Auroville

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Auroville ( Tamil: ஆரோவில், Ārōvil, rare அயுரோவில், Ayurōvil ) is a planned international city with currently 2184 residents. It is located 130 km south of Chennai (formerly Madras) near Pondicherry in southeast India on the Coromandel Coast. The name means city of Dawn Auroville; but the name of Sri Aurobindo 's probably also been incorporated into the idea of naming with.

Historical development

The idea of ​​a "universal" city based on the social theory of Sri Aurobindo and Mira Alfassa was implemented by which the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry organized since the 1930s, into practice. Together with the Indian government, the concept of a universal city is also the UN was presented. 1966 decided to UNESCO a resolution in which the recognition and support of the project is explained.

The opening and dedication ceremony on 28 February 1968, accompanied by the President of India and representatives from 124 nations and 23 Indian States, to symbolize the "universal " or " planetary property," earth brought from their home countries and in the center of the city ​​built in a specially there for this purpose, simple urn of white marble gave and sealed. Around the urn was the meeting place for the city's community and right next to the Matrimandir. ( The Matrimandir is the sacred central building in the heartland city of Auroville. )

The Charter of Auroville

At the founding ceremony leaving Mira Alfassa in a direct transfer of the Indian broadcasting the 4-point Memorandum of Auroville, which documented their vision of integral life and coexistence:

Legal basis

The city itself is located in the district of Viluppuram the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Legal owner of the land is the Auroville Foundation ( Auroville Foundation). The legal basis for this was created in 1988 by a special law, the Auroville Foundation Act. The Foundation currently owns approximately half of the required land for the project. The acquisition of additional land is made possible by the fundraising activities of the Auroville Foundation.

Population

The social composition of Auroville, which is planned for 50,000 residents, which includes over 2000 Aurovilians, thus partly long-standing members of the urban community from the first generation, their children and grandchildren, Neubewohner, guests, students ( in -season rates around 2000 ) and local employees ( 5000-6000 ). For an employee in the community that may look different in their design, each Aurovilians is a basic income available, from which the cost of living can be disputed. This " maintenance" is about 6000 rupees. However, there are graduations. According to the latest official statistical survey in November 2009 to live in Auroville 2184 people (1704 adults and 480 children). Overall, the residents of Auroville come from 45 different nations. Here are the largest population shares the Indians ( 42%), the French ( 15%) and Germans ( 11%). Taiwan and China have been added as new entries.

City ​​plant

Currently ( Sept. 2006) extend over the area of Auroville more than 100 settlements in different forms, standard of living and focus of professional and other activities. Designed by a group of architects led by French architect Roger Anger, should be the future city extend for about 50,000 residents in the form of a spiral galaxy around the central region. , A central- sacred character amidst a specially created, public gardens In the center is the Matrimandir (temple of Mother dt ) rises. Four urban sectors, each with a utilization focus - Culture, internationality, Industrial and domestic applications - extend from Matrimandir radiating over an area of ​​25 km ², of which up to now (as of 2006) only 10 km ² were realized. The project itself is still in the stage of an experimental city. It represents how the project Arcosanti (USA) represents the collective effort of realizing a utopian city to experiment with new housing and living conditions. In addition, other forms of social life by larger communities ( communities ) are developed. Various projects accelerate the use of alternative energy sources. In addition, for some decades a model for India reforestation program is carried out because of the area as strong erosion.

Auroville Village Action Group

The Auroville Village Action Group, AVAG short, was founded in 1983 by a group of Aurovillianern, villagers and social workers. The objectives were cultural cooperation, exchange of educational and cultural projects and long-term support of integrated processes with the Tamil villagers. Under the inclusion of women and youth village groups have built schools again, organize evening classes, repair roads, thereby helping to lift the standard of Auroville collective life in the 50 villages. The current focus is on the emancipation of women and micro- finance. Since 2005, the project of social servants of the Austrian Service Abroad is supported.

UNESCO Celebration of the 40th Anniversary

On 10 October 2008, the UNESCO representative of Auroville Auroville International and invited to a ceremony in Paris, to celebrate the 40 years of cooperation between UNESCO and Auroville. Among the 700 guests included ambassadors and other officials of many countries. Secretary-General Koichiro Matsuura gave a speech and reiterated the support of his organization for Auroville, which is " an unprecedented experiment" was. The ability of Auroville, four decades to survive and develop, discard testimony to the strength of the founding principles as for the determination and perseverance of its inhabitants. He hoped that the learned lessons in Auroville would inspire similar experiments sustainable living in other parts of the world. In a letter to the Indian delegation to UNESCO proposed to explain Auroville through inclusion in the Indian list of proposed World Heritage Site.

Inauguration of the Tibetan Pavilion

January 20, 2009 was inaugurated by Dalai Lama, assisted by eight monks, the Pavilion of Tibetan Culture in the International Zone of Auroville, where lit according to Buddhist ritual scented candles and prayers were sung. Later, the Dalai Lama visited the various rooms of the pavilion and the Matrimandir. In a lecture, he paid tribute to the spirit of brotherhood and sisterhood in Auroville, which was of great importance in a world where most problems are due to too large a weighting of individual interests. The true cultural heritage of Tibet based on compassion and had been preserved over the millennia. It belongs not only Tibetans, but the whole of humanity, and the Tibetan Pavilion stands as a symbol for it.

The inauguration of the Tibetan Centre took place in accordance with the plan of the parent that the countries of the world would build its own pavilion in the International Zone of Auroville in the course of time there to be able to represent their own specific culture alive together with other nations.

Auroville International

The charitable organization Auroville International ( AVI) Germany were founded eV in Germany to support the project Auroville. He wants to make the future Auroville project in Germany known and contribute to the realization of the ideal of human unity. He is a member of the 1983 registered in the Netherlands non-governmental organization (NGO ) Auroville International.