Page
Blank…
What are you hiding,
In those empty lined depths?
New worlds waiting to be revealed.
Old worlds waiting to be revisited.
Young love ripe to for exploration
Relationships that bloom,
Then wither through time.
Goodbyes to be said.
Laughter to light up the world.
Tears silently being shed.
A myriad of possibilities beckon
As I pick up my pen.
The writer’s blank canvas awaits.
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Tagged #bloggerlife, #CoralMcCallum, #imagination, #IndieAuthor, #inspiration, #poem, #poetry, #poetryblog, #poetrylife, #writerslife
When I switched on my laptop the other day, the Bing photo caught my eye and piqued my curiosity.
What was this incredible looking round gold building? Where was it? Was it real?
The photo was an aerial view similar to the one below
I quickly discovered that it was real. The photo was of an experimental town in India called Auroville and that glorious golden spherical building was The Matrimandir.
I needed to learn more…cue an evening of Googling and reading.
Auroville, is situated near Pondicherry, on the eastern coast of India in the state of Tamil Nadu.
“But it sounds French?” I hear you muse. It was designed by the French architect, Roger Anger. Auroville is also known as the City of Dawn and it gets its name from “aurore”, the French word for dawn and “ville”, the French for town/city.
The Matrimandir, the golden building that caught my eye on the laptop’s wallpaper is also known as the Temple of the Mother and the Soul of the City, and is built at the heart of Auroville in a large open area called Peace.
I was still intrigued….
Now for a brief history lesson (I’ll share more detailed info links below for the history geeks and curious among you)
Step back in time to the early part of the 20th Century and that’s where you will find the origins of Auroville. There was an Indian philosopher, yogi and maharishi called Sri Aurobindo. He was a political activist but whilst in jail, he had a mystical/spiritual experience that led to him developing a spiritual practice on his release that he called Integral Yoga. He settled in the Pondicherry area and collaborated with a fellow spiritual guru and yoga teacher, Mirra Alfassa, who was also known as The Mother to her followers.
In 1926 they founded the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. After Sri Aurobindo’s death in 1950, Mirra Alfassa continued their work, pursuing his vision, and in 1964 the Sri Aurobindo Society passed a resolution to establish a city dedicated to that vision- Auroville.
In her first public address in 1965, Mirra Alfassa, the society’s executive president declared “Auroville wants to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities. The purpose of Auroville is to realise human unity.”
Three years later on 28 February 1968, in front of representatives from 124 countries, Auroville was inaugurated. Mirra Alfassa wrote and delivered a four point charter, setting forth her vision for the city and its ethos of integral living.
Initially self-governing, Auroville aspired to have 50 000 residents. It’s initial community was considerably smaller, numbering around 400. By the late 1980s two acts had been passed that saw the creation of a three tier governing system for the city formed of the Governing Board, the Residents Assembly and the Auroville International Advisory Council. These three tiers work in harmony and collaborate to continue to try to accomplish the vision for Auroville as set out in the charter.
So, where does the Matrimandir fit into all of this?
The Matrimandir, in all its glorious golden splendour, is the heart of the community. Matrimandir translates to Temple of the Mother and is a place of spiritual significance to the practitioners of Integeral Yoga. It’s foundation stone was laid at sunrise on 21 February 1971, Mirra Alfassa, the Mother’s, 93rd birthday. Sadly, she never saw the finished temple as she passed away in 1973. It took 37 years to complete the magnificent building with its stunning Inner Chamber and it was finally completed in May 2008.
Today Auroville has a population of circa 3000 from 54 different countries and has been endorsed by UNESCO. The temple and surrounding gardens are open to visitors. This is not a tourist site however. It is a place which should be visited in a quiet mental and physical state, a place of contemplation and meditation. You can book a visit to the Inner Temple on an individual basis for some quiet reflection.
I think I may just have added another destination to my travel “bucket list”.
Information links (for the curious)
Welcome to Auroville | Auroville
Matrimandir – The Soul of Auroville
Sri Aurobindo (sriaurobindoashram.org)
Integral Yoga (Satchidananda) – Wikipedia
(All images sourced via Google – credits to the owners)
Deciding what to write each week on here can be tough, especially if the “real “ world has been encroaching on the creative one.
