As you step into Auroville, you’re met with roads that emerge suddenly only to vanish just as abruptly. Once a symbol of tranquility, the township now mirrors the bustling transformation of any Indian city – the landscape is punctuated with road construction, trees are reduced to logs and piled along the pathways, and bulldozers, well, bulldoze their way forward. And these are also the visible signs of the conflict raging inside Auroville. A redevelopment project that has become a focal point of contention.
Auroville, nestled within the Villupuram district in Tamil Nadu with some parts in Puducherry, formerly known as Pondicherry, is an experimental township and possibly one of its kind in world history. It was founded in 1968 by French-born Mirra Alfassa, a spiritual guru and ardent follower of Sri Aurobindo, the Indian philosopher, poet, and freedom fighter. She later came to be known as The Mother.
The township’s inauguration ceremony was attended by delegates from 124 nations, and the city and its residents at that point had declared that Auroville belonged to nobody, that those who become residents – they call themselves Aurovilians – will have no caste, creed or nationality.
In 1988, the government of India, with Rajiv Gandhi as prime minister, passed the Auroville Foundation Act to bring the township under legal protection and administration.
The foundation of Auroville was built on ideals of peace and unity, but it now finds itself entangled in conflict and unrest. The battle rages over land, trees, politics, and control, but at its core lies a deeper struggle – the fight to define what Auroville truly stands for.
Depending on whom you ask, the latest developments in Auroville are either a step toward fulfilling the vision of The Mother, or a grotesque distortion of her dreams, manipulated to serve the political ambitions of a few. The Mother wanted to expand Auroville into a township of 50,000 people.
At the centre of this storm stands Jayanti Ravi, an IAS officer from the Gujarat cadre, who took charge as the Secretary of the Auroville Foundation in 2021. The new administration led by her has embarked on a rapid and forceful transformation – building infrastructure, pushing forward a contested version of the ‘master plan’, and introducing programmes that many believe carry unmistakable undertones of a right-wing, Hindutva agenda.
Many Auroville residents say that the political interference, now involving Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi who was inducted into the Governing Board, is an existential threat to Auroville’s founding ideals.
In its bid to gain a stronger foothold in Tamil Nadu, the Bharatiya Janata Party has been seeking a cultural icon to rally around. Past attempts to appropriate Tamil poets Thiruvalluvar and Subramania Bharati faced intense pushback. Now, the party seems to have found a more fitting figure in Aurobindo Ghosh, whose blend of nationalism and spirituality aligns well with its ideological narrative.
In this two-part series, we explore the various points of contention shaping the battle for Auroville’s future.
In the first installment, we look at the cultural shifts underway and the growing resistance against them, and Aurobindo’s political philosophy, rooted in religious nationalism, which provides an ideal ideological foundation for the BJP’s brand of politics.
In the second part of our series, we take a look at claims that the new administration is altering The Mother’s Galaxy plan, fast-tracking roads, infrastructure, and even reshaping the landscape. And why many residents suspect this to be part of a broader BJP-RSS strategy to create a ‘federal enclave’ in Tamil Nadu.
A new authoritarian administration
The township is home to around 3,000 Aurovilians, who hail from nearly 60 countries. Many have lived here longer than in their countries of birth. Over the decades, Auroville has developed its own culture – an amalgamation of traditions, philosophies, and a distinct interpretation of Hinduism shaped by its diverse residents.
But what remained on the backburner is a plan that The Mother envisaged. She wanted an expansion of Auroville, in size and number, allowing 50,000 residents to be accommodated. She called it the Galaxy plan and apparently described it to Roger Anger, a French architect personally chosen by her as Auroville’s chief architect.
The Mother passed away in 1973. In 1999, Roger submitted the Auroville Master Plan, which envisions the township as a model for sustainable and spiritual living.
Auroville’s international community has dreamt about, speculated on, and debated the Galaxy plan with great fervour ever since it was first proposed over half a century ago. It is structured around four zones – residential, industrial, cultural, and international. The plan was developed in consultation with planners and residents and was formally approved by the government of India in 2001.
