© 2011 YaninaTravels
“Give Time a Break” says the Pondicherry tourism slogan.
Have you ever felt like you hit a dead end street and need a drastic change in your life even if it’s something temporary? Something to help you to realign and reconnect back to yourself. Have you ever dreamed of a place where you can feel free as a bird even if it’s just for a few days, for a week or month? Well, there is a place like that! A place completely different than the typical tourist destination, such as chilling on an exotic beach with a drink in your hand. This place is for spiritual seekers. It is not for everyone to move and live there but just visiting it, will change your life forever. It is located in South India, nearby Pondicherry and it’s called Auroville.
It’s a place where some people relocate to follow their dreams. I can’t think of a better example than a man who I met in Auroville and was the owner of a small coffee shop in the forest. “I moved to Auroville many years ago from Spain. I was living a hectic life back then. Not anymore. But I still make sure to visit Spain once a year, just to remind myself how happy I am here in India.” he said.
WHAT IS AUROVILLE
Auroville is 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. The purpose of Auroville is to realise human unity.”A woman named Mirra Alfassa, also known as ‘The Mother’, founded Auroville. In the heart of Auroville, in a big open area called ‘Peace’, was built the Matrimandir ‘Temple of the Mother’ – a huge golden sphere, symbolizing the birth of a new consciousness.
Visiting the Matrimandir feels like you are visiting another planet. Everything inside is in a white color. It looks like a spaceship with stairs, leading to the upper hemisphere , where is the chamber for concentration. You must leave all your belongings outside and all you can bring in the Matrimandir is yourself since all you really have is yourself. People from all over the world are sitting in a big circle, meditating in a silence. In the center of the chamber sits a huge crystal-glass globe, which spreads around rays of sunlight that falls on it through an opening on the top of the sphere.
HOW TO VISIT AUROVILLE AND MATRIMANDIR
In order to visit the Matrimandir, you need to register in advance, sign up to watch their educational video, then a guide will take you from there in a group with other visitors. Your number of Matrimandir visits is limited, unless you do some community work in Auroville. The idea behind it is to prevent turning the place into a tourist attraction for people coming only to snap couple of cool pictures. They want to encourage real engagement with that sacred place for travelers interested in spirituality. You can contact them and find all other information you need at the Auroville website.
WHAT TO BRING
Read my other post Traveling with Less: Travel Gear Guide
HOW TO GET THERE
In order to get to Auroville, you need to fly to Chennai and have a private guide waiting for you at the airport and drive you to Pondicherry. It is about 3 hours drive. You can look for a guide at TripAdvisor or you can contact the Pondicherry Department of Tourism and email their offie in Chennai at Pondicherrytourism@gmail.com. Auroville is about 30 min away from Pondicherry by motorbike.
ACCOMMODATION
You can book a place to stay in Pondicherry or Auroville through AirBnb. If you’ve never used AirBnb before, you can accept my invite to join and get $40 off towards your first trip.
TRANSPORTATION
Rent a scooter in order to be able to get around. I never rode a scooter before and I was still able to do it, so don’t let it scare you! Just ride it slowly and be careful with people and animals on the road.
PLACES TO VISIT
1. Auroville: Riding a scooter through the forest in Auroville was one of the most liberating experiences for me. Imagine.. wind is blowing in your face, the sun is warming you, dust is flying all over from the unpaved road, but at the same time you smell nature.. and freedom.
2. Spend a day or more at Bodhi Beach
3. Explore Pondicherry by foot or by scooter
4. Sri Aurobindo Ashram: I was visiting there every single morning for a month and never got enough of it. The Mother (the creator of Auroville) collaborated with a man named Sri Aurobindo, who developed a method of spiritual practice- Integral Yoga. In 1926, they founded the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. It’s such a powerful site. I can’t wait to go back again one day!
5. Temples: Get in any nearby temple, just watch the rituals and enjoy the moment. There are plenty around on your way to the Sri Aurobindo ashram.
6. Ayurveda Massage: Visit this healing place and experience a unique Ayurvedic massage!
5. French Quarter: Visit L’e-Space, a rooftop bar with Bohemian feel, located in the French quarter of Pondicherry. This place is great for socializing and meeting cool people. I met a few spiritual travelers with fascinating life stories.
6. Seafront: Beach Road runs along for 1.5 km and is overlooking the Bay of Bengal. Most of the locals go for a walk on that road in the late afternoon.
7. Local Cuisine: Eating out in this part of the world is affordable even for budget travelers. The food is absolutely fantastic and cheap! Also don’t forget to buy your everyday fresh squeezed orange juice and coconut water from the street vendors!
