Joint interactive workshop of L'Avenir d'Auroville and Resident Assembly Service at Unity Pavilion was called for the purpose for community to come together and discuss on which guidelines we should all agree to be undertaken when one is about to start to build. After Helene's presentation with some examples of exercises participants have divided in smaller groups to find the possible suggestions for future guidelines in building. Recording are minutes of HElen's presentation and some outcomes of the workshop. Read more

As has Nuria announced in the beginning - it was a night of varied songs from jazz, latin, pop to soul. It was journey through songs which are dear to her of Katie Melua, Diana Krall, Noa, Carlos Nunez, naming few ... full hall of CRIPA in Kalabhumi in Cultural Zone, and exciting applause at the end have clearly expressed that Nuria is not alone in her likings. She was accompanied by Matt on piano an sax, Mishko on bass and Suresh on drums. See all the pictures here: www.flickr.com/photos/coriolan/8419910501/in/set-72157632621822473/ Read more

We're featuring an excerpt of interview with Isis from Benin who's inviting the community to an Africa Night - event of the Africa House at Unity Pavilion in International Zone on Friday 1st of February from 6.30pm onward. LUYE on Saturday 2nd at Solitude Farm for the full day of amazing organic food, eco stalls, games... music for 12 hours. From 1st - 3rd of February the Auroville Ultimate Frisbee Hat Tournament will be going on on 5 fields (Certitude, Udavi, Aurodam, and 2 fields behind Tibetan pavilion)! Read more

With a great support of the children of the kindergarten, the Auroville Press and SAIIER released this week proudly the book “Building with blocks at Auroville Kindergarten” by Odile Fouldaoux. Besides illustrating and showing how children develop by the way they build with blocks and how their social skills evolve it is a book about children development through a beautiful playful instrument like natural wooden blocks in specific dimensions. Read more

A very interesting presentation and a further discussion about the different challenges to achieve a smart housing culture. The pursuit of a balance between sustainability , budget, local materials, personal needs in local housing and other different variables that are included in the great challenge of innovation in the way we build and design our cities and buildings. Anumapa, with many years of experience on architecture and sustainability , offers a great presentation that opens an interest discussion. Join it! Read more

A beautiful Thursday afternoon could be spent at UDAVI school at the Football grounds watching the pupils perform dances and other physical movements included elements of Yoga asanas. All three sections - kindergarten, new building and main section - were represented and each one had their own teachers who have been practicing with them for at least 3 months. The children presented highly motivated as well as joyful and enthused the group by their spirits. Each year UDAVI school has a demonstration. Read more

In today's news we feature Agnes talking about preparations for Lively Up Your Earth (LUYE)- eco music festival which will happen on next Saturday 2nd of February at Solitude farm. Bharat Nivas Group invites the community to gather at 8.30am at Bharat Nivas, Pavilion of Indian Culture in International Zone where they will share flag-hoisting, National Anthem and sharing of Prasad in order to celebrate the Republic Day of india. On that day also Aikiyam School will share cultural program with an open exhibition. Live music on 27th at CRIPA. Read more

In this presentation Martine gives an overview of world heritage sites and how they got their status. Which criterion Auroville fits to and the process to get recognition. If the Auroville would get the World Heritage site status from UNESCO that would bring world wide recognition from 190 countries. Along with many benefits it will also provide Auroville with land protection. Some negative aspects would be in influx of tourist. The presentation concludes with a question and answer session. Read more

This play in 5 Acts is located in Syria of the playwright’s imagination. Rodogune, the Parthian Princess captured by Syria and made attendant of queen Cleopatra. Antiochus and Timocles, the sons of Cleopatra by her first husband, have been brought up in Egypt. At the death of Cleopatra’s second husband, they return to Syria. The selfish queen mistakes fulsome flattery for real love and rejects Antiochus. He revolts to claim the throne of Syria; and both Rodogune and Antiochus who are mutually attracted by love, join together in this venture.... Read more

The students from Lilith apprenticeship program have presented their collections in Kalabhumi in Auroville, on 19 January 2013. The event was a great success! A supportive and enthusiastic crowd cheered and applauded to the models and designers. The designers Leela, Dasha, Ilango and Suhasini presented their creations to an attentive audience of residents of Auroville and guests. In the following links you can see some images shot by Coriolan: www.flickr.com/photos/coriolan/sets/72157632562549538 --> VIDEO by Manohar  Read more