But the community hasn’t been able to come to a consensus about the plan even after all these years.
The core of Auroville’s existence are the teachings of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo. Unlike other spiritual centres, Auroville, in its present form, does not prescribe a certain way of life or impose tenets that have to be mandatorily followed for membership to the community. It allows certain liberties, encourages ‘self-discovery’, and with its founder and fountainhead long gone, it has become increasingly complicated to describe who an Aurovilian is, what they should do, and what the exact purpose of Auroville is.
And in this ambiguous space, everybody continued living with their own interpretations. But now, with an authoritarian Secretary, perceived to be backed by an authoritarian government, the changes are visible not just in the landscape of Auroville but in its residents too.
Jayanti Ravi’s contested version of the Galaxy plan has been met with much resistance. Resistance has taken many forms, from heated debates to direct action. In some instances, residents have physically stood in the path of bulldozers, trying to halt what they see as an imposed and unwanted future. Visuals of the commune’s European residents taking on earthmoving machines created international headlines a few years ago.
A marked shift in culture
Bharat Nivas is a group of buildings that form the cultural centerpiece at Auroville – a living, breathing space where art, philosophy, and heritage converge.
As you enter Bharat Nivas, you’ll encounter a variety of spaces. The Sri Aurobindo Auditorium hosts performances, talks, and events, while Kala Kendra is a gallery showcasing everything from contemporary art to traditional crafts. There are also research centres, libraries, and quiet, tree-lined corners that can easily become reading nooks.
Architecturally, the space reflects this idea too, a blend of modern design and traditional aesthetics.
In recent years, this once vibrant space has undergone dramatic changes. Managed by a trust under the Auroville Foundation, the Bharat Nivas complex has emerged as a central point of contention.
When we visited Bharat Nivas, at the entrance were posters showcasing recent Bharatanatyam dance performances and Carnatic concerts held in the Aurobindo Auditorium. Notably, all the performers came from outside Auroville. Our guide explained that only these types of performances are now permitted, highlighting a significant decline in community participation.
Further along, just outside Kala Kendra, we encountered more posters promoting Ramayana-based exhibitions. One read, ‘Bharat Nivas presents The Glimpses of Ramayan’.
Inside the gallery, we observed paintings and sculptures related to the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Caretakers mentioned that until recently, a variety of miniature statues of the Ram Mandir were on sale. There are plans to reintroduce them.
Our guide noted that these developments are new in Auroville, reflecting an obvious shift by the new administration towards Hindutva. “Our spirituality was once more secular; what we are witnessing now is religious spirituality,” a resident commented.
Typically managed by five trustees, the structure of the Bharat Nivas Trust shifted significantly after Jayanti Ravi’s appointment. The allegations are that several trustees who resisted administrative changes were removed and replaced with individuals more aligned with Jayanti’s directives.
The theatre community, one of the most vibrant cultural groups in Auroville, has also come under pressure. A recent musical production, featuring performers ranging from ages three to 70, was suddenly labeled “anti-national”.
“A newcomer, who openly supports the new administration, called the play anti-national and demanded to see the script for review,” a resident said.
This ‘newcomer’ is part of the trust now. “Even after we submitted the script, there was no clarity on what exactly was deemed problematic. This kind of interference has never happened before in Auroville.”
The play in question featured a character named ‘James Bonda’, a satirical take on a female James Bond. The character appeared to be modelled after Jayanti Ravi, and included other characters resembling her supporters.
Artists involved in the production said that such satirical performances were common in Auroville. In the past, they have frequently staged plays that mock community figures, including themselves.
However, this instance was different. During rehearsals, word about the play’s content reached one of Jayanti Ravi’s supporters in the Bharat Nivas Trust. After demanding a copy of the script, the individual reportedly informed the team that the play would not be permitted.
When the artists attempted to perform the play at Cripa, another theatre space in Auroville, they faced further restrictions. According to a theatre artist, Cripa’s management informed them unofficially that they had been warned that their funding could be withheld and the venue could face closure if the performance went ahead.
