PUDUCHERRY: The 55th anniversary of the international township in the making at Auroville was celebrated by residents with a traditional bonfire on Tuesday morning. After three years of subdued celebrations to mark the anniversary due to Covid-19 restrictions, the celebrations this year attracted close to 2,500 people. The residents gathered silently at the park of unity, the central peace area of Auroville where Matrimandir, the banyan tree and the amphitheatre are located and witnessed the sunrise.
The welcoming message of revolutionary freedom fighter turned philosopher Sri Aurobindo's spiritual collaborator Mirra Alfassa, fondly revered as the Mother, was read out in four languages. The Auroville Charter was also read out. The mother gave this message on the same day (February 28) in 1968 at the same location when the township was formally inaugurated in her presence with representatives from 124 nations including India. The Auroville Foundation has given impetus to build Auroville as planned by the architect Roger Anger under the direct guidance of the Mother in the last one and half years.
It may be recalled that The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) had passed a unanimous resolution commending and encouraging Auroville as a project of importance to the future of humanity. The project was given special status by the India government when it established Auroville Foundation by an act of Parliament in 1988.