Over the past couple of weeks I’ve been taking part in an online writing sanctuary. (I mentioned it last week Fragments | Coral McCallum ).One of the takeaways from the workshops was this…
My Measly Mason Jar of Motivation. It’s filled with writing prompts that were kindly provided by the course facilitator. (Thanks, Beth) It’s a mix of words, phrases, and questions to ponder.
I thought I’d give it a try for this week’s blog.
Here goes…..
And the words I have pulled from the Measly Mason Jar are OBLIVIOUS and A SMALL BOY……hmmm
A vast expanse of monobloc driveway was his Jurassic world. Dinosaurs from all eras roamed freely across the terracotta plains. In their midst was a small boy, hunkered down as he acted out battles and adventures with his plastic companions. Lost in the innocent world of a child’s imagination, he played contentedly while his dad was busy mowing the lawn.
As the dinosaurs traversed their terracotta plains, they encountered an obstacle…Two Step Mountain. Only the biggest and strongest and the small boy’s favourites made it to the plateau on top of the mountain. Once up there, the herbivores grazed on an undisturbed coir field, feasting until their bellies were full.
Oblivious to the fact that anyone was watching, the small boy played on.
Hours later, as darkness fell, the driveway and doorstep lay silent. The colourful dinosaurs were scattered all around. Indoors, the small boy was no doubt sound asleep.
With a weary sigh, the small boy’s dad herded the dinosaurs into their plastic crate ready for their next adventure.
Over the past few days I’ve been taking part in an online winter writing sanctuary. There are still a few days to go but the assignments have been fun. I thought I’d share this one with you.
Snuggling into the sanctuary of my fur-lined hood, I set off on my early evening meander. Thoughts, some more random than others, flit by as I walk. Slowing my breathing, I calm my frazzled mind by whispering my Reiki precepts to myself as I walk down the hill at a leisurely pace towards the river.
It’s blue hour. It’s quiet. The tree at the foot of the hill stands tall, its branches bare. It reminds me of the cover of Shinedown’s Leave A Whisper album. Good album that.
My mind wanders to an unanswered What’s App from earlier…. wonder what my friend is doing right now? I wish they were walking beside me. Been a while since I’ve seen them. Need to sort that…
The patches in the tarmac pavement trigger imaginative thoughts. What if each separate patch led you into an alternative world? ..a bit like worlds that Will cuts into with the subtle knife in His Dark Materials. I’ll need to find time later to watch the final episode of that…. The books were better.
The pampas grass that grows beside the pavement catches in my hood. I trail my gloved fingers through the leafy fronds. I wonder if the pink pampas grass I’ve lovingly tended from seeds to mature plants will ever bear pink fronds? Time will tell, I guess…
A queue of cars lines the road. The drivers impatiently wait their turn to enter the crowded ferry terminal to catch the boat across the river. Where are all these people going? Where have they been? Have they had a long day? A good day? Or are the just desperate to get home for dinner? Dinner…what to cook? Not much choice left in the fridge. Breaded chicken, chips and beans? Sounds like a simple plan.
Turning for home, I feel the wind in my face, its icy chill stinging my cheeks. Dodging the puddles on the pavement, I gaze upon the Christmas lights that twinkle in the houses to my left. Some white. Some colourful. Some tasteful. Some…well, let’s leave that thought there.
When I reach the turn off to head back up the hill, my steps falter and I sigh. My heart’s heavy. I take my time walking up the long drag of a hill, wondering if there are any deer watching me as I pass by the small area of woodland. Drops of rain are falling now. Nature’s tears. Home beckons.
Warmth envelopes me as I step inside. My meander complete for another day. Each walk is a kaleidoscope of thoughts, hopes, regrets and dreams…the unspoken colours of the day.
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Tagged #CoralMcCallum, #creativity, #Fragments, #freewriting, #imagination, #IndieAuthor, #writingexercise
Coral McCallum 