IN PICS: Auroville, 'City of Dawn' on its 55th Birthday

On 28th February 1968, nearly 5,000 people assembled near the banyan tree at the centre of the future township, for an inauguration ceremony, attended by representatives of 124 nations, including all the States of India

The representatives brought with them soil from their homeland, to be mixed in a white marble- clad, lotus-shaped 'Urn of Human Unity', now sited at the focal point of the Amphitheatre and the project of a lake to help create an atmosphere of calm and serenity and to serve as a groundwater recharge area

28 February: Collective Meditation for Auroville’s Birthday with Dawnfire from 5:00—6:30 am will be held

Aurovilians come from 59 nations, from all age groups, from all social classes, backgrounds and cultures, representing humanity as a whole

The population currently stands at around 2,500 people, approx. one-third are Indian and the number is constantly growing

Auroville is a live-in campus for material and spiritual research and has access to casual visitors but limited to certain areas. Although, there is no restriction on volunteers, students, and people who wish to collaborate or learn from Auroville

The ‘Wellness Centre’ at Arka offers treatments such as ayurvedic massage, reiki, lomi lomi, body logic and deep tissue massage, yogic healing massage, Thai yoga massage, craniosacral therapy acupuncture and physiotherapy

Exhibitions, Films, Talks and various Workshops are conducted on a regular basis here and there are many other programs that are held here