Auroville: A City In Pondicherry With No Government, Rules, Cash

Auroville, or the City of Dawn, is located in Puducherry at a distance of about 20 KM. It lies in the Viluppuram district of Tamil Nadu. Known for its unique township, this town is unlike any other city in India. Rather than belonging to any particular community, the residents of Auroville are from different parts of the world. That is why it is also called a universal township that can conceive up to 50000 residents.

Let’s know more about the universal township of Auroville:

History of Auroville

In the early years of the 1930s, Mirra Alfassa, Aurbindo’s disciple and popularly known as “Mother”, came up with the idea of Auroville. After fully developing the concept by the mid-1960s, the proposal of Auroville was presented before the Indian government and then to the General Assembly of UNESCO.

In 1966, UNESCO approved this project and termed it an important project for the future of humanity. Then finally, in 1968, Auroville was founded. Currently, this township has 3300 residents from across 60 nationalities worldwide.

Vision of Auroville

The City of Dawn was established with a vision to set up a “City the Earth Needs”. Right in the middle of this city is the Matrimandir located. It is often referred to as the ‘soul of the city’. It is an oval-shaped Peace Area that is surrounded by a lake. The main goal of Auroville is to realize human unity and create a place where men and women, irrespective of their caste, religion, and nationality, live together peacefully and harmoniously.

What is so special about Auroville?

The speciality of Auroville includes,

-> There is no differentiation based on caste, creed, or religion.

-> There is no ruling party or organization.

-> Necessities like healthcare, education, and electricity are freely accessible here.

-> There is no hierarchy, everyone is equal, and all the decisions are taken by the community collectively.

-> This city is entirely cashless. Instead of cash, the Aurovillians use an Auro card.

-> Also, there is no private ownership in this city.

How to be an Aurovillian?

The only condition to become an Aurovillian is to live and work in the city for two years.

For more information regarding the process of being an Aurovillian, visit www.auroville.org/page/join-Auroville.

Best time to visit Auroville

The best time to visit Auroville is from November to March. The weather remains suitable for travelling at this time of the year.

Places to visit in Auroville

You can visit the following places in Auroville

1)Matrimandir

2)Auroville Beach

3)Marc’s Cafe

4)Arka

5)Youth Centre

6)Peace Tables

7)Savitri Bhavan

Hope you enjoyed this reading. Let's meet up in next interesting blog. Bye!