Ellen of Arati

Late in the morning of Sunday 19 February our fellow-Aurovilian Ellen Tessloff (né Doring) very quietly and peacefully left her body in her Arati apartment. Her son Manuel had come over from Germany and was by her side. She would have been 95 in April this year.

After a career as hatha yoga teacher in Germany, Ellen arrived in Auroville in 1996 and was accepted as Aurovilian the year later. Starting out as a welcome presence in Ilaignarkal school she subsequently joined the Auroville Library where she worked for years. On the side, she would translate works of Sri Aurobindo into German for a publishing house connected to her husband.

During the last ten years we have seen Ellen in a wheelchair as she suffered from spondylolisthesis, a degenerative spinal disease leading to gradual paralysation of both legs. Helped by her no-nonsense and strong-willed character, she took it in her stride and managed to keep taking care of herself until the most recent years.

With her daughter also arriving, Ellen’s remains were to be cremated at Auroville’s mandappam in the afternoon of 22 February.

Our warmest condolences go out to her two sons and daughter and close friends.

OM~

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If you would feel like, you can send us your recollections or photographs, so they can be added to the page in order to commemorate years of dedication to Auroville and its ideals.

This page has been published in order to create a space of remembrance for all of those who lived, struggled and enjoyed in Auroville, making a conscious effort to manifest the Dream of Human Unity that is in the process of emerging.

Honouring Participation:

https://auroville-honouringparticipation.org/