I’d bought a wholemeal baguette yesterday in the French part of Puducherry. This morning, I had it with Marmite for breakfast.
In Bangalore, someone had told me about a unique community set up in the 1960s called Auroville. She stayed on the campus for a month.
Auroville is an experiment in a new type of living with spiritual and ecological principles. The community of people live in a small area and are committed to a particular way of life. It’s supported by the Indian government.
I visited it today. The highlight is the Matrimandir, a golden globe for reflection. Entering it requires pre-booking a week in advance at this time of year. Most visitors go to the viewing platform only, which is what I did.
After seeing the Matrimandir, I had a thali for lunch. As I was about to queue I bumped into this woman who was smiling. I asked what was making her smile. She said life. She was (another) Indian working in Dubai. Her home is Chennai. She works in the construction industry, which is much more interesting in Dubai than India. She said India was probably ten years behind when it came to construction. She’d come over for a friend’s stag do!
After lunch, I was walking around the site. I saw a poster for a week-long festival going on because it was the founder’s birthday. The same person, The Mother, whose room I didn’t see yesterday.
There was a talk going on in a nearby hall on power and humility. There were three speakers and a host. The conversation, including questions, was wide ranging. The term power was used in many ways. One was when people are in a position of power. How can they not abuse that power and stay humble? A speaker shared some practical advice. She said that whenever her ego is getting the better of her, she tells herself, “You are unique and special — just like everyone else!”