'Auroville Retreat Weekends' is a new way for guests and visitors to discover Auroville within a weekend and explore it more intensively. Vikram is giving us an interview about the idea behind the retreats, the different themes that one can choose, the feedback and the difficulties. There is a huge variety of offers, ranging from body oriented activities to 'green' experiences in nature, or weekends for the whole family. The Auroville Retreats happen in groups and include all meals and workshops. Read more

In the Unity Pavillion, the new multi purpose hall, the members of Auroville International have come together to discuss the Aurocard plan. Akash and Marco sketch a detailed picture of the Aurocard to the AVI members. The plan is as you know already in use, but not optimally. In this meeting, the unresolved difficulties around the card are discussed in detail. Every aspect regarding the Aurocard from technical details to the reactions of the guest houses are part of the discussion. Read more

November 8th 2011, in the early morning, i found myself transported from Belgium to Mumbai. The heat, the smell of chai and betelnut, fresh coconut... I was in India! It was the beginning of my travel, that would take me to Goa, Hampi, Mysore, Nagercoil, Kanyakumari, Madurai and Kodaikanal, to arrive in Auroville december 28th, two days earlier than cyclone Thane. You can listen to audio recordings documenting the trip. To be continued... Read more

November 8th 2011, in the early morning, i found myself transported from Belgium to Mumbai. The heat, the smell of chai and betelnut, fresh coconut... I was in India! It was the beginning of my travel, that would take me to Goa, Hampi, Mysore, Nagercoil, Kanyakumari, Madurai and Kodaikanal, to arrive in Auroville december 28th, two days earlier than cyclone Thane. You can listen to audio recordings documenting the trip. To be continued... Read more

In this interview Sauro explains the plans and actions of the teams involved in the Thane cyclone recovery. The main priority is to supply power generators to fill up the communities' tanks scattered around Auroville. Generators has been rented and an order has been placed to buy 3 more of them. The Electrical Service is working from dawn to sunset preparing the installation of the main electrical lines which had been damage. There was no casualty in Auroville, all the guests are safe and the guest houses are open. Read more

Jacky Mouvillat's acoustic concert took place on Friday evening, April 8th 2011, at Pitanga's Cultural Center. The "Stick Chapman" musician performed with the delightful French singer Anaka and the Tabla Master, Manosh Bardhan. For more than an hour, the trio graciously played, combining the innovative talent of Jacky with the harmony of the Indian Tabla rhythms, offering an elegant fusion-music moment. The occasion offered as well a chance to discover the "Stick Chapman" instrument wideness of sonorities. Captivated by Anaka's charming voice and beauty, the audience was thrilled. Read more

It started before dawn...and to see the sunrise, dew on tree leaves, feel the sand and grass under the feet, was a blessing...the high spirits of people who supported runners all the way, with taunts as well as with water and medical assistance, was contagious...it gave them reason to do their best, run the best they could...morning cold was soon warmed up by sun, and the cheerful spirit of participants, slowly finishing the distance they had chosen to run. We'll be back for sure next year...all said! Read more

" Running a marathon is a dream: It is intense, it is arduous, it is challenging both physically and mentally and it demands all of you - commitment, endurance, persistence, focus.” This is what you can read in the website of the Auroville Marathon (marathon.auroville.com). What is missing in this sentence is the pleasure the runners have. In the interview recorded at the arrival, we have heard a lot of appreciation for the beauty of the trail, the warm and familiar atmosphere and the good organization. Some athletes just make it short. Awesome. Read more

In a short interview with some Living Routes students and volunteers from USA, Andi found out a few things. They were all exposed to some new ideas, met many different people from all over the world, tried new techniques on themselves - like awareness through the body or meditation. But as one of the students emphasized, she admires most the strength of the community to follow the common goal, although they all come from different backgrounds, different cultures... www.livingroutes.org/programs/p_auroville.htm

Ranjani and Gayatri perform their well appreciated carnatic melodies at the Adishakti Theater for the 2011 Soorya Festival of Pondicherry. - Ranjani and Gayatri are among the few carnatic musicians who have achieved a high level of success in both vocal and violin music. After more than a decade as successful violinists, the sisters' foray into vocal music has brought them instant recognition and wide acclaim. The sisters started giving vocal concerts in 1997, and within three years, won high praise from discerning critics and music lovers all over the globe. - blogs.wesleyan.edu

Priyadarshini Govind enchants the audience with her bharathnatyam performance at the Adishakti theater for the 2011 Soorya Festival event.  A graduate in commerce from the University of Madras, Chennai, Priyadarsini holds a diploma in Mass Communication, but Bharatanatyam has been her first love ever since she was six.Tall and slim, this Chennai based dancer is a delight to watch, the strong lines of her dance brought alive by a quality of abhinaya, nothing short of being in a class of its own.Intense and naturally talented, her special interest remains abhinaya: 'I think it's beautiful and I was trained in a particular style that gives a lot of emphasis on it'. artindia.net Read more

