content (Arts & Culture) On a beautiful afternoon in the gardens of Mitra Youth Hostel, American singer/songwriter Ariel Eisen decided to treat us to a small and spontaneous performance. She has been in Auroville since January, and essentially came to study carnatic singing, but found in Auroville a place of peace and inspiration.
She plays three original songs, one of which was written in the same garden it is played in now for the first time. She is delighted to give part of herself to Auroville, which has already given her so much.
Read more
Wednesday, 22 February 2012 (News) Featured today is Tim; Footsteps Through the Salad, his book on wildlife and natural phenomena. Conscious of the Supramental Light-Force in the Earth atmosphere commemorated 29 Feb. Banyan Tree morning meditation 6-7 a.m. First sale of wood from cyclone: Rs 133,086 for 87 tons into the Wood Sales Cyclone Relief A/C. Garbology project update: developing curriculum on solid waste for AV and outreach schools. And, 6,057 kg. of waste collected in January 2012. 24.9% was landfilled. Remaining 75.1% recycled.
Read more
Wednesday, 22 February 2012 (Spirituality) Yesterday morning at quarter to six when the birds were still asleep, hundreds of Aurovillians and Auroville guests came to the Matrimandir amphitheatre for meditation to honor the mothers birthday. Shraddhavan who came to Auroville almost forty years ago is giving us an interview about the mothers birthday and the reasons why people are so enthusiastic about her. She is looking after Savitri Bhavan which aspires to be a center for spiritual education aiming to realize human unity.
Read more
Wednesday, 22 February 2012 (Arts & Culture) On Saturday 18th at 4 pm at Audio Visual Room of Kala Kendra, Bharat Nivas Pavillion of India, a collective of artists, Sindhu, Dass, Raghu and Ramesh, presented their movie "Metroxical New York" produced in New York.
This work captured a complex mix of global music using all performing arts, improvised acoustic sets, even hand made instruments, in a place where one can hear music for free: the Subway.
The experience demonstrates how a diverse audience can participate in dialogue without language, using music as universal form of communication.
Read more
Tuesday, 21 February 2012 (News) At Savitri Bhavan is open the exhibition THE TEACHINGS OF FLOWERS - THE LIFE AND WORK OF THE MOTHER OF THE SRI AUROBINDO ASHRAM. In today's news we feature interview with Shraddhavan at the occasion of the Mother's Birthday. Tonight On the eve of the Tibetan Dragon year 2139 at Pavilion of Tibetan Culture in International Zone at 6.45 they prepared a meditation for peace starting with the gathering of Tibetan Chanting by the visiting Students from Tibetan Childrens Village School from Dharamsala followed by a meditation.
Read more
Tuesday, 21 February 2012 (Arts & Culture) Around sixty people gathered together on Saturday evening and listened to the contemplative piano music improvised by Hartmut von Lieres. He was born in Germany and has come to Auroville nine years ago. For him Auroville is the best place to express himself through his instrumental music. Nevertheless he also performs in Germany where he is quite famous. During his soulful songs the listeners had their eyes closed and followed the melodies with full concentration.
Listen to the concert's recording.
Read more
Monday, 20 February 2012 (Arts & Culture) No surprise that the performance at Arka starring Heather Lee and Kim Cunio for the second time was absolutely magnificent. Kim began by divulging the extraordinary life of Hildegard of Bingen which surprisingly exposed the origins of tithing, it's Christian mandate and her incredible donation of self as an anchorite; a person who has retired to a solitary place for a life of religious seclusion. In brief, the audience was delivered a history lesson about the concept of giving.
Read more
Monday, 20 February 2012 (News) Today's news features a bit of the road story by Andrea and Alain Grandcola. Tomorrow: anniversary of the Mothers birthday commemorated by meditation 5:45am, Matrimandir Amphitheatre. No More Pesticides campaign: spraying of Endosulfan temporally banned in India by Supreme Court; now awaiting the final decision. Most people are as happy as they make up their minds to be... Abraham Lincoln. 'Landscape as Spirit - Creating Sacred Space by Martin Mosko visiting landscape architect, monk and author at Town Hall Conference Room Wednesday 4-6 pm.
Read more
Monday, 20 February 2012 (Arts & Culture) Krishna Kumar, a musician and teacher of Carnatic music, through his band 'Krishna's Temple Rock' creates a new global music drawing its roots from traditional Carnatic ragas and songs sung for the divine in the temples, and setting them into new musical frames inspired by Western rock and jazz. The five musicians fuse their particular approaches and styles, their feelings and experiences into unique compositions, making Krishna's Temple Rock a contributor to world music.
