Tuesday, April 26, 2011

AUROVILLE - A Universal Township:

By Bhakti Shah


AUROVILLE TOWNSHIP is a universal township in the southern part of India, located in the state of Tamilnadu. It has a population of up to 50,000 people from around the world. It is evolved on the concept of 'Ideal Township devoted to an experiment in human unity.' It came to the 'A Mother' as early as the 1930s. In the mid 1960s, the Sri Aurobindo Society in Pondicherry proposed to her that such a township should be started. She gave her blessings. Then the concept was put before the Govt. of India, who gave there backing and took it to the General Assembly of UNESCO. In 1966 UNESCO passed a unanimous resolution commending it as a project of importance to the future of humanity, thereby giving their full encouragement. The project is a collaboration of UNESCO & Indian Gov. The project is an experiment in human unity & research into sustainable living & future cultural, environmental, social & spiritual needs of mankind. It is a model city of ‘future.’ It is developing for harmonious living. It has a Galaxy laid layout. Several arms unwind from accelerated core with the 20sq.km spread. It has Residential + Industrial + International & cultural + Green belt zones.


Auroville's planning & development right from its conception to the present day is that there will be an intense and close interrelationship between the City Area and the outside rural area, including the Green Belt, which will be of a synergic in nature. Each would complement the other, and support the activities in the 'urban' and 'rural' sectors, thus reducing the urban and rural divide that has crept into urban planning so far, and encouraging a rural - urban continuum.

Source: http://www.auroville.org/av_brief.htm

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