The Matrimandir, the spherical monument at the center of Auroville

In the southeast Indian state of Tamil Nadu, approximately 160 kilometers from the capital of Chennai and 10 kilometers from the charming French colonial town of Puducherry, there lies a universal city in the making. Its name is Auroville, and its aim is to be “a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities.” Founded in 1968 by a Frenchwoman referred to by Aurovillians as “the Mother,” Auroville contains a little more than 2,000 permanent residents from 45 nations. Its charter is fourfold:

Conceptual model of Auroville township

• Auroville belongs to nobody in particular. Auroville belongs to humanity as a whole. But to live in Auroville, one must be a willing servitor of the Divine Consciousness.
• Auroville will be the place of an unending education, of constant progress, and a youth that never ages.
• Auroville wants to be the bridge between the past and the future. Taking advantage of all discoveries from without and from within, Auroville will boldly spring towards future realisations.
• Auroville will be a site of material and spiritual researches for a living embodiment of an actual Human Unity.

Naturally, I was skeptical, but I was also intrigued. So while in India, I decided to sign up for a week-long work placement on an organic farm in Auroville to check it out for myself. I spent my mornings planting tomatoes and picking weeds on the farm, my afternoons biking and reading, and my evenings dodging mosquitoes in my bamboo hut (see photo). I also spent a fair amount of time exploring the township. Auroville is divided into several zones, which spiral out from a central “Peace Area.” In the Industrial Zone, I was excited to find a number of workshops, factories, and crafts centers where Aurovillians produce the goods that allow the town to be self-sustaining. Over the next week or so, I will introduce several Aurovillian workshops that are doing really exciting things with sustainable and ethical fashion. For now, whet your appetite by checking out the Auroville Online Store here.

Eco-friendly huts on an organic farm in Auroville

One of Aurovilles many fashion workshops