In today's news we're featuring Martine explaining the presentation "Auroville " A world Heritage Site for the future?", which she will share with the community on Wednesday at 5pm at Cinema Paradiso in Town Hall. The workshop on developing guidelines on what we want from new buildings by L'avenir and RAS is postponed to Monday 28th, between 4 to 7pm and at Unity Pavilion in International Zone. Tomorrow between 5 to 8pm at Unity Pavilion in International Zone Any Carroll will hold an interactive motivational workshop The Ego Tango

On Friday last week six members of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile gave a presentation followed by a Q&A session where Aurovillians was free to post questions to the Parliament members. The Tibetan Parliament is a one month trip in India to raise awareness about the plight of Tibetans with various government officials. Earlier in the day they had a meeting with the Pondicherry government officials. There has been a sharp increase of self immolation's over the past few months with the return of the Dali Lama still in question. Read more

A beautiful Sunday could be spent in Henk's living room at la “Petit Ferme” while marvelling at the exhibited sculptures and paintings by Henk and his wife Agnus. Henk who became an artist in 1968 has two reasons for this exhibition. On one hand it is dedicated to his wife who passed away two years ago and on the other it serves as a contribution for the new art gallery coming up at the Visitors Center in Auroville. Mainly Red is inspired by the power of the color red. The exhibition goes on until the 3rd of February and worth visiting. Read more

Given the recent news attention to the rape case in New Delhi and other cases of violence against woman across India. Anandi and Noel organized a special meditation session for Aurovillian's to radiate love and kindness to protect and support all woman in India and across the world. Anandi also displayed two very old wooden Goddess statues. One includes a Rain Goddess from Africa. The meditation was opened by Noel and lasted for fortyfive minutes. Thanks to the twenty plus people that came to meditate. Read more

Life Education Center (LEC) is an Auroville outreach school, providing vocational training and counseling to empower semi-educated girls from the nearby villages since 1991. In this interview, the students and some LEC teachers share personal reflections and experiences by each focusing on one of the qualities in the Mother's symbol. Paralleled in a collective visual art piece, there is also a sample of the daily chanting at LEC at the end of the session. The following are the individual names and the qualities/aspects which they explored: Read more

After a decade of dedicated work and life in Auroville, after years of dormant love and passion for music, after few years of personal growth Anna Taj's CD was released two week ago. Interesting mixture - from melodious jazz, pop, lounge to spiritual influence of Indian music, with many participating, collaborating in creation of Anna's "baby" CD. It took her a year and a half of meticulous work in studio with Rajkumar Rajamanickam and many others in producing, and bringing it to the product we can listen now. www.annataj.com

Anna Taj Facebook page

 

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In today's news we are featuring short interview with Professor Kostel talking on D.A.M., which is India's first Design, Arts, Music carnival. The festival revolves around the concept of nourishing creativity and it will be held at Ganesh Thottam near Auroville, at the end of the canyon road in green belt. From 25th to 27th at Pavilion of Tibetan culture in International Zone along with Tibetan Students Association of Chennai will present the 7th Tibet Festival. Fashion Masala Show on Saturday at Kalabhumi at 8pm. Read more

This has been the fifth year running that communication and political science students from the American University of Paris have been coming to Auroville for their undergraduate practicum. Also for the past few years they have been joined by students from Linneaus University in Sweden. Auroville provides a perfect platform for the students with all the different projects and activities they can get involved in. To round of their 2-3 week visit they all gave a presentation of the work they have been doing in Auroville. Read more

Auroville Integral Sustainability Institute shares the experience of hosting 2 different groups of visiting planning students from Queens University, Canada & CEPT, Ahmedabad - ‘It was very enriching for all’, says Lalit, Programme coordinator. Auroville being an inspiring & interdisciplinary learning field provided very conducive environment to experience a different way of life which gave them a very real life glimpse of integral life & sense of purpose. Read more

Jean Francois who held the last weeks presentations and discussions about “collective intelligence” built the bridge between our own individual being and the collective in a special manner on a one day workshop. He started off in introducing a couple of profound questions which firstly every individual had to answer for oneself and afterward were discussed in small groups. He guided the group into a self-created market place. It finally lead to the request if there is an alternate currency possible in Auroville. Read more

Jean Francois was very delighted that the group jumped with him into the unknown during the one day workshop on “Collective Intelligence”. He felt blessed on the behave that everybody surrendered to the journey and offered him full trust. The purpose of “Collective Intelligence” on the conventional level was full-filled but his wish for everyone to leave with a sense of freedom towards the individual being and the collective won't be answered for him. In the end it is about the essential being and not about a particular goal.