Concerns about visas added further pressure. “Many members of the cast and crew who aren’t Indian nationals were worried that their visas might be revoked, so they withdrew from the production,” an artist explained in a hushed tone. She laughed then and added, “These days, we have to be careful who overhears us. This is our new reality.”
A wildlife gallery that the administration adamantly built inside the Bharat Nivas compound has been opposed, even ridiculed by some residents. For one, they point out the irony of building a tribute to nature and wildlife by cutting down trees. Adding to the discontent was the gallery’s aesthetic (or a lack of it) – a stark contrast to the rest of the buildings in Bharat Nivas.
Allegations of non-Indian Auroville residents facing visa cancellations for speaking out surfaced repeatedly in conversations with community members, a pattern we look at more closely in our next story.
But on the changes in Auroville’s artistic environment since Jayanti Ravi’s appointment, many artists describe a shift toward self-censorship.
“Previously, we only had to submit scripts if we were seeking funding from SAIIER,” a resident explained.
SAIIER, or the Sri Aurobindo International Institute of Educational Research, coordinates much of Auroville’s educational and cultural programming. “Other than that, there was no interference. That was the spirit of Auroville – freedom of speech and expression. But that’s no longer the case.”
Art spaces in Auroville were once platforms for diverse forms of creative expression. Performances ranged from light-hearted and experimental to multilingual works reflecting both personal narratives and global issues.
But residents say the new management has sought to restrict performances to classical art forms, favouring trained musicians and dancers from outside the community.
“Auroville’s culture was democratic. But now the spirit of collaboration and harmony is being threatened…starting 2021, we have been looking at an authoritarian impact,” said Padmini* (name changed), a resident who was deeply involved with Auroville’s Art Centre. She was removed along with others for refusing to align with the governing board’s diktats.
“The rapid changes we are seeing are in the same direction as the redevelopment of Sabarmati Ashram,” a resident commented.
In 2021, the Gujarat government started an ambitious Rs 1,200 crore project to redevelop two historic landmarks in Ahmedabad – the Sabarmati Ashram and Sabarmati Central Jail. The Ashram is where Mahatma Gandhi had lived for 13 years with his wife Kasturba.
The Sabarmati Ashram Redevelopment Project aims to consolidate 65 heritage structures spread across 35 acres into a single cohesive site. The redevelopment plan also involved demolishing post-independence structures and building a new museum, a food court, and a parking facility for 200 cars.
Critics, including 130 left-leaning intellectuals, have condemned the plan as the “second assassination of the Mahatma”, warning that it risks turning the revered site into a commercialised ‘Gandhi Theme Park’.
The fact that Jayanti Ravi is from Gujarat is no coincidence, the resident added.
Jayanti Ravi and her posse
Before her posting as the Secretary of Auroville in 2021, Jayanti was the health secretary of Gujarat. Her handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in the state had come under scrutiny and criticism.
In bureaucratic circles, she’s believed to be close to PM Narendra Modi and many other officers in the PMO. In 2002, she was the district collector of Panchmahal district in Gujarat, under which Godhra is a municipality. And this was at the time when the Sabarmati Express was burnt, killing over 59 people. Apart from being the secretary of the Auroville Foundation, Jayanti also presently holds the position of additional chief secretary for revenue in Gujarat.
A section of the residents accuse her of bringing into the governing board people who are supporters of the right-wing and the BJP, such as Governor RN Ravi, who has been constantly embroiled in fights with the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government. A proponent of Sanatana Dharma who has questioned Dravidian ideology, Ravi has served in the CBI and in the intelligence bureau.
Another member is the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry K Kailashnathan, a 1979 batch IAS officer of the Gujarat cadre, who retired in June 2024 after 18 years in the Gujarat Chief Minister’s Office. Known as KK, he served as the state’s most influential bureaucrat, having joined the CMO in 2006 as principal secretary to then CM Narendra Modi. He was widely recognised as Modi’s most trusted aide during Modi’s tenure as CM.
Aravindan Neelakandan, another member, is an author, historian, and consulting editor at Swarajya, a right-leaning Indian magazine.
Politicians have been part of Auroville’s governing board before too, like Congress’s Karan Singh, but this is the first time that such friction has surfaced.
