What is Auroville?
Auroville is an experimental township in Viluppuram district, mostly in the state of Tamil Nadu, India, with some parts in the Union Territory of Puducherry. The inauguration ceremony, which was attended by delegates from 124 nations, was held on Wednesday, 28 February 1968. The township was conceived as a living laboratory for human unity, where people from all nations could live together in peace, transcending religion, politics, and nationality. The present population is 3,296 people from 61 countries as of March 2025, though the eventual population is expected to be 50,000.
The township is organized around the Matrimandir, an edifice of spiritual significance for practitioners of integral yoga in the centre of Auroville. The four-point Auroville Charter, handwritten by Alfassa, declares that Auroville belongs to humanity as a whole, is a place of unending education, serves as a bridge between past and future, and functions as a site of material and spiritual researches for human unity.
Origins & Lineage
It was founded in 1968 by Mirra Alfassa (known as “the Mother” or “La Mère”) and designed by architect Roger Anger. It is named after Sri Aurobindo (1872–1950), an Indian philosopher, poet, and nationalist who developed the philosophy of Integral Yoga. Mirra Alfassa arrived in India on the 7th of March 1914 and met the one she had seen in visions and had called “Krishna” – Sri Aurobindo. When Sri Aurobindo retired to his room six years later, communicating with his disciples mostly through written correspondence and being seen only on special occasion, Mirra Alfassa publicly assumed her role as “The Mother” of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram.
At its Annual Conference in 1964 and with Mirra Alfassa as its Executive President, the Sri Aurobindo Society in Puducherry passed a resolution for the establishment of a city dedicated to the vision of Sri Aurobindo. Auroville has received the unanimous endorsement of the General Conference of UNESCO in 1966, 1968, 1970, 1983, 2007. In 1980, the Government of India passed the Auroville Emergency Provision Act 1980, under which it took over the city’s management. The change was initiated after Mirra Alfassa died in 1973, and serious fissures developed between the Society and the city’s residents in its day-to-day management. In September 1988, the Government of India protected Auroville by passing a unique Act of Parliament, the Auroville Foundation Act, 1988.
How It’s Practiced
Life in Auroville is structured around collective experiment and individual inner development. The first necessity is the inner discovery by which one learns who one really is behind the social, moral, cultural, racial and hereditary appearances. At our inmost centre there is a free being, wide and knowing, who awaits our discovery and who ought to become the acting centre of our being and our life in Auroville.
Residents participate in a diverse range of activities including organic farming, alternative construction, renewable energy projects, education initiatives, and cultural programs. The community has reforested the dry land of Auroville with 3,000,000 trees of different species since 1968. The township is organized into zones: a Peace Area containing the Matrimandir, an Industrial Zone for green industries, a Residential Zone, and a Green Belt.
Inside the central dome is a meditation hall known as the inner chamber. This contains the largest optically perfect glass globe in the world. The Inner Chamber is devoid of images, organised meditations, flowers, incense, religion or religious forms. Residents and visitors can book appointments to meditate in this space, which serves as the spiritual center of the community.
Auroville Today
Seekers encounter Auroville through multiple pathways. Guests must pay contribution of 150 INR/day for the duration of their stay. Visit and explore Auroville, and volunteer for at least three months before applying to join permanently. Volunteer opportunities span organic farms, educational projects, construction, arts, and sustainable technologies. Guest programs like the “Experience Auroville” program offer structured introductions to the community’s ideals and practices.
The township continues to evolve amid ongoing debates. The divide between those Aurovilians who want to follow the Mother’s urban development plans — known as constructivists — and those who want to let the community continue developing on its own — organicists — has long existed. The community faces challenges around governance, resource allocation, and balancing growth with original ideals.
Common Misconceptions
Auroville is not a religious community or ashram, though it was inspired by spiritual philosophy. Neither a temple nor a monument, Matrimandir is conceived as a space for individual concentration and inner stillness. It is not a utopia that has “arrived”—residents emphasize it as an ongoing experiment with significant challenges.
Auroville is not free to join or live in. Ideally plan to cover your own living costs during both the Volunteer and Newcomer periods. Both Newcomers and Aurovilians contribute a fixed monthly amount towards Auroville. The community is not isolated from Indian governance; it operates under the Auroville Foundation Act and Indian law.
While international, the overwhelming majority of Auroville residents are Europeans and Indians. What is most striking is the underrepresentation of Africa, a continent with 54 countries and thousands of ethnicities and languages.
How to Begin
Prospective visitors should start by exploring the official Auroville website (auroville.org) and reading foundational texts: the Auroville Charter, Sri Aurobindo’s The Life Divine and The Synthesis of Yoga, and Mirra Alfassa’s talks collected in Mother’s Agenda (13 volumes compiled by Satprem). Those drawn to visit can book guesthouse accommodation through the official portal and register with Guest Services.
The ‘Experience Auroville’ program that is organized by the JOY Community is for people (and groups) who want to know more about Auroville. The program will help interested people to get a better understanding of what Auroville is and aspires to be. Volunteering for 2-4 weeks at farms like Buddha Garden or Sadhana Forest offers immersive introduction without long-term commitment. Serious aspirants should plan extended stays and engage the formal newcomer process through the Admissions & Terminations Registry.