Auroville

...had one of the most perfect get-away weeks ever. It left me experiencing so much that I'm lost wondering where to begin. But all good times must be chronicled and so let me begin.

There's something about that place...a mysterious something that uplifts the senses and anchors the soul. It is barely striking, if at all, at first glance. On the surface it appears rather incomprehensible, leaving you wondering what all the fuss is about now really. And then, before long, the experiment that is Auroville unfolds. Auroville is not just one location. It is actually an entire area. I went there looking for an Ashram, I came back experiencing what it was to live in an evolving civilisation, also called by many as the 'Laboratory of Evolution'.

My stay there was hosted by Elumalai (Elu), my host, and member of the Auroville fraternity. He warmly welcomed me into his home and his family. The home was modest, but earthy and tastefully designed (by Elu and his wife), incorporating local influences of the land, spacious and sprawled over an acreage or two of dense greenery. The air was rife with a scent of wetted soil, very akin to the scent of earth after it has been freshly bathed by the first rains. The foliage had just been watered.

Before long I realised that all homes within the Auroville precincts were designed and constructed likewise; living spaces here are defined by the objective of imbimbing and nurturing eco-environmental sustainability! Psst...evolving civilisation, didn't I mention that one before. ;) The architecture across the breadth of this township is refreshingly welcoming and breath taking...be it the homes, activity centres, community spaces, youth hostels and eateries. Lovely!

Having settled down a bit, it was then time to move around and explore the place. Armed with my guest pass, courtsey Elu, I was all rearing to go. Time was a constraint and much had to been seen and accomplished within defined bounds.

I began with the Visitor's Centre, a complex of buildings specially designed to answer to the needs of casual day visitors and more interested guests alike. They played me, as they did other guests, a brief video on the the ideology* and making of Auroville.

After a brief peek-a-boo at the photo exhibition centre and the Seagull bookshop at the VC, I ventured into Boutique d'Auroville, the centre for arts and crafts and all other things Aurovillian; good place I'd reckon to pick up some 'arty' stuff, but a tad expensive for the uninitiated.

Along my way, there were many, many interesting stores hidden behind small non-descript signs, just off the road, selling various items like - clothes, crafts, jewellery, 100% natural soaps made from vegetable oils, hammocks, natural and soft washing detergents, lampshades, organic food, organic oils and a whole lot more. These are spread all across Auroville county. I couldn't help stopping by a few to check them out...did lose some time and quite some money in the bargain, but what the heck? I was her to partake of the experience anyways!

A tip that might help, don't let the lack of a jazzy storefront fool you into believing that going in isn't worth it. You're definitely missing something if you do.

Back on track now - and it's difficult maintaining one in Auroville - a kilometer and a half's walk through the idyllic expanse took me to Matrimandir, 'Temple of the Mother', the epicentre of Auroville...a sight to behold! Matrimandir emerges as a large golden sphere rising from the womb of the earth, symbolising the birth of a new consciousness seeking to manifest. The meditation centre is housed within this awesome edifice. However, one needs to book in advance to venture within and partake of the sessions held there, which I'm told is an 'outta-the-world' experience. That's on my list of to-do's whilst on my next trip here for sure!

Now for some food, growled my stomach, after so many visual treats, but nothing on its palette to chew and eat. 

Auroville is a treat for the food lover. Roma's kitchen, The Beach Cafe, Pour Tous café, the Solar kitchen and the Auro Bakery are names you don't want to, and can't easily forget for the spreads they dole out. Some great food in store for the hungry here ranging from fresh bakes to pastas, pizzas, organic foods, salads, soups, South and North Indian cuisine. The Auro Bakery deserves a special mention here for its oven fresh breads, tarts, croissants and biscuits. Trying out the homemade ice-cream and solar cooled nimbu sherbet at the shaded area kiosk - ensconced within a bamboo groove - is also highly recommended.

Next stop, Pondicherry, (New Hamlet, in Tamil)

Pondicherry was quite a hurried stopover, given the limited time I had at hand. But the place is truely worth a dekkho. The entire town is divided into two sections, the French Quarter ('Ville Blanche' or 'White Town') and the Indian Quarter ('Ville Noire' or 'Black Town'), with grid patterns and neat sectors across perpendicular streets.

Besides the usual list of places to see or explore there, I particularly liked Le Cafe - a French Cafe on the Promenade - the road along the beach. Now this is must see, must do! A beautiful place with some yummy treats on the menu and some off it too - the breathtaking view of the sea, with its restless waves lashing against the rockbed for one.

Walking down The Promenade made for another memorable treat. The police band, looking grand in their khaki uniforms and red caps, was playing at the Gandhi Statue alongside the beach. The band played some patriotic numbers that blended well with the mood that was setting in around sundown.

It had begun to drizzle by now, and the place slowly began emptying out. It left me feeling that I had the promenade all to myself now! Walking down The Promenade with droplets of rain trickling off my face, in the incandescence of the light emitted from stately lamp posts, teasingly rising into the sky along the dividers, , against the backdrop of old French villas on the one side and the sea on the other...was phantasmagoric!

An apt end to the eventful evening.

And that concluded my brief vacation in Auroville/ Pondi, as I readied to drive back to Chennai (another one of my top 3 favourite cities) for the remainder of my stay, before returning to Bombay. It's barely been a day since my return, and I'm already making plans for my next visit to Auroville. Elu, you'll hear from me soon!

* The purpose of Auroville is to realise human unity – in diversity. Today Auroville is recognised as the first and only internationally endorsed ongoing experiment in human unity and transformation of consciousness, also concerned with - and practically researching into - sustainable living and the future cultural, environmental, social and spiritual needs of mankind.