Read more
Sunday, 19 February 2012 (Spirituality) On Thursday, 48 Aurovilians and visitors came together to Sve-Dame, wanting to experience the benefits of laughter yoga. Fif, a certified laughter yoga teacher from Canada has come to Auroville to spread the art of laughter yoga. Together with Hamish, her husband, and Dariya, an Aurovillian, she wants to make people explore this unusual type of yoga. Shes giving us an interview about the philosophy behind laughter yoga, its history and benefits. What is laughter yoga good for? How do the participants feel about the session?
Read more
Friday, 17 February 2012 (City Life) About 2 years ago magazine with art inclinations evolved from Integral Sustainability Platform, whose aim was to set up a communication pattern between units to form a decision making process. The last seven issues published have brought forward the creative aspect of art, a vision, and a focus. Part of ISP culture was also to expand art in Auroville, and as such evolved into this magazine where everything fell in place. Purpose of MAgzAV is also to main stream art with expressing artist in order to become a central part of the culture
Read more
Friday, 17 February 2012 (News) Andrea spoke with Daniel, a memeber of Working Committe member about last updates on different issues, and here's and excerpt of it, but the full interview will be uploaded on our webpage soon, and WC is informing us that they will keep an Open hour of the Working Committee every Monday from 11:30am-12:30pm to interact with Aurovilians. About serious matter of Laughing Yoga Stella interviewed Fif, one of the facilitators of today LAughter Session at 5pm at Sve-Dame, Butterfly Barn with invitation to a two day workshop next week.
Read more
Thursday, 16 February 2012 (City Life) Avacal is one of the chief architects of the American Pavilion's latest project, which he calls the "Ladder House." The structure, which is made of bamboo ladders, rope, and Tetrapack sheets, is a mobile work and living space. At two and a half levels, the structure contains an office, 2 porch-like living areas, and a composting toilet on the first level. On the upper levels there are 8 separate bunk beds for in-house living; and best of all, the entire structure can be partially deconstructed and moved for on-site working conditions.
Read more
Thursday, 16 February 2012 (City Life) Working Committee member, Daniel, spoke to us today about the last meeting with the resident assembly where the issue of illegal buildings coming up in Auroville was discussed at length. The committee is also in talks with the secretary in charge of the Foundation to make an ID card for Aurovillians. Daniel also shared his view on dealing with the cyclone damage expenses that need to be covered and also on the recent fire-breakouts in the greenbelt. Read more Thursday, 16 February 2012 (Spirituality) Loretta, an Aurovillian since 1972, interacted with students at the Tibetan Pavilion. She introduced them to the life and teachings of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, and to an extent, also demystified the concepts such as 'consciousness', 'aspiration', 'supra-mental' and 'transformation'. Some insightful questions were put up by students and Loretta explained more about Sri Aurobindo's life, books written by him and the Mother, their vision of the future and much more.
Read more
Thursday, 16 February 2012 (Environment) Tim Wrey launched his book 'Footsteps through the Salad' yesterday at Town Hall. The book is a collection of well-researched and interesting articles about the wildlife of Auroville and some of the natural phenomenon associated with the area. It will be available in the bookshops in Auroville and copies will be provided to schools for their libraries. Tim took the opportunity to thank SAIIER, the publisher, and also the people who helped him with material, encouragement, suggestions and feedback.
Read more
Thursday, 16 February 2012 (City Life) Yesterday we had a chance to meet new members of the Working Committee and Auroville Council, where they shared information with the community on their current work. In a few weeks we can expect a General Meeting on the topic of conflict resolution platform. In order to overcome the burden of numerous conflicts, the idea is to have a platform, instead of a body or a team, where parties in conflict could find their own solutions. New WC and AC members try to be more transparent with weekly reports published on AVRadio.
Read more
Wednesday, 15 February 2012 (News) Todays featured interview is with Lala of the Auroville Council talking about a few of the current issues. 21 Feb., eve of the Tibetan Dragon year 2139, Tibetan Chanting by students from Tibetan Children`s Village school in Dharamsala.
Simple tunes of Aurelio convey the mantric atmosphere of the unfolding of SAVITRI at Savitri Bhavan Thursday, 23 Feb. 6 pm. Needed; a pool of Aurovilian volunteers to be around the Amphitheater when collective get-togethers take place; contact suryanina@auroville.org.in
Read more
Wednesday, 15 February 2012 (Education) Opening presentation on 'Mission Auroville': an experiment in cultural geography by 6 Polish artists who are visiting Auroville for 2 months. Vocabulary of culture texts produced in Poland often deals with questions on historical and personal fears and mishappenings. The project aims at confronting these kinds of attitudes with utopian, optimistic and future-oriented reality of Auroville. The project is a colaboration between Museum of Art in Lodz and Kala Kendra Gallery with support from Goldex Poldex and the Adam Mickiewicz Insitute. Read more Wednesday, 15 February 2012 (Arts & Culture) The full name of this concert is "Songs of Love Longing and Liberation beyond Borders", a fantastic performance by Parvathy Baul and Latif Bolat with the sound of Asian spiritual traditions. Overall an enchanting night, with candles on stage surrounding Parvathy. Her amazing voice and skill with playing multiple instruments at the same time: a Guggi (Drum) and an Ektara. Parvathy was altogether a beauty, a storm, a child or a tiger, with a voice coming from an other spiritual dimension. made it a performance to be remembered.
