India GOAuroville facts: where it is and what it is famous for
Auroville is an experimental township in south India, mostly in the state of Tamil Nadu with some parts in the Union Territory of Puducherry. It lies a few kilometres inland from the Coromandel Coast, about 10 km north of Puducherry town and about 150 km south of Chennai. It is famous for the golden Matrimandir, for forests grown on eroded land, and for an attempt, under way since 1968, to build a town for human unity.
Auroville is in the state of Tamil Nadu (South India).
A living experiment in conscious community near Puducherry, born of one ideal: human unity beyond nation and creed. At its heart, the golden Matrimandir and forests grown from bare red earth: one of the world's most unusual towns.
Where Auroville is
Auroville is in Viluppuram district of Tamil Nadu, with a few parts across the border in Puducherry. It sits on a low plateau whose highest point, about 32 m above sea level, is near the Matrimandir. The township is a cluster of settlements, farms and forest rather than a walled town, spread over more than 20 km², which is why first-time visitors often find it hard to say where Auroville actually starts.
The East Coast Road between Chennai and Puducherry runs along its eastern side. From the signposted turn-off at Bommayapalayam, the Visitors Centre and the Matrimandir are about 6 km inland; Repos Beach is a few hundred metres the other way. Chennai is the main gateway: 150–160 km by road. More on how to get there.
Interesting facts about Auroville
The name means City of Dawn
Aurore is French for dawn and ville for town, and the name also honours Sri Aurobindo (1872–1950). The township was founded by Mirra Alfassa, known as the Mother, his spiritual collaborator, and designed by the architect Roger Anger.
Soil from 124 nations
On 28 February 1968 some 5,000 people gathered near the banyan tree at the centre of the future town. Representatives of 124 nations and all the states of India placed soil from their homelands in an urn, which still stands in the Amphitheatre beside the Matrimandir. Auroville marks its birthday on the same date with a silent dawn bonfire: 28 February 2027.
UNESCO backed it before it existed
In 1966, two years before the inauguration, UNESCO passed a unanimous resolution commending Auroville as a project of international importance for the future of humanity. Since the Auroville Foundation Act of 1988 the township's assets have been vested in the Auroville Foundation, a statutory body created by that Act of India's Parliament.
Planned for 50,000, home to 3,527
The plan is for a town of up to 50,000 people, with a city area 2.5 km across and 5 km including the Green Belt of farms and forest. Auroville's latest census counts 3,527 residents from 60 nationalities: more than half are Indian, followed by people from France and Germany.
The Matrimandir is not a temple
The golden sphere at the centre is a place for silent individual concentration, not a temple or a sight. Inside, a white marble chamber holds a crystal lit by a single beam of sunlight; visitors book a session, and most people see the sphere from the free Viewing Point.
There is no ashram
Visitors are sometimes surprised to find no ashram in Auroville. The Sri Aurobindo Ashram is in Puducherry city: it shares the vision of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother but is an entirely separate organisation.
A town that tries to do without cash
Auroville aims at no money circulating inside it. Residents and guests use accounts and the Aurocard, and most places apart from the Visitors Centre do not take cash. Alcohol cannot be bought anywhere in the township.
Forest on bare land
The site chosen in the 1960s was a desertified plateau. Much of today's forest was planted, and projects such as the Botanical Gardens and Sadhana Forest work to bring back the Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest of this coast.
English first, then Tamil and French
English is Auroville's common spoken and written language, and many people also use Tamil and French. English, French, Tamil and Sanskrit are taught in its schools, and Tamil is the language of the villages around the township.
Can anyone live in Auroville?
Anyone can visit, and entry to Auroville and the Matrimandir area is free. Living there is a process set by regulation. Auroville asks people first to visit, then to volunteer for at least three months, then to apply to become a Newcomer, a trial year of full-time work in an Auroville unit, and after that to apply to be entered in the Register of Residents. Non-Indian citizens need an OCI card or an Entry visa endorsed for Auroville to volunteer or work there; a tourist visa cannot be converted once in India. Auroville also warns of a housing shortage. See volunteering in Auroville.
FAQ
Where is Auroville?
In south India, a few kilometres inland from the Coromandel Coast, about 10 km north of Puducherry town and about 150 km south of Chennai.
Which state is Auroville in?
Mostly in Tamil Nadu, in Viluppuram district; some parts lie in the Union Territory of Puducherry.
What is Auroville famous for?
The golden Matrimandir, its founding in 1968 as an experiment in human unity, forests replanted on eroded land, and products made in its workshops, such as Maroma incense.
Who founded Auroville?
Mirra Alfassa, known as the Mother, the spiritual collaborator of Sri Aurobindo, in 1968. The architect was Roger Anger.
Is there an entry fee for Auroville?
No. Access to Auroville and the Matrimandir is free for everyone; the Viewing Point pass is free at the Visitors Centre.
Is the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Auroville?
No. The Ashram is in Puducherry city and is a separate organisation, though it shares the vision of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother.
Sources (8)
Facts checked: 15 October 2026. Prices and hours are approximate; check locally.
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