The residents who are opposing this administration have accused it of taking over not just the cultural spaces but also the other forms of existence for Aurovilians.
Like OutreachMedia.
OutreachMedia serves as Auroville’s official channel for facilitating visits by journalists and filmmakers. Since 1996, it has been the interface between the press and Auroville. When Aurovilians organised events, they simply informed OutreachMedia, which then drafted and sent out press releases. This has always been managed by a team of Aurovilians who first worked with the unit and then went on to manage it.
However, following recent administrative changes, some residents allege that this balance has shifted. In February 2022, OutreachMedia was allegedly taken over by the governing board and renamed as Auroville Media Interface.
“The ability to speak for oneself has been taken over. And in that direction, Auroville’s OutreachMedia was taken over by the new administration. Aurovilians are not allowed to speak to the press directly,” Padmini added.
This shift extends beyond media control. The Auroville archives – once an open repository of literature, videos, documents, magazines, and historical records – was reportedly removed from community access by the new governing board. “Everything that documented our history, our policies, our collective memory – it’s all been taken away from us,” one resident said.
“Auroville residents are concerned that the takeover of the Auroville Archives is made with the intention of using the material in the Archives’ possession to publicise a narrative that is contrary to the spirit of Auroville, and that the takeover of this essential service could lead to a rewriting of Auroville’s 54 years of history that would undermine its legacy,” a statement by a section of the residents read.
The growing tensions over Auroville’s evolving identity took another turn with the reported removal of the Thiruvalluvar statue from the Tamil Heritage Centre. The revered poet, an icon of Tamil literature and philosophy, was allegedly relocated to storage, sparking outrage among residents. Villupuram MP D Ravikumar weighed in on the issue, voicing his concerns on social media.
Of the residents, 40 percent are from different parts of India and another 40 percent are foreigners mainly from France and Germany. Less than 20 percent is made up of local Tamils.
Apart from English, residents speak French and Tamil. “But in the last few years, there has been a concerted effort to push Sanskrit…in prayers, school curriculums, and through sponsored programmes,” alleged Anil, a resident of Auroville.
“The board organised a three-day Sanskrit workshop at the Tamil Heritage Centre,” another resident pointed out, seeing it as a symbolic erasure of the space’s original cultural intent.
‘Isn’t culture something that evolves?’
There’s a section of the community that’s excited, even relieved, by the pace of progress. They say things had been stagnant for decades, bogged down by endless debates and bureaucratic delays. Now, as momentum builds, they feel those who once held control are struggling to let go.
“Auroville was never meant to be a community for just 3,000 people,” said Sindhuja Jagadeesh, a resident who backs the Governing Board. “There is a faction of residents for whom Auroville has become a comfortable space for just 3,000 people, including volunteers and newcomers. The community now occupies approximately 3,000 acres of land, covering both the master plan area and its surroundings, with residents spread out across the region.”
They brush off concerns about Auroville’s culture changing, calling them nothing more than false propaganda. One insider, who is closely aligned with Jayanti’s circle but not authorised to speak publicly, admitted there’s bound to be friction before things settle. “I’m hopeful it’ll all work out,” he said, “but not without some disagreements first.”
He added: “What exactly is the culture they are talking about? Isn’t culture something that evolves? What’s the harm in bringing in performers or new influences? Wouldn’t that only make Auroville more dynamic, more engaging? And anyway, does anyone truly ‘own’ anything here? The land, the houses, the art spaces – everything belongs to everyone.”
In her book Unsettling Utopia: The Making and Unmaking of French India, Jessica Namakkal says while Auroville isn’t exactly a French space, it was shaped by French colonial institutions. Her argument is that Auroville seems postcolonial rather than colonial because France successfully portrayed its influence in a positive light. Both Auroville and the Aurobindo Ashram, she says, illustrate how ideals of multiculturalism and spirituality have displaced Tamil communities, erasing their presence from the region’s history and land.
Auroville has long faced criticism for being exclusionary, keeping local Tamils on the margins. While some Tamils are part of the community, many villagers claim their ancestors were misled into giving up their land for the promise of Western education, only to feel left out.