Read more
Wednesday, 15 February 2012 (Arts & Culture) Do you want to know the secret of Krishna? If you couldn't go to the Lively up your Earth music festival in Solitude Farm and see the musical of the TLC students, now you can listen to this funny performance which gave the whole audience something to laugh about.
Read more
Wednesday, 15 February 2012 (Health) Healing Touch is a therapy focused on the energy field of the body that assists in balancing the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of the self. By tapping into the array of energy centers in the body, Healing Touch encourages the being's natural ability to heal. I spoke with a group of Healing Touch certified practitioners who have come to offer Healing Touch classes as a gift to Auroville.
Read more
Wednesday, 15 February 2012 (Spirituality) Talking about Anu's book 'The God Enchanter' so recently published, as well as other recited excerpts, the question came up while at Bharat Nivas on humanity, hardly to be avoided. According to Sri Aurobindo, transition takes place when every man recognizes his sacred state. Tolerance for one another, deeper recognition of the other as equally sacred should take place in little shifts in our attitude individually. In search for human unity we still tend to look for an external mechanism, where growth in consciousness to take place.
Read more
Wednesday, 15 February 2012 (News) In today's news we feature interview with Shivaraj, of the village Kottakarai, who is the man behind the Martuvam Healing Forest. On February 13 an electrical fire burnt down his family's home where he grew up and where his mother now lives. No person was harmed in the fire, but the house and everything inside is completely gone. On Sunday 19th between 10am to 1pm at Deepanam School we are all invited to the Big Bazaar, and about this fundraising event for the benefit of the horses with talked with Falguni - teacher, about it.
Read more
Tuesday, 14 February 2012 (News) A love affair with Auroville, between two people and with life: Wendy Lines speaks candidly in today's featured interview. A newly created Housing Board has been formed: questions to adminfamc@auroville.org.in. Time Wrey's Footsteps Through the Salad his new book on wildlife will be launched at Town Hall Wednesday 15 February.
Integral Health introduces new team member Manuela, a qualified, experienced midwife.
Read more
Monday, 13 February 2012 (Spirituality) The program 'Matter Precipitates... It is in a hurry to transform itself' by Sri Aurobindo Centre for Studies... India and the World, concluded with the 'Auroville Round'. It was a session open to all to come together and share their perceptions of how to take the next steps towards creating a new collective space. Aurovillians, scientists, philosophers, researchers, followers of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, and curious tourists, who had attended all or some parts of the program got together to share their learnings and experiences.
Sunday, 12 February 2012 (Health) Feel the heat, the enthusiasm and the buzz of the Auroville Marathon - 5, in which almost 2000 people participated. As Jesse announces the winners, Andrea interviews runners and supporters from all across the country and the world who share their experiences. It's not just about running, as we found out, it's much about experiencing a new terrain, a different climate, new people, and also making a promise to oneself to aim higher next time.
Read more
Sunday, 12 February 2012 (City Life) February 11th 2012: Ted MacDonald, the athlete experimenting with running on bare feet gave an inspiring speech for the marathon runners. There was that much interest in his talk that the speech had to be given in the open air, on the Visitors Centre's square. Ted spoke of his view on running with or without shoes and his journey to find the ultimate running experience, and encouraged people to keep running and keep searching for their own perfect way of doing so. Undoubtedly, Barefoot Ted gave every runner the power they need for the marathon!
Read more
Sunday, 12 February 2012 (Spirituality) Deepti Tewari has been in Auroville since she was 16. She has read the Mother and Sri Aurobindo extensively and has achieved much clarity on their ideas of the 'earth consciousness'. Today she shared with us her understanding of the 'type of consciousness' that Auroville was built on, and the consciousness that Aurovillians perhaps need now. Auroville was built to be a psychological garden of harmony, sweetness and beauty, she says, but it can be that only if we renounce our egos and let the 'collective realization' take over.
Sunday, 12 February 2012 (Education) At the end of the Auroville International Meeting 2012 we heard what AVI Centres actually do, how many active members they have, what is their focus and their aspirations. AVI Germany, USA, UK.... are one of the largest ones, with several activities and also considerable donation to Auroville for different purposes and projects. Today the number of AVI Centres is growing, adding to the family of centres supporting Aurovillie ideals and work all over the world. Soon we will have liaison of Turkey, Haiti, Hungary, Ethiopia.... joining us.
Read more
Sunday, 12 February 2012 |