The students of the American University of Paris AUP on their final day in Auroville speak about what they have done in their four week internships in local NGO and communities around Auroville. Prof. Charles Talcott is excited and satisfied about this program carried out by the Communication faculties of AUP and the University of Sweden, while student Claire Leavitt shares with us her initial difficulties and final satisfaction for her multimedia project in Pondicherry. Read more

Krishna McKenzie unwinds over many cups of coffee in the tranquility of Solitude Farm, talking in detail about the 'Lively Up Your Earth' eco-music festival coming up in January, about the vision behind the the 14 year old sustainable farming community, and about music, change and living a life close to nature. Krishna, who leads Emergence, a unique music group that creates a versatile blend of genres such as Jazz, Rock, Funk and Carnatic, also gives us a flavor of his music every time he feels like picking up the acoustic guitar that lies waiting next to him. Read more

To Be Newcomer is not an easy task. The life in Auroville is so different in comparison with the experiences of most of us had “outside”. These series of meetings are helping aspiring new comers to understand how Auroville works. In this Newcomer Orientation Program Sonja, Shivaya and Ross explored the Auroville's economy and the entry process. Nothing is obvious in a place like Auroville and clear idea are fundamental in order to take the decision to move in. A long list of applicants (300 till date) are in queue waiting to be received by the Entry service in the coming months. Probably some of the participants will make the list longer. Welcome... Read more

In an interesting interview with Dominique from AVIS (see: www.auroville.org/education/avis/avis.htm) we can hear what are the difficulties they face to accommodate the flow of volunteers coming to Auroville on regular bases. As it seems Auroville, although it welcomes all the volunteers from all over, is not properly prepared for them. Luckily here are people as Dominique at AVIS who are dedicating lots of their time and energy to make volunteers welcome, and their needs meet. At Savitri Bhavan today – on the anniversary of the Mother's passing we can visit her chair from 9am to 6pm, and at 7pm we can see the film “The Mother – Darshan Photos”.

Do you know how many people visits Auroville everyday? And what are they doubts? And most important: where do they go? Kantha, is the person to answer all this questions. Growing up in Auroville, she has also seeing Auroville's visitors grow over the more them 10 years that she has being working at the Information Centre. In this very interesting interview, she shares with us her challenges and knoledge in this field.. Today at 17h, we will have: Heart Dance with Upahar at Verite Hall. And is important to remind that Diwali is coming, so preper yourself tomorrow because most of all services will be closed on Friday for this beautiful celebration.

“I'm Affraid” told us Deborah, a guest and volunteer in Auroville in the interview about the attack she experienced last Thursday on the road from the village toward Auroville. She was also shocked over the suggestion on the way she supposed to ensure her safety around here, given to her by the head of the Auroville Security. Sadly, but this city is turning into a place with strong curfew after the sunset, placed by some local men and boys. Diwali celebrations will start on Thursday, and most of the services will be closed on Friday. Read more

Under the full moon, by the swimming pool, Auroville musicians Mishko M'Ba on bass, Matthew Littlewood at keyboards, Suresh on drums and Anna with Phoebe singing entertained audience, mostly coming from Pondicherry. With the promise of slow food dining, the evening was high spirited all night long more in the friendly atmosphere, and the tunes of jazz standards, and blues. But still, with some songs sung by Anna or Phoebe audience was caught by surprise, and the soft conversation would paused to listen to them. Mishko, Matthew and Suresh expressed again their endless aptitude to adapt at any situation, and master it with technical perfection. Read more

Jazz, Blues, Country, Rock – Solo vocal, guitar and piano concert by Matthew "Shark" Shartsis, singer, musician and songwriter. Known to American music fans as "The Great White Shark", he has played over 100 concerts in the last five years, both as a solo performer and with his band; "General Jones", named for the general jones of life. Matthew is the organizer, manager and lead singer of General Jones, which plays his original songs and well-loved standards.Auroville Radio presents his performance to a packed audience in Pitanga, which kept him singing and playing for over 30 minutes longer than the scheduled time.www.myspace.com/agreatwhiteshark www.thegeneraljonesband.com Read more

Come raccontare Auroville ad un gruppo di Italiani di passaggio ad Auroville? Come spiegare in un'ora la filosofia di vita che sta dietro ad ogni dettaglio della nostra citta'? Come rendere interessante la presentazione ed al tempo stesso non cadere nel paternalismo? Luigi, aurovilliano di lungo corso, prova a rinnovare l'esercizio comunicativo nell'idioma a lui piu' congegnale: l'italiano. Da oltre 20 anni impegnato a promuovere Auroville in giro per il mondo, in questa ora di conversazione Luigi concentra le conoscenze accumulate in una vita spesa ad Auroville.

The new Indian law about visas policy affected many, and Steffi, who volunteers on Auroville Radio, have told us her story. In the interview with her we heard some interesting stories and ways how to obtain visa nowadays, and how this new law does actually affects on tourist and long term guests, and consequently what impact does it got on the people who would like to visit India. Amongst other she also talks about Auroville and life around here, and as she confined to us, she missed Auroville on her trip to Nepal... she missed “home”.