This sentiment persists even today, and as the conflict rages on, many locals feel it is a fight between two elite groups.
There is also a silent group within Auroville, caught in the middle, watching, weighing, uncertain. They hear both sides but haven’t picked one. Over a cold juice in the afternoon sun a resident who had recently gotten into trouble for questioning the governing board asked us, “What do you make of it all?”
She had spoken up at a town hall, asked uncomfortable questions, but was not exactly sure what the issues were. “At first, I thought I understood. One side, the governing body, seems to be dodging questions. But honestly I don’t know enough facts to pass judgement. I am not sure who’s really fulfilling The Mother’s vision.”
For many, Auroville was meant to be a sanctuary, an escape from the complications of the outside world. Here, you don’t have to climb the career ladder, compete for jobs, or even make conventional life decisions. There’s an expectation to contribute, but no rigid rules about how or how much. Life flows differently. So many of them now are very interested in being activists, fighting the governing board. Or even spend time trying to understand what is happening. “This is what we did not deal with outside,” a resident said.
A young man we met has lived in Auroville for almost eight years. He told us he rarely goes beyond the 2-km radius around his cottage – sometimes for months at a time. When we spent a day with him, he admitted he hadn’t left his immediate surroundings in three months. “I start my day at 4 am with yoga. Then I walk in the woods, read a little before breakfast. After that, my day is…fluid. If my neighbours need something, I help. If not, I will stay in my cottage.”
Auroville’s 1,800 cottages are as unique as the people who live in them – no two are the same. Built with sustainability in mind, they use reclaimed wood, stone, and smart architectural tricks to survive the harsh climate and the rugged landscape. Some have moats to keep insects out, others stand on stilts for better ventilation. Most, however, still have air conditioning despite all the talk around sustainability.
For this community to fight the rapid changes is an arduous task. But for many, to get to the core of who is right, who is walking in the path of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother also seems tricky.
And that’s exactly what is being leveraged by the governing board and its supporters.
The BJP needs a cultural icon in Tamil Nadu, someone around whose historical footprint they can make inroads. And Aurobindo Ghosh seems like a perfect fit.
Although the RSS completes 100 years this year, their appeal has been still limited to traditional bases. So appropriating other leaders helps them expand the party’s appeal while reshaping historical memory. For example, appropriating Subhas Chandra Bose with his nationalism serves as a contrast to the Congress’ legacy of freedom struggle. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s co-opting serves to reduce Jawaharlal Nehru’s significance in the formation of independent India. Even claiming Ambedkar, the BJP has sought to bolster its Dalit outreach, despite his strong critiques of Brahmanical Hinduism.
Co-opting Sri Aurobindo
Aurobindo Ghosh, after whom Auroville is named, serves as a perfect historical figure for the right-wing political ecosystem to cultivate their vote base in both Bengal and Tamil Nadu. And his own journey is ripe for the BJP to co-opt him or at least recast him.
Aurobindo was a freedom fighter who later became a spiritual visionary, transitioning from political revolution to Hindu mysticism. Born in 1872, Aurobindo was a leading force in India’s independence movement, advocating for complete self-rule long before it became mainstream. He also spearheaded the nationalist movement in India, much before leaders like VD Savarkar.
After his arrest and spiritual awakening, Aurobindo settled in Pondicherry. He was many things, but his life can broadly be divided into his political activities and spiritual writings. His imprisonment in 1908 by the British government is believed to have kindled his spiritual awakening. In 1910, he fled to the French colony in Pondicherry and continued his spiritual journey.
In the book Hindutva, Jyotirmaya Sharma documents how Aurobindo staunchly believed in Chaturvarna and linked it closely to the concept of nationhood. He quotes Aurobindo saying in 1909: “....I say that it is Sanatana Dharma which for us is nationalism. This Hindu nation was born with the Sanatan Dharma, with it it moves and with it it grows.....The Sanatan Dharma, that is nationalism.” Aurobindo is even believed to have learnt Sanskrit to read the Vedas.
