Simon and I often dream about living in India year round. We both love India and have returned year after year. But living there full time raises some issues. First of all, foreigners are usually only granted a six month visa. Now visa restrictions are making it more difficult to re-enter after the visa has expired. Second, what would we do for work? We have to have some way of making a living. Plus, we worry about Arun. On our recent visit, he was showered with attention. People stared, pinched his cheeks, offered him sweets and generally made a big fuss about him. This is fine as we were just visiting, but we both feel that we want him to grow up with peers who speak the same language as him and have a similar culture.
Among a couple possibilities, we became interested in Auroville, an experimental township in Tamil Nadu, just a couple of hours from our home away from home, Tiruvannamalai. Auroville was established in 1968 by Mirra Alfassa (aka ‘The Mother’) and Sri Aurobindo as a universal city where people of all nations could live in ‘human unity’. Now there are over 2000 residents from 45 counties, about 1/3 from India. The township is divided up into communities, each with a different focus, from creative arts to organic farming. The community is quite self sufficient- they run their own schools, restaurants, cafes, guesthouses and a number of shops including a grocery store, a couple of clothing shops, bookstores and a bakery.
Film Exhibition at Kala Kendra ©Ireno Guerci
Children on the Beach ©Ireno Guerci
Women's Group Courtesy Auroville.org
During our last week in India Arun and I visited our friend, Veronica, an Aurovillian who has been living and working in the community for 8 years. We stayed with her in her lovely treetop apartment in the ‘Creativity’ community. I wanted to learn more about living in Auroville, and staying with a local was the perfect way to do it. On our first night we went out to dinner at the visitors center, where we had a yummy Spanish meal cooked by a group of Spanish and Latin American Aurovillians. Later, there was Spanish dancing and guitar, although we left early to put Arun to sleep. Just about every night there is something to do- from theatre productions, to dances, to art exhibitions. I was impressed by the number of children from all over the world- Arun played with children from India, France and Holland one evening at the local playground. I hear that it is an amazing place for children to grow up and judging from what I saw, I believe Arun would love it.
Arun and Veronica
So what, you ask, could be more perfect for our traveling family? There are several obstacles that are keeping us from jumping on the next plane back to India. First, there is a huge housing shortage in Auroville, so it will probably be tough for a family like us to find adequate housing when we first arrive. Second, there is a bit of investment- although one is expected to work full time (unpaid) in a project of their choice, you have to pay your living costs for the first year or two until you become a full member of the community. In India, this is relatively cheap, but still a bit more than we have in savings. As a member, basically all services are free, so theoretically we could get housing, basic clothing, medical service and schooling for Arun. We would receive a small stipend, which we could live off in India, but it would not be enough for any luxuries or tickets back home to visit family. Maybe the biggest reason for me is the climate. November through February are pleasant months, but the rest of the year is simply too hot.
It all sounds like lots of fun, and I am curious about going there for a few months to check it out…what do you think?
Read more about Auroville at www.auroville.org
