In the heart of Auroville, a township dedicated to Human Unity, stands Matri-Mandir, a monument that represents “The Mother”. This is not just an architectural wonder but a gateway to inner peace and spiritual awakening.
The inception of Auroville traces back to the spiritual vision of the Indian philosopher and guru Sri Aurobindo and his partner, known as “The Mother”. The Mother dreamed of establishing a universal township unlike anywhere else on earth - a place where people from all nations could live together in peace while undertaking an experiment in human unity and evolution. After obtaining endorsement and land from the Indian government, construction began in 1968 in a remote area of south India. On February 28, 1968, representatives from 124 countries brought handfuls of their nation’s soil to the future city’s center to symbolically unite all peoples of the world. This powerful act of human unity laid the foundation for what would become Auroville, officially inaugurated a few years later in 1972. Meant to be a realized utopia on earth, this conscious community has drawn thousands of idealists and spiritual seekers over the decades who aspire to create a new way of living in harmony with each other and the planet.
Most people would be bamboozled seeing the beautiful Golden globe, which is understandable, yes, but the inside of the Mandir is what makes the experience worth it. The inside is almost made up of pure white marble. So pristine, so serene that your mind would force you to meditate there. Phones and cameras are prohibited inside the matri-mandir, which will bum you out at the beginning but after the meditation session inside, you’ll be glad that you didn’t take your phone with you there.
The moment you step inside the beautiful Golden Globe, you’d find only redstone and white marble on the floor and the walls. The outside world starts fading away slowly as you watch the water run smoothly down the marble stones while you get the hang of meditating there. After a few moments, you’d be instructed to go inside the Main meditation area inside.
While entering you’d realise that there is almost no artificial lights inside and only sunlight reflections illuminate the space, making it feel surreal, almost heaven-like. Inside you’d find a huge circular room with 12 pillars, symbolising sincerity, peace, equality, generosity, goodness, courage, progress, receptivity, aspiration, perseverance, gratitude and humility. These are the virtues that every person at Auroville should try to imbibe within themselves. and in the middle lies a glass ball where the sun-ray beam hits from the top and illuminates the ball. There is pin drop silence in the hall. One can literally hear their heartbeats once they go into the deep state of mediation.
Each of the virtues is assigned a particular color and once you enter the circular corridor inside the Matri-Mandir, you’ll find several small meditation rooms. All 12 rooms have the same shape, a flattened sphere (like the Matrimandir itself but smaller). The insides of the shell of these rooms are painted in different colors: Sincerity_ is pale blue, Humility and Gratitude have different shades of green, Perseverance is yellow, Aspiration is golden yellow, Receptivity is orange, Courage is red, Generosity is violet and Peace is dark blue. All the other rooms have colors in between those mentioned above.
After the meditation session, you’d be assisted by the volunteers working there around the Matri-Mandir. Coming out of the mandir, you’d feel like going back again and again to meditate there. The lush greenery surrounding the mandir really makes a big impression on you. The Banyan Tree, which is the geographical center of Auroville, is so magnificent that the roots are as wide as regular trees. It’s kind of a symbol of inner peace and serenity.
Visiting Matri-Mandir was one of those experiences which words can’t do justice to. One would have to experience it themselves to truly understand it. I really regret that I didn’t visit it earlier even though I’ve been living in Pondicherry for around 3 years. Even though I’ve been to many places, Auroville really stands out with its unique philosophy around living life. Would really recommend anyone coming to Pondicherry, to visit Auroville.