On the east side of Auroville, on the
other side of National Highway 66, far behind Promesse community and
Morattandy village, one finds Hermitage, the last wilderness of
Auroville which stretches over 120 acres. The land is hard,
sun-baked, covered with pebbles, scarred by erosion, pockmarked. But
the stark landscape with its wide horizons is of an indescribable
beauty. In the midst of this infertile desert some trees grow: the
greyish green-silver leaves of the acacia that The Mother called
‘work tree’ wave softly in the winds, showing that, even in this
unhospitable environment, something can flourish.
Ever since the land was bought for
Auroville in the 1960s, a handful of people – hermits, artists and
young pioneers – took up the challenge of living here, far away and
isolated from Auroville’s main body. Most failed the test, but even
now a few continue to make this place their home. They work on the
land, making terraces and creating bunds to avoid...
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