Auroville

Auroville is an experimental community that was started in the Late '60's by 'the Mother' who was the main follower of a /guru called Sri Aurobindo. The place was intended to develop into a community of 10,000 people of all nationalities however now the population stands at around 1,700. The ethos behind the place is that there is no religions as such practiced but that concentration is the true path. Slightly weird to follow. There are only very small areas that visitors are aloud to see and you have to watch an 'instructional video' before you can walk to the viewing area to see the central sphere called the Matri Mandir. This massive ball has a meditation area inside and apparently it has the largest glass crystal in the world at the centre, an opening at the top and computer controlled mirrors concentrate the suns light down onto the crystal to illuminate it inside, however visitors ar not aloud any where near it. The community is entirely self supporting with their own food production centres, schools and health care. all the buildings are arranged around the central Mandir is the swirling patten of the universe and are surrounded by landscaped gardens that are maintained by the inhabitants. It was all a little weird, whilst not been a 'cult' (it has been supported by the UN since inception) it is very particular about who is able to join the community and does not accept applications from 'credit card hippies' or those looking for an escape, you have to be interviewed and show that you wish to follow the values and ethos of the place before you can join the community.