Esta es una muy interesante entrevista con Mario Garegnani, artista, creativo y apasionado por el mundo felino, que comparte con nosotros su historia personal de conexión con India, Sri Aurobindo y La Madre. Mario también nos cuenta que le trajo a Auroville en esta ultima visita y comparte con nosotros su mas ultima experiencia profesional. Para descargar la entrevista pulsa aqui

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Le temps cette semaine est encore et toujours ensoleillé, pas un seul nuage à l'horizon, température entre 26 et 30 degrés. Auroville est en ce moment saturé par les touristes, entre 2000 et 5000 visiteurs par jours naviguent au Visitor Center. Parmi eux se trouvent quelques curieux qui sentent qu'il y a quelque chose d'autre qui se trame ici, bien loin du parcours à touristes. Nous avons rencontré l'un d'eux qui nous raconte ses premières impressions. Aussi cette semaine la célébration des 5 ans de la petite poupée Tsunamika et un spectacle de danse contemporaine Buto avec le maitre japonais Atsushi Takenouchi.Pour télécharger les nouvelles en français cliquez ici.

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Visiting artist Michael Parker shared with us at Kala Kendra on 14th of January a video presentation of his latest work where he's contemplating on accidental and intentional utopias. Amongst others he's diving into three myhts or ideas – the myth of final frontier, the myth of artist fullfilling the place in the society or what is the role of today's artist, and the myth  of class differences, for which he found that is only in our mind, and it doesn't need to be our reality, its merley convention that we have been thaught.  Auroville is interesting for him as an intential community and because art is the part of it from the day one..

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Sono gia' passati due mesi e mezzo da quando ho cominciato lo stage qui ad AurovilleRadio e sfortunatamente e' arrivato il giorno di rispolverare lo zaino e di cominciare a riempirlo per ritornare nella cara vecchia Italia. I vestiti coloratissimi ed una statua di Ganesh si stipano assieme alle scarpe ed ai vestiti pesanti che presto indossero' nel viaggio di ritorno. Mentre un'incenso brucia lentamente lasciando il suo delicato aroma nell'aria con una certa tristezza salgono i ricordi di questi felicissimi e costruttivi mesi. Sono davvero fiero di aver contribuito nel mio piccolo alla crescita di questa radio e volevo utilizzare questo programma per ringraziare tutto il team per la carica di energia positiva che mi hanno lasciato. A presto amici!

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Un bus parte nel mezzo del pomeriggio per andar al Depaam festival a Thiruvannamalai. Ma cos'e' il Deepam festival? Vivi ascoltando le mie esperienze e sensazioni  questa via crucis tutta all'indiana. Una lunga marcia intervallata tra un buon chai e un succo Ital bevuti nel ciglio di questo fiume di gente che scorre senza freno rincorrendo la buona sorte.

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What is Auroville? What do we aspire for Auroville? These questions were the frame for the discussion organized by the Resident's Assembly Service in order to gather Aurovilians and New Comers. A long meeting with plenty of questions, explanations and discussions. During the evening the new Entry Service team has also introduced its new members. The evening was organized with a series of mini events also to make the whole meeting alive and to encourage the present people to interact together. This event was held at Visitor's Centre.

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Un viaggio da Scorze' ad Auroville a ritmo di reggae.Mattia e' uno studente universitario al terzo anno del corso di laurea di Tecnologie Della Comunicazione Audiovisiva Multimediale presso il CARID (Universita' di Ferrara). Ha scelto Auroville per svolgere uno stage di tre mesi presso AurovilleRadio per mettere in pratica le sue conoscenze teoriche. Ascolta questo audio blog del viaggio che per la prima volta porta Mattia al di fuori dei confini europei e non solo. Il finale e' volutamente lasciato in sospeso, incerto, e.../a>.

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Bienvenue à l'aéroport sonore. Trajectoire Auroville – Paris. Au micro l'hôtesse de l'air et son commandant de bord, aux platines un bébé qui pleur et des ronflements sur la droite. Pour des raisons de sécurité, veuillez attacher votre casque sur les oreilles correctement. Décollage imminent prévu dans 5 secondes. Cliquez rapidement sur le petit logo PLAY juste en dessous de cette phrase. En vous souhaitant un agréable voyage acoustique...merci d'avoir choisie la compagnie bol d'AIR. Pour télécharger ce programme cliquez ici.

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Group of students from University of Washington from Seattle came to Auroville for a month to explore, as they named it, unique, different and progressive community, the only “living” utopia on our planet right now. We spoke with Andrew and Austin who got in common anthropology, but beside that Andrew is also studying drama, and Austin Spanish. Impressive to this two is that Auroville is able to draw people from all over the world who are willing to make a change within themselves and with one goal wanting to improve conditions of humanity, and they see potentials in environmental impact. But they are more impressed over local Tamil culture because is so much different to where they came from.

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