FA info icon.svg Angle down icon.svg Organization data
Founded 1960
Founders The Sri Aurobindo Society
Location Tamil Nadu, India
Site auroville.org/
Green hosting Yes

Auroville is a universal township in the making for a population of up to 50,000 people from around the world.

How did Auroville begin?[edit | edit source]

The concept of Auroville - an ideal township devoted to an experiment in human unity - came to the Mother as early as the 1930s. In the mid 1960s the Sri Aurobindo Society in Pondicherry proposed to Her that such a township should be started. She gave her blessings. The concept was then put before the Govt. of India, who gave their backing and took it to the General Assembly of UNESCO. In 1966 UNESCO passed a unanimous resolution commending it as a project of importance to the future of humanity, thereby giving their full encouragement.

Why Auroville?[edit | edit source]

The purpose of Auroville is to realise human unity – in diversity. Today Auroville is recognised as the first and only internationally endorsed ongoing experiment in human unity and transformation of consciousness, also concerned with - and practically researching into - sustainable living and the future cultural, environmental, social and spiritual needs of mankind.

When did Auroville start?[edit | edit source]

On 28th February 1968 some 5,000 people assembled near the banyan tree at the centre of the future township for an inauguration ceremony attended by representatives of 124 nations, including all the States of India. The representatives brought with them some soil from their homeland, to be mixed in a white marble- clad, lotus-shaped urn, now sited at the focal point of the Amphitheatre. At the same time the Mother gave Auroville its 4-point Charter.

Where is Auroville?[edit | edit source]

Auroville is located in south India, mostly in the State of Tamil Nadu (some parts are in the State of Puducherry), a few kilometres inland from the Coromandel Coast, approx 160 kms south of Chennai (previously Madras) and 10 kms north of the town of Puducherry.

Who are the Aurovilians?[edit | edit source]

They come from some 45 nations, from all age groups (from infancy to over eighty, averaging around 30), from all social classes, backgrounds and cultures, representing humanity as a whole. The population of the township is constantly growing, but currently stands at around 2,160 people, of whom approx one-third are Indian.

External links[edit | edit source]

FA info icon.svg Angle down icon.svg Page data
Keywords community
SDG SDG11 Sustainable cities and communities
Authors Liz Kimbrough
License CC-BY-SA-3.0
Language English (en)
Related 0 subpages, 4 pages link here
Impact 350 page views
Created October 12, 2008 by Anonymous1
Modified October 23, 2023 by Maintenance script
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