Issue Nº433

Aug 2025 (3 months ago)
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Sri Aurobindo and the Savitri Legend

Feature, By Richard Hartz

Death claims Satyavan’s soul while Savitri pleads for his return to life

Sri Aurobindo was born on 15 August, 1872. Auroville Today has often published something related to Sri Aurobindo in this, his birth month, and this year we feature an article on his epic poem, Savitri, by Richard Hartz.

New works of The Mother

An interview with Bob Zwicker, By Alan

Bob Zwicker has worked in the Sri Aurobindo Ashram Archives for 52 years, with particular responsibility for the Mother’s works. Recently, three new books have been published containing new material not published in the Centenary edition of The Mother’s Collected Works.

Bob talks about his first meeting with The Mother in 1971

Experiences, By Bob Zwicker

“I had been afraid of meeting her. It had taken me six long weeks to get to this point because I was afraid of her. In some of her photographs we see how formidable she can be.

Maatram – Transformation

An interview with Gopa, By Chandra

The Maatram team. From left Raam, Saif, Mathilde, Rashmi, Palani, Megha, Gopa and Marina

Maatram is a mental-health support centre in Auroville staffed by professionally trained psychiatrists, psychologists, psychotherapists, and counsellors who work collaboratively to offer compassionate, person-centred care.

From law to sound: Niva’s unexpected journey

A profile of Niva, By Carel

How an Israeli top lawyer joins Auroville to become a sound healer.

Consciousness-Based Psychology

Book review, By Carel

Consciousness-Based Psychology: Sri Aurobindo’s Vision of Yoga, Health and Transpersonal Growth presents a pioneering framework for psychology and psychiatry rooted in the spiritual philosophy of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother.

The bookbinder of Vanaville

A profile of Michel, By Carel

Michel working at his book sewing machine

Tucked away in a small room at the back of Auroville’s Vanaville unit is Michel’s bookbinding sanctuary — a quiet space where hundreds of worn books have been given a new lease on life.

Malarchi boarding closes

News, By Carel

The Malarchi children, helpers and caretakers celebrating Christmas in 2024. Tixon is second from left in the back row; Vanitha is fourth from right in the middle row

In 1989, more than three decades ago, a retired British police sergeant and school welfare officer visited Auroville. Having recently lost his wife, Roy Wicks was in search of new meaning and purpose.

Snakes, Drugs and Rock ‘n’ Roll: My Early Years

Book review, By Alan

Romulus Whitaker (‘Rom’), the world-renowned herpetologist, has had a long association with Auroville. He first visited around 1970 when ‘Cow John’ showed him around what was then the beginning of what he came to see as a fantastic experiment.

News in Brief

69th Governing Board meet Residents learned from an article in the Deccan Chronicle that the Governing Board met on 8 July to review major developments since June 2024 and passed several key resolutions regarding infrastructure, education, administration and governance.

Open letter about actions of GB BCC and FAMC The Working Committee of the Residents’ Assembly wrote an open letter to the community expressing their deep concern about how the social fabric of the community continues to be threatened “by people positioning themselves as decision-making groups, in how they have been treating other residents, and their casual disregard for well-being and livelihood.

Emergency RA decision Residents were asked to decide if they supported the resolution that the Admissions and Terminations Scrutinizing Committee (ATSC), the Admissions and Terminations Registry (ATR), the Human Resources Service (HRS), and the Residence Criteria (RC) are not valid because they were created without consultation or approval of the RA.

Frederick receives visa 86-year-old Frederick is one of Auroville's longest-serving residents, having first come to Pondicherry and the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in 1960, and settling permanently in 1966.

Threat to Eternity land On 24 July, a group of concerned Tamil Aurovilians called a community meeting to stop the Eternity land deal. They reported that there was a plan to exchange 7.5 acres of Eternity’s beachfront land worth Rs 112.5 crores for what they termed ‘useless’ private land partly outside the Master Plan zone, with a value of only Rs 11.5 crores, a loss to Auroville of over 97 crores.

AuroOrchard house relocation completed The relocation of Jasmin and Aravinda's house in AuroOrchard has at last been completed after a series of technical challenges. The move was necessitated by the AVFO’s land exchange in November 2023 that placed their residence as well as several major and vital infrastructures of AuroOrchard on the property now claimed by a new landowner.

Aurovilians present paper on maths education in Seoul Sanjeev Ranganathan, head of SAIIER (Sri Aurobindo International Institute of Educational Research) and alumnus of IIT Madras, and Poovizhi, mathematics teacher at an Auroville School, presented a research paper on “Indian Knowledge Systems and the Impact on Teachers When They Learn Indian Knowledge Systems and How They Interact with Children” at the 9th East Asia Regional Conference on Mathematics Education (EARCOME 9) in Seoul, South Korea.

Sea Change programme update The WasteLess team made a presentation to the community on 26 July about their Sea Change Programme. This educational initiative has reached over 13,499 Tamil Nadu government school students, transforming their understanding of marine plastic pollution and nurturing the next generation of environmental advocates.

Yuvabe Education launches new course The Yuvabe team announced a new learning opportunity for all youth in the Auroville bioregion. They are launching a 3-Month 3D Product Design Online Course using Autodesk Fusion 360, starting 7 July, 2025.

Supportive Learning Satellite (SLS) The SLS Team has now become an official unit under SAIIER. The service, which began in 2015, offers support to all children, regardless of the educational system they are part of.

The Town Hall has a new eating place The popular Auroville Bakery opened a new branch at the Town Hall on July 11. It comprises a café as well as a bakery outlet where people can purchase their favourite bakery goodies as well as pick up bread and other bakery orders.

Dog sterilisations and rescue operations may be suspended Auroville’s Dog Shelter is facing a breakdown of its services, a crisis directly triggered by a recent decision by the AVF auditors to ban crowdfunding in Auroville.

In Memoriam

Galyna Kubarchuk

In memoriam:

Halyna (Galyna) Kubarchuk, living at Prayatna, passed away at home on 7 June. Her body was cremated on 11 June at the Auroville Cremation Ground.

Basile Vignes

In memoriam:

Basile Vignes passed away on 12 June in his house in France, in the presence of his partner Claudine, his son Simon, his stepdaughter Djénane and close friends.

Lakshmi

In memoriam:

Lakshmi, the wife of Ulaganathan, left her body at her home in Kuilapalayam on 9 July after a period of illness. She had been working at the billing counter of the Pour Tous Purchasing Service in Aspiration for more than 28 years.

Julius Trauwaen

In memoriam:

Julius (Juul) Trauwaen, partner of Magda, passed away at his home in Arati on 9 July. His remains were buried at the Auroville Burial Ground on 12 July.