February is almost here, and that month carries important dates for Auroville. As it is custom for this month Loretta prepares exhibition with the chosen topic on The Mother and Sri Aurobindo at Savitri Bhavan. This year we will dwell in the Mother's Yoga. Beside the exhibition of paragraphs from Agenda on the topic there will be five talks supporting it, along with two volumes of 900 pages and audio CD on 3 Mother's talks in English on the topic of Yoga. The talks will start on 26th of January , continually every Saturday at %.30pm.

The Tango Evening was astonishing. Approximately 50 Aurovilians, newcomers and guests had gathered to dance Tango and to dine together. The night started with a beginners class in order to get a taste of the music and first body contact. Afterward the surprise dinner strengthened the dancers for the following performance. Aurevan and Jorge, the teachers, also performed and took the crowd into a world of passion and pure body communication. The night ended with a Milonga, a Tango dancing party. Read more

This is a peace program for children, youth and adults, about how they can solve their conflicts peacefully. This is for creating awareness at every age in order to create peaceful surroundings.Be True Not Violent is a violence prevention programme for schools and social institutions. The curriculum is structured in a way so that it can be used internationally: for children in trouble spots, in developing countries and also in a daily environment in the western context.It was written by Rita Erben, Astrid Kummer and Emanuele Scanziani. Read more

To close the New Moon night, Yemadas and Friends produced some nice percussion beats to keep the people of Auroville moving. Yemadas is a ethnic fusion band who plays their original songs inspired in Africa and Brazil traditional songs. Mixed with different instruments and beautiful and philosophical lyrics takes people in a deep journey to our roots, looking for a strong connection with our hearts. Though there where some power issues that did not stop the music from flowing and the dance floor from moving. Thanks guys and also to the guest Read more

As it was announced by Jill, the Ibsen was a workshop production by Auroville Theater Group of opera in progress. After only three weeks of hard work and rehearsals, we have had a chance to see for three nights in a row at CRIPA in Kalabhumi an amazing piece where all the actors put the efforts and energy to bring Ibsen's last night alive in front of the eyes of audience. Libretto was done by Ronald Rand, who visited Auroville last year, music composed by Hartmut von Lieres, and the production directed by Jill. Read more

Unity Pavilion invites us on Thursday at 5pm at Peace Table to join a special Meditation for Peace and Healing, focusing on the very important problem of violence against women here in India and all around the world. On 19th, 20th and 21st at Sri Aurobindo Auditorium, Bharat Nivas, Pavilion of indian Culture in International Zone at 7pm they will present tragedy The Play Rodongue. On Saturday at 8pm at Kalabhumi the students of the apprenticeship program Lillith would like to invite us for a Fashion Show. The show will present a Fashion Masala. Read more

Even if it is to celebrate a New Moon, the fact is, that is always good, and needed to conect with the community at the social event, and last night has well proved it. Excellent voices of Priscila, Jeremy, and Suryan, who are all beside singers also the songwriters, have brought feeling of joy, high spirits of thoughts going beyond just visible, and yet the sense of togetherness with all present. Either their own songs, either resung the known numbers, all were well accepted, and didn't take too long to join them with singing and dancing. Read more

Sungpil Yang was born in Daegu, South Korea. Since he was very young he had a deep affinity with Korean traditional music. His interest lead him to study music seriously for Daegeum – Korean Bamboo flute. He holds a Master’s degree with a major in Music Education from Youngnam University, Doctoral degree with a major in Musicology from Keimyung University in Daegu, Korea. He completed the performer’s course of an important intangible cultural asset no. 45. He has performed solo recitals ten times and released four solo albums. Read more

Renowned Dhrupad Singer Ustad Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar represents the twentieth unbroken generation of musicians of the Dagar family. He is the nephew and son of Dagar Brothers (Ud. N.Zahiruddin & Ud. N.Faiyazuddin). He brought Dhrupad to the world music scene with his CD recorded for UNESCO, that is considering including Dhrupad in the list of World Intangible Heritage. He has performed at several prestigious venues around the world. President of the Dhrupad Society, he is dedicated to preserving Dhrupad in its purity. Read more