11 Interesting facts about Auroville – The City of Dawn

Pondicherry or Puducherry is popular for its beaches and pretty french colonies. Not far away from Puducherry is the experimental community of Auroville. People from all over the world live here in harmony. This township thus is a perfect example of human unity. Mira Alfassa – the spiritual companion of Sri Aurobindo founded Auroville in 1968. The concept of Auroville was well supported by the Indian Government as well as UNESCO.

11 Interesting facts about Auroville:

1. Auroville is also known as the City of Dawn
2. The founder Mira Alfassa is called The Mother
3. The 100+ year Banyan Tree in a way was responsible for the geographical location of Auroville
4. 5000 people from 124 countries attended the inauguration and deposited soil from their homeland to an urn
5. Auroville built to house 50,000 people from all over the world, now has a population of only 2500 people
6. Auroville’s plan mainly constitutes of 3 areas: a Peace Area, City Zones and Green Belt
7. Auroville doesn’t use currency but an aurocard for making transactions
8. Healthcare and electricity is free for residents
9. Schooling is free with students having the flexibility to study subjects at their own pace.
10. Any money earned contribute to the towns upkeep
11. One can volunteer or intern, study in Auroville

Places to visit in Auroville:

1. Matrimandir: Matrimandir – a meditation place is the major attraction of Auroville. However the inner sanctum is only open to residents of Auroville. If you would like to visit the place, passes need to be availed in advance. Resembling a globe or golf ball, ‘The Mother’ inspired the gold plated Matrimandir’s design.
2. Botanical Gardens: Spread over 50 acres, this has many trees and plantations native to the region. This garden is immensely popular amongst meditators.
3. Auroville Bakery and Boulangerie: Bakery items here are made from local produce. Hence it’s worth a visit. You should definitely try the Cheese cakes there.
4. Beaches and Shopping:  The beautiful Auroville beach is a nice place to unwind or meditate. The beach is also a nesting ground for the Olive ridley sea turtle. A visit is never complete without shopping for items that  serve as memory. Auroville is popular for its local handicrafts and home decor items.

Best time to visit Auroville

The best time to visit Auroville is from November to March.

How to reach Auroville?

By Air:

Chennai is the nearest airport and Auroville is about 180 kms away from it.

By Rail:

Puducherry is the nearest railway station and Auroville 20 km away.

By Road:

Chennai to Puducherry is approx 160 kms and Auroville another 20 kms away.

For more such spiritual experiences in India, check out some of the spiritual tourist destinations in India. In case culture is of interest, check out the best tourist places to visit in India.

In case you are keen on traveling to Pondicherry, you could then take a look at the Tamilnadu itinerary and cover Auroville by adding an additional day.

India is not just about spirituality. There are many more facets to this ancient land – culture, mystery, history, nature, wildlife and so on. Read more about more such holiday and tour packages.

For more such off-the-beaten track sights in India and the rest of the World, visit Beyonder Travel.