RAS reminds us that It is time to select a new L’avenir / Town Development Council team. They are asking all of us to read the draft and take this opportunity to give our constructive feedback. We have two weeks (till 31st May 2012) to submit feedback by email to raservice@auroville.org.in with a copy to studygroup@auroville.org.in. Mr. Doshi is coming to visit Auroville from 28th to 30th of May, and he expressed his desire to meet the community of Auroville at large in order to discuss how to proceed with the planning work in Auroville. Read more

About the same time as new Cycle Kiosk construction, at the area of Solar Kitchen and PTDC, was "growing" up, also the new dismoutable house was growing across the road. In about three months the work was done, and since two days the Foodlink is gratefully occupying the new spaces, just behind Nandini. About construction, the cost and the purpose of this new building Isabelle shares with us, along with the updates on their work, and plans for the future. From next Friday, 25th we can also purchase vegetables and food directly with them. Read more

Rio +20 from 20th to 26th of June in Rio de Janerio in Brasil it will be follow up of starting summit of twenty years ago. Filip, who spent most of his life in Auroville, is passionate about forest, and sustainable projects, actively involved in Tree House Community... no doubt that summit is very attractive to him, because over 190 countries will participate on Rio +20 with their head leaders, ready to sign some serious commitment in behalf of their governments. Filip wants to document the event, and will try to build a special tree house.

Present team of L'Avenir d'Auroville/TDC shared yesterday at SAWCHU with the community detailed report on their work for the last two years. As the planning of the city is very complex and structured from different aspects of it, each member was focused on that particular part. After the review was an opening question/answer sharing part of the meeting, which brought on the surface many issues. The mandate of present team is about to end, but common observation of the community is that at least part of it should stay on the job. Read more

On the 5th of May N&N announced an open talk by Sraddhalu at SAWCHU, but the Working Committee canceled the talk about the controversy surrounding  Peter Heehs book on Sri Aurobindo. Columbia University Press released it in 2008. Controversy followed. We talked with Loretta about the ban, about the book, about Peter Heehs, about Sri Aurobindo and The Mother. The Mother said that "in peace and harmony the eternal manifests. The first thing that you have to base everything upon is harmony. When there is disharmony things don't work." Read more

On Thursday at 4.30pm at SAWCHU the community is invited by L"Avenir Team to its Information & Sharing Meeting .On Firiday at 8.30pm at Verite Hall will be a simple gathering in silence In memory of Bhavana Today at 4.30 to 8.3opm Mohanam Cultural Center in (Sanjeevinagar) Invites us for a program of: Village life Story telling at Mohanam Cultural Center. The Sanjeevi Nagar village celebrates its Brahmoursavam from 30.4 to 8.5. Brahmotsavam is a nine-day celebration for the Mother Goddess - Throwpathi Amman and finishes with walk trough fire Read more

Genreal Meeting called by Resident Assembly Service on 26th of April at Unity Pavilion in International Zone brought to the community results and proposal of Selection Process Study Group, consisted of nine members. In first part Jaya presented their results of examination of better ways of choosing working groups for the community based on values and four qualities which apply especially to our relations to each other. Second part presented by Pashi talks on detailed proposal how this could be applied to choosing the next L'AVenir / TDC.

This year Loretta was invited by Auromira Ashram in Columbia to give lectures on Sri Aurobindo's Yoga. The ashram was created in 2003 only for furthering the teachings of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother. The founder of Auromira was Maria, assisted by Swami Brahmdev, who, inspired by Sri Aurobindo, had founded Aurovalley Ashram in UP state.. Loretta will open her talks with the thought - what is so important about Sri Aurobindo and The Mother that you should want to know what they say Read more

Our team of Auroville Radio would like to inform you that for the summer our news will be published only three times per week - Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, but if any of you would like share anything with us, you are welcome to contact us on 262 3331 or pass by the radio. Auroville Town Development Council have invited the Frontiers Polymers Pvt Ltd on May 2, 2012 at 2 pm at the office of Auroville Town Development Council, Town Hall, to describe their line of products, mainly the movable speed breakers made of recycled natural rubber. Read more

Last evening the bharath nivas auditorium was witness to a spectacular Hindustani Jugalbandhi from Pandit Shivnath Mishra and his family.Pandit Shivnath Mishra was accompanied by his son Deobrat Mishra on the sitar and his grandson Prashant Mishram was on the tabla. it was a perfect harmony of three generations on one platform. The beautiful ragas left the audience enthralled. The trio presented one of pandit shivnath's composition called "ma ganga". At the close of the event they played the bhairavi . Read more

