Logo Logo small
Saving...

  • Vision
    • The Auroville Charter
    • A Dream
    • To be a True Aurovilian
    • The Galaxy Concept of the City
    • Matrimandir - Soul of the City
    • Founder: The Mother
    • Visionary: Sri Aurobindo
    • Words of Wisdom
    • Integral Yoga
  • Activities
    • Matrimandir
    • Planning & Architecture
    • Green Practices
    • Education & Research
    • Art & Culture
    • Health & Wellness
    • Social Enterprises
    • Media & Communication
    • Rural Development
    • City Services
  • Community
    • Auroville in Brief
    • Testimonials & Support
    • Organisation & Governance
    • Society
    • Economy
    • History
    • People
  • What You Can Do
    • Visit & Stay
    • Volunteer & Intern
    • Study in Auroville
    • Join Auroville
    • Workshops & Therapies
    • Donate
    • Shop
    • Contact Auroville
    • Contact Nearby Centre
  • Flags
    • العربية
    • Български
    • 中文
    • Dutch
    • Français
    • Deutsch
    • हिन्दी
    • Italiano
    • 日本語
    • 한국어
    • Polskie
    • Português
    • Русский
    • Español
    • Svenska
    • தமிழ்
Avtoday logo

  • Current Issue
  • Topics
  • Archives
  • Subscribe Now
  • Sign in
  • Current Issue
  • Topics
  • Archives
  • Auroville’s Monthly news magazine since 1988
  • History
  • Sign in
  • Subscribe Now
Issue No: 375, October 2020

What’s in a community name?

Krishna (left) and Mail fixing the name board of Utilité signed by The Mother with her blessing on their keet hut.(1971) In the Indian satirical film PK, a humanoid alien comes to study planet earth. Something of an idiot savant, he naively questions the customs and dogmas of the human race (located firmly in India, in this case). He also queries languages and names. What’s in a name? Well, plenty actually. While Shakespeare argued that the name of a thing is not important because its essence remains the same, can the names of Auroville’s communities be dismissed so lightly? Imagine how an alien anthropologist parachuted into Auroville might perceive things. Armed with no foreknowledge, the anthropologist moves around this strange place dubbed the ‘city of dawn’, coming across signposts and names stuck to gates: what would the anthropologist make of these names? The alien anthropologist (who is strangely able to understand all languages encountered on planet earth) notes the...
>> More
  • Please sign in to read more
    Sign in
  • Not a member?
    Subscribe Now
300 Views
Share this page

Issue No. 375, October 2020

  • Read in this Issue
  • Raising the bar on mobility and urban planning
  • Is Auroville becoming a city of cars??
  • Change in Auroville
  • Auroville 80
  • Snapshots of 40 years in Auroville
  • A natural education
  • What’s in a community name?
  • In Memoriam: Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan
  • In Memoriam: Dr. Kamla Tewari

Download as E-book

Issue No. 375, October 2020
EPUB - 5.55 MB
PDF - 4.45 MB
MOBI - 12.7 MB

Most Read Articles

  • This Month
  • This Year
  • All Time
  • The 'eat local food' movement
  • Acres for Auroville - a fundraising campaign
  • 299-300, June-July 2014
  • SacredGroves: a model for construction with consciousness
  • Auroville Organization in decline
  • The challenges of planning the city
  • The Indian Coffee House Restored
  • A New Way to Select the Working Committee and Council
  • Conducting for harmony
  • 297, April 2014
  • The 'eat local food' movement
  • Acres for Auroville - a fundraising campaign
  • 299-300, June-July 2014
  • SacredGroves: a model for construction with consciousness
  • Auroville Organization in decline
  • The challenges of planning the city
  • The Indian Coffee House Restored
  • A New Way to Select the Working Committee and Council
  • Conducting for harmony
  • 297, April 2014
  • The 'eat local food' movement
  • Acres for Auroville - a fundraising campaign
  • 299-300, June-July 2014
  • SacredGroves: a model for construction with consciousness
  • Auroville Organization in decline
  • The challenges of planning the city
  • The Indian Coffee House Restored
  • A New Way to Select the Working Committee and Council
  • Conducting for harmony
  • 297, April 2014
  • Current Issue
  • Topics
  • Archives
  • Contact AV Today

Disclaimer: Auroville Today does not necessarily reflect the views of the community as a whole

Sign in

Forgot your password?
  • Vision

  • The Auroville Charter
  • A Dream
  • To be a True Aurovilian
  • The Galaxy Concept of the City
  • Matrimandir - Soul of the City
  • Founder: The Mother
  • Visionary: Sri Aurobindo
  • Words of Wisdom
  • Integral Yoga
  • Activities

  • Matrimandir
  • Planning & Architecture
  • Green Practices
  • Education & Research
  • Art & Culture
  • Health & Wellness
  • Social Enterprises
  • Media & Communication
  • Rural Development
  • City Services
  • Community

  • Auroville in Brief
  • Testimonials & Support
  • Organisation & Governance
  • Society
  • Economy
  • History
  • People
  • What You Can Do

  • Visit & Stay
  • Volunteer & Intern
  • Study in Auroville
  • Join Auroville
  • Workshops & Therapies
  • Donate
  • Shop
  • Contact Nearby Centre
Disclaimer Contact Sign in