On Saturday, 14th August, a memorial gathering was held in Savitri Bhavan dedicated to Syam Sundar who recently passed away. Shyam Sundar was appointed by the Mother as the secretary of Auroville affairs and was involved in the township project from the very beginning. About thirty Aurovilians and fifteen Ashramites gathered in Savitri Bhavan to pay tribute to Shyam Sundar. After a short meditation, several friends spontaneously shared their reminiscences of Shyamsunder, who had taken significant roles in his lifetime. Read more

In today's news we featured Andrea's interview with Emanuele on his new book - The Salt of Life, which will be aviable in few days. Today's interesting presentation created by three French interms at L'Avenir d'Auroville / Town Development Council on Mahalakshmi Park will be held at 4pm at Conference Room at Town Hall. On Saturday 20th of August at 3pm at Solitude Farm will be a meeting to discuss planting vegetables and fruit trees in public spaces. Nw Indian film Narthaki (The Dancer) will be screen on Monday at 7.30 pm at Cinema Paradiso Read more

This talk of Manoj Pavitran was part of a series of talks on the topic "mutation" that were held in February 2010. We feel that it still has a great value since we are in the middle of a world crisis that seems to bring the advent of mutation. First we hear an introduction to the three-day event on "mutation", then Aurevan is reading three poems from Anu and after Manoj Pavitran is giving a talk titled "Surrendering to change". He speaks of a poise of peace and silence and the presence of the sacred that we have to establish in ourselves. Read more

In today's news we feature interview with Renu from L'Avenir d"Auroville / Town Development Council on updates from them. Adrien, Elsa and Sophie have been working with TDC/ Avenir and Road Service and Marie since June on a design for the Mahalakshmi Park (SK to Arka area) Their concept will be presented next Thursday, 18th of August at 4pm at Conference Room in Town Hall. For the Sri Aurobindo's birthday and for the Independence Day of India many programs and offerings are prepared. From morning bonfire...to colective meditation at UP. Read more

On last Saturday 6th of August in Pavilion of Tibetan Culture they inaugurated the exhibition of photos on the day of Auroville Marathon taken by Sarath Shenoy and here’s a short interview with him made by Tanja. NAGA-MANDALA adapted from the play by Girish Karnad will be performed at CRIPA in Kalabhumi on August 13th 14th 2011 at 5pm. We feature short interview with Jill, the director of it. Sri Aurobindo's Dasrhan tokens can be collected at Pitanga on 11th, 12th, 13th between 9 - 12 and 2 - 6 pm. Read more

Announcements offer Dhrupad, a vocal concert by Uday Tuesday, Pitanga Hall; an exhibition of digital paintings and photographs by Juergen at Gallerly Square Circle opening next Saturday; a biodynamic agriculture and compost workshop at AuroOrchard next weekend; practice sessions in Restorative Circles (a community process for supporting those in conflict and, greenbelt/land use planning presented by Achva Benzinberg Stein of Spitzer School of Architecture, New York and David Stein, consultant on social/economic patterns on land use 2 August. Read more

Today's news features Ross, a member of the Entry Service Team, speaking of his experience and his growth as a result of taking on such work. Also find an announcement for a new session of 'Orientation to Auroville,' for those in the process of becoming newcomers it's part of the Entry Process to Auroville. It is always an amazing experience; it uncovers the deeper reality of Auroville, its history, aims and ideals, and present functioning in key areas. Read more

The General Meeting of yesterday gives hope and shows progress. This news offers an excerpt of it; listen to the entire thing later on today on AurovilleRadio and attend the next meeting in two weeks. Annoouncements: computer classes for Seniors with teachers Uriel and Ganesh begin Thursday 21st July at 2pm, Kolam Computer Centre at New Creation. Help build Auroville by pioneering a new community! The Transit Lounge, an experiment in dis-mountable housing with common facililties presented Thursday July 28th 5 pm Town Hall Conference Roon. Read more

Today Auroville International meets in the Town Hall's Conference Rooom; here in Auroville Wim van Megen of the Netherlands has invited all Dutch Aurovilians to learn of the work being done by AVI Netherlands. Tomorrow there will be another General Meeting called by the Residents' Assembly Service who feel that the real issue seems to be less the selection of Auroville's apex bodies, but rather the lack of understanding, trust and collaboration between one another. RAS members Elvira and Partha speak a few words on this. Read more

Sunday morning, hot summer day, Matrimandir...Sitting quietly beneath the inner chamber, next to lotus pond one can hear chirping birds, accompanied by the wind finding its way trough all four sides of the sky, and by the gentle sound of water cascading down over the lotus petals toward the small crystal ball. Timeless and yet so present, one might drift in a sweet oblivion of a peaceful moment... Read more

