About Auroville Visitors Centre
The Auroville Visitors Centre is the main information and orientation hub for Auroville, an experimental township near Puducherry on the Tamil Nadu-Puducherry border. Located on Auroville Main Road, it introduces visitors to the township's ideals, planning and daily life through exhibitions, videos and guided information. It serves as the starting point for obtaining Matrimandir viewing passes and exploring boutiques, cafes and cultural displays.
Visitors guide
Visitors can expect an orientation complex with permanent exhibitions on Auroville's planning, architecture and sustainable initiatives, a video screening room introducing the township's philosophy, and information counters for Matrimandir viewing passes. The centre has landscaped surroundings, boutiques selling Auroville-made handicrafts, books and organic products, a cafe and shaded seating areas. It is the designated starting point before walking towards the Matrimandir viewpoint.
Key highlights
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Main orientation point for first-time visitors to Auroville
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Permanent exhibitions on Auroville's township planning and ideals
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Introductory video film on Auroville
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Issue of passes for Matrimandir viewing from a distance
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Boutiques and bookshop with Auroville-made crafts and products
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On-site cafe and information services
History of Auroville Visitors Centre
Auroville was founded on 28 February 1968 by Mirra Alfassa, known as The Mother, as an experimental universal township based on the ideals of Sri Aurobindo. The Visitors Centre was established to welcome and orient visitors, explain the Auroville Charter and township planning, and regulate visitor access to the Matrimandir area.
Culture & Context
The centre introduces visitors to Auroville's principles of human unity, sustainable living, and collective experimentation. It showcases the cultural diversity of its international community through exhibitions, handicrafts, ecological projects and educational activities.
Route
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