It's a utopian city without money, without a government, without religion and which welcomes all nationalities. Auroville was founded in southern India in February 1968 by Mirra Alfassa, a French woman nicknamed "the Mother". After her death in 1973, the city developed, despite being located in the middle of the desert, thanks to the work of its residents. Some 3,300 people from 52 different countries live there today. Half of the population is Indian and a fifth is French. Together, they dream of building a new humanity, where people live in peace and harmony. FRANCE 24's Marion Laouamen, Lucile Perrone and Navodita Kumari report.
"The Mother" named the city of Auroville after her spiritual partner, the Indian philosopher Sri Aurobindo, founder of a movement that seeks harmony in all aspects of life.
Over the past half-century, this experimental community has developed with the support of UNESCO and is recognised by the government of India as "an international cultural city". The city is organised in a spiral that wraps around the centre, where the Matrimandir, or "temple of the mother", is located. It's a golden ball (pictured), as tall as a nine-story building, and a place of meditation.
Residents have managed to transform this desert into a forest: more than 3 million trees have been planted. Today, Auroville covers 2,000 hectares. The city has become a veritable living laboratory, a pioneer in ecological urban planning. When they settle there, Aurovillians cede their property to the community and renounce private ownership. Despite being repeatedly threatened and considered sectarian by some, the experiment continues.
The objective is to accommodate 50,000 inhabitants. To make this a reality, the residents of Auroville have asked the Indian government for €120 million in a bid to rejuvenate this dormant utopia. Only around 100 people settle in Auroville each year, in search of spirituality and ecological values.