We talked with Loretta, who is going to the USA in a week.  Following her line of service to the Mother, she is invited to lecture in California.  When you serve something, its vibration becomes part of you.  Serving Mother means receiving her consciousness.  Loretta received an inner push to lecture. This started with five talks on the Supramental Transformation connected with her recent exhibition.  Eight presentations in seven weeks will include four of these talks, a talk on Savitri, a question/answer session on Auroville, and a talk to children.  She will speak at the AUM Conference in Lodi, the California Institute of Integral Studies and the Cultural Integration Fellowship in San Fransisco, the East/West Cultural Center in Los Angeles, and Meditation Mount in Ojai. Read more

Last Wednesday General Meeting follow up will be tomorrow at 5pm again at SAWCHU, and you are all kindly invited to participate. The Auroville Housing needs and resources survey was completed by 175 people in Auroville. Surveys gives valuable data from a planning point of view and also a database that will allow more effective communications on housing issues with those in need. Anyone that is not included but would like to be, can call to housing service from mid June onwards where he/she will be helped to updated online. Thanks to the pilot project ‘Community Information Centre' as part of the ICITI Project, funded by Stichting De Zaaier (through PCG), we are now able to offer at Savitri Bhavan individual computer access to a large range of study materials: documents, audio and video relating to the lives, work and writings of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. Three stations with monitor, mouse and earphones are connected to a central server. Users can browse freely and access all the materials stored in the server. Read more

Today the news features Auroville's Entry Service. This dedicated team acts under the Residents' Assembly through the Working Committee. Here is part one of three parts from their annual report, which somewhat clarifies the process involved in the beginning steps towards Aurovilian status. While there are only 7 Aurovilians who have volunteered to take up the daunting task of screening applicants, actually the newcomer process involves many people in the community: the newcomer's contact person, people through service/work or residence or other community activities. The entire update can be read in Newsand Notes. Read more

Today's news is news of Bhavana's journey and passage into the Light after a bout with cancer. Offered is an extract of her writings, from her blog, posted several days prior to her departure, in which she characteristically describes in detail steps of the way with the grace and intelligence and humour and kindness Bhavana will be remembered with, with love.

A recorded reading of Sri Aurobindo's revelatory epic by Shraddhavan is available on request from Savitri Bhavan in mp3 form on two CDs. Here is a sample : Book Three ‘The Book of the Divine Mother', Canto Two, ‘The Adoration of the Divine Mother'. The Mother, who was Sri Aurobindo's spiritual collaborator said this of Savitri: "... everything is there: mysticism, occultism, philosophy, the history of evolution, the history of man, of the gods, of creation, of Nature. [Continue >>>] Read more

It felt like the spirit of the Divine had investigated the Sri Aurobindo's Auditorium at Bharat Nivas while Latif Bolat and Parvathy Baul sang and read mystic poetry during their common concert on Saturday April 30th evening. The Sufi Scholar and Musician ended his stay at Auroville offering some talks on the history of the Sufism journey, reading contemporary poems and playing some of his compositions. To finish his play, Latif Bolat chose a song based on the "Hiroshima Poem" reminding that "mysticism is not a dry abstract something out here" but it has been involved in society, social justice and human goodness since always. Read more

« We are trying to increase the population of Auroville. It is going too slowly". As Dr. Karan Singh, Chairman of Auroville Foundation, kindly introduced his newly released documentary film "I BELIEVE", on April 25th evening at Sri Aurobindo Auditorium, he also took this opportunity to share with the audience some of his vision and set of priorities for Auroville. Although he reminded that his third term's main issue as Chairman of Auroville Foundation was the development of the City with l'Avenir d'Auroville, he also reminded that Auroville is about the growth of consciousness yearning for Aurovilians to look upon their spiritual development as well. Read more

Last week AurovilleRadio broadcast Loretta's talk on transformation to sixty fourth graders from Transition School. A second talk to a second group of sixty fourth graders called out a very different style of lecture, with different stories for different children. Swaha and Martin's classes were more serious and concentrated, Loretta reports. In the wonderful way things happen in Auroville, their lecture automatically tailored itself for their way of learning. This time. Anu and Paula's classes were more light hearted and lively, and their lecture came with a very different energy. Did these sixty lively children sit still and listen to the subject which adults say they can't understand? Nobody moved. You could have heard a pin drop in the room. Read more

In a new building at Bharat Nivas Dr. Aster Patel introduced Dr. Karan Singh at the presentation of a newly released publication entitled 'The Integral Human Existence'. This book basically speaks of the teachings of Sri Aurobindo in the light of his words regarding the problems faced in the ordinary life of humanity. And the solutions. Members of the Governing Board and as well as Auroville's Working Committee and the Auroville Foundation were present. The book is published by Bhrat Nivas: www.auroville.org/thecity/bharat_nivas/bharat_nivas_main.htm. Read more

Featured today is Dr. Karan Singh, Chairman of the Auroville Foundation; an extract from the presentation of his book release 'The Integral Human Existence' and a reminder for tonight: the documentary film 'I BELIEVE' which is about Dr. Singh, to mark the occasion of his recent 80th birthday. Also in the news, news of termite research and a chance to rock and roll to the sounds of the funky Brand New Band concert coming up on Thursday night. Read more

