educator and community builder who spent 24 years running and supporting Pitchandikulam Forest projects in local communities.


Practising Vedic astrology

Vikram Devatha

Vedic astrology, called Jyotisha Shastra in Sanskrit, is the traditional Hindu system of astrology which has its roots in the Vedanga Jyotisha, one of the earliest texts about astronomy within the ancient Vedas.


Auroville’s democratic heartbeat still strong

Auroville’s communal fabric is having a difficult time of late with the Residents’ Assembly’s voice being ignored. The recent Selection Process showed that our collective spirit is still in good health.


The larger context


Four radical questions

Daniel Greenberg

After nearly three decades of engaging with Auroville (along with over 100 other ‘sustainable communities’ around the world), a twice-aborted Newcomer process (first due to Covid and then to pursue my ‘dream job’ as Director of Education at the Findhorn Foundation in Scotland), and having just spent of 2.5 months there, I would like to share a few radical questions about the future of Auroville for your consideration.


The whole world is here

Sathiya with her daughter Tharunika

Sathiya, a second-generation Aurovilian, speaks about her upbringing and her unwavering commitment to Auroville's ethos despite external pressures.


Arriving Home - my first days in Auroville

Rolf Lieser

Rolf Lieser arrived in Auroville in 1981 and during his thirty years stay here, among other things, he practised and exhibited his paintings and sculptures, played music in various bands, did graphic design (including working with Kireet Joshi on certain projects), designed and constructed a number of houses, and started Kalabhumi community in the Cultural Zone.


Report on Land Exchanges The Working Committee constituted by the Residents’ Assembly (RA-WCom) has shared with the community extensive information regarding land exchanges and transactions that have taken place in the last two years.

Letter from IAC to the community On June 9th, the Auroville International Advisory Council (IAC) shared with the community that during a joint meeting with the GB on May 31st, it had called for a more transparent and inclusive land exchange process.

RA-WCom on Supreme Court’s interim stay on the TDC verdict The RA-WCom informed the community that the hearings in the Supreme Court of India on the verdict from the Madras High Court of 15th March 2024, which had invalidated the GB’s Auroville Town Development Council (ATDC) and had called for more collaboration between the GB and the Residents’ Assembly (RA), will probably take place in the second week of July.

Statement from the Forest Group On May 6th, the Auroville Forest Group, which was constituted by the RA in 1982 and which is endorsed in the Auroville Universal Township Master Plan – Perspective 2025, circulated an email reiterating its commitment to nurture and protect the green spaces and provide an integrated ecological basis for Auroville, physically and spiritually.

Auroville Farm Group questions fruit tendering process In the beginning of May, the Auroville farmers published a report in the community edition of the Auroville News and Notes questioning the results of the imposition of the fruit harvest auction by the Auroville Foundation Office (AVFO).

New donation guidelines take effect In April 2022, units and projects that had been receiving donations from abroad were informed that the Funds and Assets Management Committee constituted by the Governing Board of the Auroville Foundation had come up with a process to ensure compatibility with the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).

Auroville dog shelter needs immediate funding The Auroville Dog Shelter, home to nearly 300 rescued dogs, urgently needs financial support. Despite being a municipal service, it receives only Rs. 50,000 per month from the Budget Coordination Committee, far short of the Rs. 3 lakh needed for basic expenses like food, wages, vital medicines and vaccinations.

Corrections In the News in Brief section of the May issue of Auroville Today it was mentioned under “Awards for Auroville architects” that Suhasini Laxman Iyer had won the Indian Institute of Architects IIA National Award 2022 in the category Residential Projects for the Humanscapes Habitat buildings.