Kalki a transgender rights activist with the Sahodari Foundation, was in Auroville to present a talk about the transgender community in India. Kalki spoke about the various difficulties that they face with the government, the law and the society. Kalki who has lived in Auroville for two years questioned their acceptance by the Auroville community. Kalki presented a documentary Sowndarya about lives and acceptance of transgenders in India. Lot of concerns and questions were asked by Aurovillians which Kalki answered in depth. Read more

The imaginative  trunk on the bypass road between Kalabhumi to Arka was very much inspiring to Liliana to made it alive. Here is a short interview with her just after she and Nelle finished the art installation in the middle of hot afternoon with bikes passing by, and the road workers on their job. The trunk, most likely the remains of the cyclone Thane is now alive again, with purple vest and some very colorful flowers on the head, made by Liliana at the workshop. And, of course this piece of art belongs to all, and invites to continue. Read more

Yes, end of the busiest season in Auroville is here, holidays started ,and at Well Caffe in Sve-Dame last Friday was organized live concert with Suryan, Joel and Will and with Yemadas. Hot summer night, candle lights and mellow music of songs mostly known to us, was a perfect occasion to meet with the friends, to maybe dance, to jam after the concert. After intimate songs of Suryan with Joel on bass, and Will on drums, Yemadas with visiting Anand and Prakash raised the fever with African and Brasilian beats, hard to resist not to dance. Read more

Lively and vibrant young Trishala shares with us her enthusiasm over volunteer work with Integral Animal Care just behind Edayanchavadi, and before Red Earth Riding School. Since she got a break at school she have decided to spend this time something different, wanted to be useful. And since the whole family was visiting Auroville at the time of the cyclone Thane, Trishala was very much inspired by The Dream, and by so many different possibilities to learn, to grow, and to actively participate, to see different perspectives. Read more

Their over two months long volunteership at the Auroville Radio is about to end. In the conversation we find what triggered them to choose the Radio to contribute to the city. For Maria, an architect and artist, is the good place to connect all the ideas, all the facts, it is the right place to communicate to the entire world, and for the time being the only archive of most of the things that happen with accessibility to all. To Guiseppe, experimental anthropologist, radio is a good point where the wind come and stay together in peace Read more

Rolf "come back" with guitar, accompanied by Matt Littlewood on keyboard, Mishko M'Ba on bass and Suresh Buscara on drums, was special treat for jazz lovers, friends. It was also his first gig as an author of all the compositions. Light atmosphere of playful jazz, excellent solos of musicians who's skills allow to transcend form the written form to the places beyond, and further, brought broad smiles on the faces of the numerous audience. For the great sound kudos goes to Joel, and for the light to Jean. Read more

Conference Room in Town Hall was almost too small last Saturday for all those who wanted to listen to a classical European piano recital. Rina brought to the children at Udavi School for the first time in their life some knowledge about European classical music, and they were all enthusiastic about it. Soon they have started to practice this music on piano, and their love, determination for the music leaded to the concert, where we were impressed by their performance. Read more

Many of us might not be aware that we got another school in Auroville for over a year already. In interesting interview with Anne, who hails from Mexico, and was educated since her early age trough Montessori schools until she became a teacher herself, and with Sangeetha we discover which are the benefits of Montessori education, and how it can be apply within the integral education. At the moment they run pre creche and kindergarden for over 60 children, mostly form the nearby villages, with eleven teachers and some volunteers. Read more

At early morning hours as last Mooralala Marwada with his group came on the stage of Kalabhumi at Kabir Music Sacred Festival last Saturday. Although number of audience substantially decreased, those who stayed cheered them with laughter and laud halo, which supposed to be Mooralala wake up call, so that no one is left asleep at the time when they sing. He is a folk singer from Kutch district of Gujarat in Western India, and sings the poetry of Kabir along with other poets such as Mira, Ravidas or Sufi Sindhi poet Shah Abdul Lateef Bhitai Read more

Each group of singers brought something special something unique on the stage at the Kabir Sacred Music Festival in Kalabhumi last Saturday. Mahesha Ram group came as the most colorful with their bright orange, pink ...turbans on their heads as they belong to the Meghval community of Rajasthan in Western India. They represent a hypnotic folk style typical of the Meghvals, who are musicians not by profession but more traditional carriers of Kabir's poetry trough the oral traditions of all night jagrans and satsangs. Read more

