A busy day at the Visitors’ Center
What does Auroville represent to its immediate neighbours? To
the average person in Pondicherry? To the average tourist? Despite it being a
popular sightseeing destination on the Pondicherry itinerary, how is this town
and its inhabitants viewed and understood by many Indians?
When I first came to Auroville in
1993, as a graduate student on a two week break from Canada, I was perplexed
that Auroville could not be seen even when one was in the midst of it. I
remember entering Auroville from the AuroOrchard side and when the taxi was on
the winding road from Edaiyanchavady to New Creation I was told that I had
arrived. I wondered what was hidden behind those beautiful silk cotton,
tamarind and acacia trees. A sense of mystery hung in the air. And this mystery
continues to greet every first comer because even today much of the town’s
built environment, whether it is residential or administrative, is somewhat
removed from the main roads o...
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1 Comments
Mother had from the beginning tried to integrate all the villages within AV designated area, by sending a retired chief medical officer of Pondicherry GH, also first principal of JIPMER, Dr. Vishwa,who along with Dr. Surya former director of NIMHANS Bangalore and Dr Sen, FRCS of JIPMER thrice a week to set up a Medical center in 1968 itself , to take care of villagers in the area around aspiration and it was Vishwa's work to assemble under a tamarind tree a few villagers and talk to them about AV, sometimes one or two would be there sometimes more, and this continued for a whole year after which only the medical centre continued..and is the present Health center which began then and has been looked after by Abha's mother since a very long time.