I met Christiane, my Belgian friend and long-time Aurovillian, for lunch at the organic Solitude Farm. Their open-air vegan restaurant was recommended to me by several people. I don’t know why I hadn’t come earlier.
The food was fresh and delicious. We also ordered some taster “flower” drinks.
Christiane couldn’t stay for dessert. I ordered an ice cream, which may be my first on this trip! I asked if I could have all three available flavours. There was banana, chikoo and another I didn’t catch. They said I could have one only.
Whilst waiting for my ice cream, the owner give me some fruit. He said, “Try this!”. It had a lovely tangy creamy taste. It was a new taste for me. The fruit was called soursop. The farm manager was English and he said “It’ll be available in Waitrose. They sell everything!”. When my ice cream came, they’d given me all three flavours!
I walked to the Visitor Centre afterwards and looked at the boutiques and shops, which I’d not done so far. They’re always closed by the time I return to the Visitor Centre, which is the hub of the Auroville campus. Despite saying I wouldn’t, I bought two books by the two people behind Auroville: Sri Aurobindo and The Mother.
I returned to The Madras Cafe, the restaurant opposite my guest house. They served some of the best South Indian food I’d tasted. I reached there just as it was about to close. I thought I was too late. The owner had a chat with the kitchen staff and they said they’d make something for me. I chose the simplest option: masala dosa.
The only other person in the restaurant was a friend of the owner. He asked me to join him at his table. He told me of the variety of chutneys they served. There was the standard coconut one. He said to try the tomato and mint ones. I didn’t want to push my luck and accepted whatever they brought out.
The owner, Vinod, is so jovial. I spoke to him the other day. His friend said that Vinod is far too generous with the portions and should charge more. The food is very cheap and the portions are generous. I saw that at my first visit. For example, a masala dosa is Rs50. In most places, it’s at least twice as much.
When the food came, they gave me all the chutneys! They tasted good; maybe the tomato was my favourite.
As I was eating, two regulars followed by two people passing through town came to eat. They were all disappointed to learn the restaurant was closed.
The next day, I met Christiane again, this time for breakfast at a restaurant above Solar Kitchen. When I went there, I hadn’t seen the upper restaurant. But a random stranger did give me a small banana. She said this one tasted different!
I had a fruit muesli. After breakfast, Christiane showed me around the eco-friendly supermarket everyone goes to on the campus. You bring your own containers. It reminded me of Clean Kilo, the zero-waste shop in Birmingham.
There are also recycling points. Next to the supermarket is a bookcase, where you can take or donate books. There’s also a free clothes shop.
In the afternoon, Christiane was going to give me a tour of the Matrimandir grounds. Before then she had an appointment. In the meantime, I went to the library.
Going to the Matrimandir with Christiane allowed me to take photos. Cameras and phones were banned during my visit to the inner chamber.
I forgot, however, to take a photo of the large Banyan tree next to the Matrimandir. There was another Banyan tree, which we sat next to. You can see the aerial prop roots in the photos. These roots grow downward from the branches, reach the ground, and thicken over time. Eventually, they support the tree and allow it to spread widely. This is why Banyan trees can cover vast areas and form massive, interconnected structures. They are extraordinary. I’d seen Banyan trees before but had mistakenly thought the supporting trunks had somehow been planted separately and grafted on!
After our visit to the Matrimandir, I went to the nearby Town Hall. I returned my Aurocard and reclaimed my deposit. I also walked around the building, which I hadn’t last time. There was an interesting structure in the centre.
Sadly, Vinod’s restaurant was shut today. So, I ate at the Right Path Cafe again. This is next to the Visitor Centre. Whilst eating, the owner came around to me and said that there was tango performances in an hour.
When I walked outside, the seating was all taken. There was no standing position with a view. I noticed a balcony with a few people. I asked someone how I could get up there. I walked up and had a good aerial view.
The tango dancing was varied, with different tempos. The dancers came from various parts of the world. For the finale, they danced together, swapping partners periodically.