It was already getting late when third group of Mukthiyar Ali appeared on the stage of amphitheater in Kalabhumi on the Kabir - Sacred Music Festival, but audience still in numbers cheered them loud as well. Mukhtiyar Ali coming from a small semi nomadic village with only eighty families from the Thar Desert in Rajasthan. Faimilies of this village are known as keepers and protectors of 800 years priceless Sufiana Qualam tradition, who managed to carried over the centuries not only lyrics but as well the style of the music. Read more

Second night of Kabir Festival of Sacred music in Auroville started with Shabnam Virmani, who is very well known in the country as initiator of changes of social fabric starting her path as journalist, continuing as a film maker, and finally in 2003 she began Kabir project as idea of making a series of this late 15th century mystic poet. Soon she began to recognize that where was a seed that once planted had deep inner resonance that rippled trough individuals, communities and world creating an intangible change of spirit and of consciousness. Read more

When Prahlad Tipanya came on the stage in Kalabhumi on second night of Sacred Music Festival Kabir audience was thrilled. His charismatic personality with honesty, and sense of humor attract seekers, while he is widely acknowledge to have deeply impacted and contributed to oral tradition of Kabir singing in Malwa. He is the one who propagate with great personal intensity and engagement the spiritual message of Kabir. He organizes every year Kabir music Festival, visited by thousands singing bhajans together and listen to musicians. Read more

Monography on Poppo Pingle work in architecture was literally "launched" by Poppo himself with the device he has constructed for that occasion, and with it brought smiles on the gathered faces. The book, authorized by Mona Doctor Pingel was released by Ms.Malika Sarabhai, one of the publishers and Dr.Karan Singh, and is first of the series of monographies on Auroville architects. Mona herself briefly explained reasons that inspired her and on what she has focused in it. The architects are following the Mother's words - Less talk, more work. Read more

Chiildren of Dolphins and Rainbow Horses from Deepanam School had been practising singing with Joy and Jivatman for the whole school year... and they wanted to share with their friends, parents, members of community how joyful singing can be. Last night, despite that the Kabir Festival is going on in the city , audience was quite numerous, listening attentively to a range of songs from all over. Graceful children voices, accompanied by Jivatman on guitar cheered up our hearts. Read more

Positive energy pumped up by the beat of the music, strongly present but not aggressive, quite opposite is rapping for peace. And what a group of people with positive attitude can do in a few days with such an input of energy was shown at the ALL IS ONE performance at Visitors' Centre last night. EachOneTeachOne, a peace program founded by Anne Schmeckis (yearly visitor for the last 7 years) in close cooperation with Mohanam Sound Crew and Auroville Institute of Applied Technology, the event was sponsored by the German Pavilion. Read more

Since studying media choice for Auroville Radio was a logical option for Stella who wanted to spend and volunteer some more time in Auroville. She finds AV radio different mostly because is not searching exclusively for bad news, which would be the practice everywhere else, but still wishes that it would be more focused of Auroville values, reflect a state of the town with it's truth. Whole team admire Stella for her honesty, sense for a team work, and for her excellent photographic portraits she have taken over her volunteership.

From today on city richer for a so much needed cycle spot for the air and quick repairs, such as flat tyre or puncture, as we call it around here. Gillian, one of the inciators, talks on the project , and who are those actively involved in it. B amongst other mentions that cycle kiosk was way over due, especially if we really want to live the life we try to promote here. New cycle kiosk, which will promote cycling, and be in service of all is located opposite PTDC at Solar Kitchen and will be open daily, except Sunday, from 9am to 5pm. Read more

Children of Deepanam School prepared, as usual for the end of the year small cultural program to share with their parents, friends and community. Opening piece was by Keshava on tabla, accompanied by Nadaka on guitar, followed by bharatnatyam classical Indian dance of older and a bit younger children of the school. Songs were sung, this year, except the last one, all in Tamil. And that was also the language of two plays, one of an old fable, the other original piece by students, leaving us roaring with laughter; and third one in French. Read more

Issues facing the Auroville Council are mentioned briefly in an interview with Cauvery. A questioning statement from an Aurovilian about Solar Kitchen lunches; Residents' Assembly gathering on Economy, Housing, Education, Land issues, Planning and participation. Coming soon: the Cycle Kiosk offering a helping hand (Opposite Pour Tous Distribution Centre.) Practitioners of Falun Gong (Falun Dafa) or those interested in learning this ancient Chinese cultivation practice of body and mind may contact Tatiana 994 402 5970. Read more