Auroville Pondicherry

Auroville is town founded by Parisian mystic - Mira Alfassa in the year 1968 with an aim to build a place where people from across the globe could live in peace and harmony. Sprawls over a massive area of 20 sq km, the town of Auroville were designed by Roger Anger - a famous French architect. Amidst forest and beach areas, Auroville frames a complex yet an interesting experimental settlement where people with different religions, nationalities, beliefs and cultures live together peacefully. With its beautiful concept, this place is reckoned to be one of the top tourist attractions in Pondicherry. During the inauguration of Auroville, also known as ‘The City of Dawn’, 124 countries’ soil was kept in the urn and was mixed with each other to signifies the universal concord. At present, Auroville billets around 2000 people in its settlements which are known by the names - Fraternity, Grace, Certitude, Transformation, and Fertile. However, an interesting fact to know here is that more than two-thirds of residents of Auroville are non-Indians. The Matrimandir is one of the major highlights of this must-visit travel destination in Pondicherry.

Spread over an area of 62 acres of land, Matrimandir is a construction where people come to attain a mental peace through silent concentration. The architectural design of Matrimandir includes a 12-sides inner chamber made up of white marble. Besides, there is also a 70 cm optical glass globe right at the centre of the marble. The buildings at this beautiful settlement boast a magnificent Indian as well as the modern-western architectural design. However, a narrow lane leads to all these buildings at Auroville. Living a harmonious lifestyle, the people of Auroville are very much a part of agriculture, education and healthcare, commerce and handicraft, administration, alternative technology projects. Along with that, the place also hosts a number of interesting activities like green practices, art & culture, social enterprise, health & wellness, media & communication and more.

How to Reach?

After entering Pondicherry, you can hire a bus from Pondicherry Bus Stand that will drop you at Auroville Visitor’s Centre, which is located at a distance of 12 km. However, from the railway station, you can take an auto or can also hire a taxi to Auroville Visitor’s Centre. From the railway station, Auroville Centre is some 15 km away.

Best Time to Visit

One can visit Auroville any time during a year. However, the best time to visit Auroville is winter season. Starting from October, the winter season in Pondicherry is the most pleasant time to explore the region. The season ends in the month of March.

Nearby Tourist Attractions

There are a number of enthralling attractions located in the near distance of Auroville.

• Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Temple
• Bharathi Government Park
• Pondicherry Museum
• Promenade Beach
• Immaculate Conception Cathedral
• French War Memorial
• Gandhi Statue
• Rock Beach