In their book The Brotherhood in Saffron: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Hindu Revivalism, Walter Andersen and Shridhar Damle say that in the early part of the 20th century, Aurobindo stated the case (of Hindu nationalism) in terms that the RSS was to later emphasise.
They go on to note that Aurobindo believed that national rejuvenation that would lead to freedom from the colonisers would come only if Indians tapped into the “Mother Goddess” as she manifested herself in the Hindu nation. “Nationalism for him was not merely a form of patriotism, but ‘nationalism is a religion that has come from God’”, the authors say.
These observations show how aligned Aurobindo’s Hindu nationalism was with that of the RSS and how it is convenient for the BJP to now leverage.
With Aurobindo’s idea of an Indian nationalism that is largely Hindu in its spirit and calls for a United India (a version of Akhand Bharat), there would be little doubt as to why he could be a candidate to legitimise the party’s unabashed calls for a ‘Hindu Rashtra’.
“India is free but she has not achieved unity, only a fissured and broken freedom...The old communal division into Hindu and Muslim seems to have hardened into the figure of a permanent political division of the country,” Aurobindo wrote in a message at the request of All India Radio, Tiruchirapalli. Broadcast on August 14, the message clearly referred to the India-Pakistan Partition, a move that Aurobindo found hard to accept.
In fact, he went on to say, “It is to be hoped that the Congress and the nation will not accept the settled fact as forever settled or as anything more than a temporary expedient. For if it lasts, India may be seriously weakened, even crippled: civil strife may remain always possible, possibly even a new invasion and foreign conquest. The partition of the country must go…”
His desire has been given expression in Auroville through a map put up by his ‘spiritual collaborator’ Mirra Alfasa or The Mother. Called the ‘Spiritual Map of India’, it includes the borders of Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka.
Echoing Aurobindo’s thoughts, The Mother had said, “The map was made after the Partition. It is the map of the true India in spite of all passing appearances, and it will always remain the map of the true India, whatever people may think about it.”
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Sarma are among those who have over the last seven years mentioned ‘Akhand Bharat’ as if it were an achievable goal for the BJP and the country. Bhagwat has even gone on record to say that this herculean task will be achieved in 10-15 years.
“There are people in the RSS and BJP who have always viewed Aurobindo as an icon. Even in his Uttarpara speech in 1909 after being released from jail he spoke of the Bhagavad Gita, Hindu Vedas and about sanatana dharma. These certainly lead to ideological similarities with him,” said Vikas Pathak, a senior political journalist and commentator.
“The RSS now has greater prestige than it did 30 years ago and more legitimacy. A legacy is important to keep a party immortal in the minds of people. By claiming a stake in the physical manifestation of Aurobindo’s teachings, Auroville, they are looking to create a legacy for themselves,” he explained.
While Auroville was primarily based on the teachings of Aurobindo and The Mother, in practice, it has been more inclusive, more global in its outlook.
A government takeover affects not just the land, administration, and finances but also how Auroville is projected to the outside world and its thousands of followers all over the world.
“The BJP offers the logic that more people will visit if the sites are renovated and in the process acquire more land, destroy trees and make it seem as if they care about improving these locations that are important to the country and specifically Hindus. They are doing the work the previous governments ignored,” the political analyst said. “They have been bringing up Aurobindo every Independence Day (his birth anniversary falls on the same date) but now they want to strengthen that connection by building a physical symbol,” he added.
These incidents collectively reveal a community struggling with a diminishing sense of autonomy.
But the concerns run deeper. The takeover extends beyond cultural spaces – it now encompasses land, trees, administration, and even law and order.
In the next part of our series, we examine allegations that the new administration is reshaping The Mother’s Galaxy plan, rapidly constructing roads, infrastructure, a lake, and even a hill. Increasingly, many residents believe this isn’t just about Auroville. They fear it’s part of a larger strategy by the BJP-RSS ecosystem to establish a ‘federal enclave’ and expand influence into Tamil Nadu.
This report is republished from The News Minute as part of the NL-TNM alliance. It has been lightly edited for style and clarity. Support TNM here. And click here to support a new investigative project by NL and TNM on the impunity of India’s police.
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