Auroville is located near Pondicherry, Kerala. Mirra Alfassa, also known as the mother, founded Auroville in 1968. Although it was established as an experimental town, it soon became the main tourist destination in Tamil Nadu.
If we turn the history pages back then, we will find that it was established on the vision of the great Indian philosopher, Sri Aurobindo Ghosh. The vision was to establish a town where everyone can live in peace and harmony, and Mira Alfassa made his vision true by establishing this town. And today, around 3282 residents of 59 countries live here peacefully.
Sounds interesting and exciting! So if you are planning to visit Auroville, then you should definitely read our complete blog because in this blog, we will discuss the places to visit in Auroville so that you can get a clear idea to explore Auroville in less time with less effort.
Top 10 Places to Visit in Auroville
No matter what your age is, there are various Auroville visiting places for everyone. From visiting spiritual places and modern-day cafes to roaming around in the green and clean forest and buying handicrafts from the la boutique de Auroville, you will find everything here, so let's explore the best places to see in Auroville.
1. Matrimandir
It means “temple of the mother” in Sanskrit. Matrimandir is one of the must-visit places in Auroville. It is often known as the “soul of the city” due to its location and significance.
Location: Viluppuram, Auroville
Timings: 10-11 am & 2-3 pm
Note: You can't enter with children under 10 years of age in the inner chamber. There is a shuttle service for the people who find it difficult to walk from the visitors' center to the viewing point.
2. Adishakti Laboratory for theatre arts and research
Adishakti Laboratory for Theatre Arts and Research is for theatre art lovers. If you are passionate about theatre arts, then this is the must-visit place in Auroville. It has been organizing events and providing training in theatre arts since 1993. This place has trained many experienced artists till now.
Location: Edayanchavady road, Vanur taluk, Auroville post, Villupuram, Tamil Nadu.
Timings: Throughout the day
3. Savitri Bhawan
It is the center of spiritual education. It provides the teachings of Sri Aurobindo and Mira Alfassa, and that makes it one of the best places to visit in Auroville. There is an art gallery in the Savitri Bhawan which showcases the life of Sri Aurobindo and Mira Alfassa. Apart from the art gallery, it has a digital library, a reading room, and a large amphitheatre.
Location: Auroville main Rd, Auroville
Timings: Throughout the day
4. La boutique de Auroville
This is a perfect place for shopping lovers. La boutique de Auroville is located inside the visitors' center in Auroville. It is a store that sells the local handicraft items of Auroville. You can buy jewelry, clothes, handbags, musical instruments, aroma therapy, paintings, soaps, and many more.
Location: International township, Auroville, Tamil Nadu 605101
Timings: Throughout the day
5. Right Path Cafe
It is located near the la boutique de Auroville. It can be easily spotted with the “Cafeteria” sign on the arched wall, which is made from bricks. This cafe is perfect for trying the signature recipes such as: Baked cake, Tarts, Organic coffee & tea, Kombucha, and Kulfi.
Apart from the above quick-to-eat recipes, you can also schedule a lunch with the family and loved ones here. Its lunch menu consists of recipes such as Soups, Salad, Papad, Flower syrups with soda, Pasta, Pizza, Mini thalis of a variety of signature Indian foods, and Organic Indian foods.
Location: International zone, Auroville
Timings: Throughout the day
6. Unity Pavilion
As the name suggests, it is the symbol of unity for a variety of cultures. It has many workshops that promote philosophy research. When you enter the Unity Pavilion, you will see the earthen wall that is made of 98 soil samples from 27 different countries. It also has a multi-purpose hall for guest lectures known as the hall of peace. It consists of the famous asian peace table, and an Office building for local internship programmes.
Location: International zone of Auroville, Pondicherry
Timings: Throughout the day
7. Naturellement garden cafe
It is an open-air cafe. This cafe uses organic ingredients in its recipes. This cafe is famous for the Ravioli spinach ricotta, Hummus plate, Spirulina drink, Pesto pasta, Thai curry, and Egg galette.
Location: Udyogam, Auroville, Bommayapalayam, Tamil Nadu 605111
Timings: Throughout the day
8. Quiet beach
After reaching here, you will feel the seawater kissing your feet along with the wild breeze touching your soul on the quiet beach, and this makes it one of the best Auroville Pondicherry places to visit. You can visit this place with your kids and old ones.
Location: Near the very famous wellness centre, Quiet healing centre
Timings: 4.30-6 pm
9. Sadhana forest
Sadhana forest was once a barren place, but due to the efforts of local Aurovillians and volunteers, it is now a lush green forest with lots of biodiversity. Water, people, and trees are the vision behind the origin of Sadhana forest.
Sadhana forest is just a forest but is a water conservation and reforestation project that is undertaken by local Aurovillians to protect the sustainability of the nature of Auroville. The project was founded in 2003 and since then over 70 acres of non-usable land has been transformed into the lush green forest.
The local Aurovillians and volunteers promote the vegan diet and usage of sustainable living, and over 1000 volunteers from 50 countries have helped to grow the Sadhana forest till now.
Location: Sadhana forest road, Auroville, Tamil Nadu 605101
Timings: Throughout the day
10. Quiet Healing Centre
It is a health spa and wellness centre. You can make a booking for the therapy of your choice at the reception. Watsu aquatic therapy is the most popular therapy of the Quiet Healing Centre. Apart from the Watsu aquatic therapy, it is specialised in Birenda massage, Reiki, ayurvedic massage, and holistic massage.
Location: Chinna Mudaliyar Chavady Auroville
Timings: Throughout the day
Conclusion
Auroville is not just a travel destination; it's an experience of peace, spirituality, culture, and nature. From the divine aura of Matrimandir, the soulful learning of Savitri Bhawan, the artistic collections of La boutique de Auroville, to the serene Quiet Beach and rejuvenating therapies at the Quiet Healing Centre, every corner of Auroville has something special to offer.
So if you are planning to visit Pondicherry, don't forget to visit Auroville because it blends eco-friendly living, spiritual teachings, and organic cafes.
Next time, you are searching for the Auroville places to visit or wondering about the places to visit in Auroville, let this article be your perfect travel companion.
