Auroville Matrimandir Puducherry
The spectacular Matrimandir (meaning “Temple of the Mother” in Sanskrit) can be found in Auroville, Pondicherry, India. The Matrimandir can’t be called a temple in the typical sense of the word. It isn’t a church or other place of worship, nor is it strongly associated with any religions. It is, instead, envisioned as a place of spiritual energy. The Matrimandir appears as a large golden sphere that seems to be rising out of the earth.
Also called “the soul of the city”, the Matrimandir is set in open gardens called “Peace”. The meditation hall in the dome is open to those who, in Mother’s words, are “sincere and serious, and who truly want to learn to concentrate.”
The Matrimandir is an edifice of spiritual significance for practitioners of Integral yoga, situated at the center of Auroville initiated by The Mother of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. It is called soul of the city and is situated in a large open space called Peace. Matrimandir, does not belong to any particular religion or sect.
The Matrimandir took 37 years to build, from the laying of the foundation stone at sunrise on 21 February 1971 – the Mother’s 93rd birthday – to completion in May 2008. It is in the form of a huge sphere surrounded by twelve pedestals. The central dome is covered by golden discs and reflects sunlight, which gives the structure its characteristic radiance. Inside this central dome is a meditation hall known as the inner chamber – this contains the largest optically-perfect glass globe in the world. The Matrimandir, and its surrounding gardens in the central Peace Area, is fully open to the public by appointment.
Matrimandir, Auroville
The four main pillars that support the structure of Matrimandir, and carry the Inner Chamber, have been set at the four main directions of the compass. These four pillars are symbolic of the four aspects of the mother as described by Sri Aurobindo, and are named after these four aspects.
Also called “the soul of the city”, the Matrimandir is set in open gardens called “Peace”. The meditation hall in the dome is open to those who, in Mother’s words, are “sincere and serious, and who truly want to learn to concentrate.”
The Matrimandir is an edifice of spiritual significance for practitioners of Integral yoga, situated at the center of Auroville initiated by The Mother of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. It is called soul of the city and is situated in a large open space called Peace. Matrimandir, does not belong to any particular religion or sect.
The Matrimandir took 37 years to build, from the laying of the foundation stone at sunrise on 21 February 1971 – the Mother’s 93rd birthday – to completion in May 2008. It is in the form of a huge sphere surrounded by twelve pedestals. The central dome is covered by golden discs and reflects sunlight, which gives the structure its characteristic radiance. Inside this central dome is a meditation hall known as the inner chamber – this contains the largest optically-perfect glass globe in the world. The Matrimandir, and its surrounding gardens in the central Peace Area, is fully open to the public by appointment.
Matrimandir, Auroville
The four main pillars that support the structure of Matrimandir, and carry the Inner Chamber, have been set at the four main directions of the compass. These four pillars are symbolic of the four aspects of the mother as described by Sri Aurobindo, and are named after these four aspects.
