Today was the first day off after my first full week at school. I work Monday through Thursday at the school and Thursday’s are my longest days. Tia and I got up early made some coffee and biked to Auroville to the Matrimandir for my first visit and meditation. It was an out of this world esoteric experience that I will try to describe to you. It is a HUGE golden ball (made with real gold leaf) about as big as Epcot center in Disney world and the grounds are immaculate. It is next to an ancient banyan tree that is the marks the center of Auroville. Pictures are not permitted inside the gates and on the grounds but there are many images to look at if you google search it. I would suggest looking it up because the images are pretty amazing. As we entered the low profile gates stone paths meandered everywhere, in between beautiful gardens, outdoor amphitheaters, water gardens, and stone sculptures. As we approached the red rock external base and globe entrance, we were ordered to take off our shoes and leave them on the red stone walkway. They globe is surrounded by many meditation rooms, each painted a different color representing the creator’s (the mother Sri Aurobindo) philosophy color wheel (I posted this color wheel in a previous post). As you enter the globe the light changes – it is dim and everything is white and light gray with shiny marble doors and walkways. There is a circular path winding around the inner edge of the globe with a marble bench and many white cloth spots to sit on with marble containers hold white socks. Everyone must sit down and put on a pair of white socks in order to continue their walking journey into the center of the globe and up to the meditation room. After the large socks were on, we quietly walked with many others into the inner chamber of the ball. The outer walls were lined with 4 carved out gutters lined with gold leaf running from the ceiling all the way down to where we were walking. Each golden gutter had a cascading waterfall and at their base was a sanskrit saying written in gold. The marble freestanding pathways circled the outer circumference of the inner walls of the ball. Each path with glass railings. As we walked to the upper dome we could see everthing including the base and center of the ball. Once we reached the top the marble floor turned to a white cushioned carpet. A Matrimandir person opened the door for us to enter the center chamber. As soon as the door opened my senses were completely rearranged. It was beautiful and peaceful even though the dome was filled with people. The light from a small hole in the center of the marble ceiling cascaded down penetrating a HUGE clear glass ball, the light reflected in the glass and sent a thin sharp beem of light back up through the ceiling. Everything was white and light gray and it was SILENT. There were about 12 free standing marble pillars surrounding the glass ball in the center of the room making a perfect circle. We walked through the door and picked up some soft white cushions to sit on and found an already made up meditation spot on the perimeter of the room. Each spot has a white cloth a floor and back cushion if you are seated up against the wall. It is hard to explain the feeling that I felt in this space – it is something I have never felt before. It is altering in a strange way. The lights flashed and our meditation time is up.
After the Matrimandir we biked to the visitors center and had breakfast. Visited the “free store” where all the people who live in Auroville bring their giveaways. Anything found in the free store is free. There was clothing, shoes, books, jewelry from all over the world. Tia found a bathing suit, some shoes and I found a couple shirts. We made our way home after.
Beautiful flowers and art on the grounds near the Savi building in Auroville
This is a glass of REAL grape juice with the seeds strained.
Rangoli art:
Yesterday I had two children in my art therapy class make ornamental start designs and I asked the teachers what they were. They told me they were Rangoli’s. Many villagers make these ornamental art pieces outside their front doors. They used to make them with rice flour and sugar but they started attracting ants and bugs. They now import colored chaulk from China.
The TVS with a flat tire
A group art therapy drawing: each child takes his or her turn to draw.
Scribble art: Each child closes his or her eyes and scribbles, the scribbles are connected and then they all color in the scribbles how every they would like to.
Scribble art
artabroad 