An extract from an interview with B is featured in today's news; B talks about the concept of replacing money with a symbol, a token; he has named it the 'Aura' and in its symbology it will also act as a reminder of why Aurovilians have come to this City the Earth Needs, as we hold and touch and exchange it for goods required, of the ideals of Auroville. The interview in its entirety can be heard next week. Today is Earth Day! The parade started at 10 a.m. passing through Mahakali Park, entering Town Hall raising a ruckus as a wake-up call for awareness of Mother Earth. Also featured is Mahakali Park in Auroville and like Auroville it belongs to nobody in particular; Nikolai, who brainstormed the concept of the park, says that all are its stewards; so let each one respect her, enjoy her and protect her. As well, a notice for the new book 'The Integral Human Existence in the Words of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother' to be released by author Dr. Karan Singh on Monday at 10 a.m. Read more

What are the mysterious words "Supramental Transformation? Sixty fourth grade children came to the Supramental Transformation exhibition at Savitri Bhavan to hear Loretta explain. Will children of 9-10 years remain quiet and listen to a subject which adults say they can't understand? Every child remained attentive, and they really learned what the words mean. Then they heard the story of The Mother's experience on the Supramental Ship. When the children walked freely through the exhibition they felt very much at home. Read more

The Amphitheater Team had chosen to play the first disc of Savitri read by the Mother along with Sunil's music this Thursday 21st of April for the weekly meditation between 6 pm to 6:30 pm. Around thirty persons gathered all around the Amphitheater at Matrimandir to enjoy Sri Aurobindo's initiatory poem expressed by the Mother during this privileged moment. Also an appropriate time to remind one of the Mother's final arrival in Pondicherry on April 24th, ninety-one years ago.

The Full Moon was celebrated on Monday April 18th at the feet of Sri Aurobindo's status. Around ten persons gathered in Savitri Bahvan at 8pm for this enlightening event. Celebration started with a slow motion music to give everyone some time to be physically and spiritually present to the moment. Recorded talks from the Mother then opened the evening both in English and in French. Each participants were then invited to read a paragraph of the Savitri book (page 116 to 128) while the moon started its appearance right in the back of Sri Aurobindo's Status. Two commemorative compositions by Sunil were finally played to accompany the complete raise of the Full Moon in a very quiet, deep and meaningful moment. Read more

Featured in today's news an interview in keeping with Earth Week; Ethan of the living Routes program speaks of the impact on the Living Routes students who have been involved with projects centered around water, food and waste during their learning experience in Auroville. Also find announcements for Earth Week activities for today, Monday 18 April: films, presentations and talks plus a reminder for the Parade on Friday. Read more

"The Divine plan is always there, all we have to do is open up, and take a next step...keep going..." told us B in an interview about his life, passion for waste management and other projects he's involved in. He came to Auroville in 1974, in its early beginning when town was is the survival mode; saw all the changes and transitions, and yet he feels extremely grateful that he was born at the right time to go trough this incredible adventure, as he named it. B is strongly convinced that Zero Waste Management is and achievable goal, because is something that people can understand. Up to today we managed to come to the point that we recycle 60 percents of the garbage, the rest 40 percents can be slowly chipped away by technology which is already available today.

What is it? It's a healing method, which descends through the layers of the heart, finally reaching the place to access supreme Divine Love within the body. Thereby healing can occur. And conscious evolution can occur. The word 'hladina' is derived from the Sanskrit word Hladini. In his book, The Mother, Sri Aurobindo describes Hladini as a powerful ecstasy which flows from supreme Divine Love. He says this alone can heal the gulf between the Supramental heights of the direct Divine power of manifestation and the lowest levels of presently unconscious matter. All earth matter awakens with the Hladini Love and the manifesting power of the Supramental. Read more

The news today features an original concept in architectural design: imagine musical instruments embedded in, or as part of a wall. Mano, architect and one of the caretakers at International House, has provided just that: an opportunity to play on the wall. This is an excerpt of an interview which can be held in its entirety next week. Also find an announcement for the first Hugh Piggott wind turbine workshop to be held at Windarra Farm and, fun Saturdays at Upasana in celebration of the 41st Earth Day and the 4th birthday of Small Steps. Read more

‘The Everlasting Yes : Savitri, the Epic of Affirmation' - a talk by Richard Hartz at Savitri Bhavan on March 19, 2011. References in Sri Aurobindo's diary ‘The Record of Yoga', show how certain ‘affirmations' - or ‘stoma', to use a Vedic term - were central to Sri Aurobindo's own sadhana. He used the term to characterise formulations that have the power to bring higher truths into our consciousness, fix them there and allow them to work in us. In this sense we can speak of Savitrias the epic of affirmation, a Vedic stoma on a grand scale.

Today's newscast features an excerpt from an interview with Karl-Heinz Posch of Austria, frequent visitor to Auroville and invited here this time to conduct studies and workshops on an important aspect of town planning: mobility management. Karl-Heinz is, since 2006, the coordinator of the European Platform on Mobility Management, an organization that currently has five member countries: France, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Also in the news find an extract from a summary of Housing Service activities. Read more