Planning & Architecture

Auroville, often referred to as "The City of Dawn", is conceived for 50,000 inhabitants from around the world. It is located on a low-lying plateau on the southeast coast of India, some 10 kilometres north of Pondicherry. At the centre stands the Matrimandir, the "soul of Auroville", a place for individual silent concentration. Radiating out beyond the Matrimandir Gardens are four Zones - the Industrial (north), Cultural (north-east), Residential (south/south-west) and International (west) - each focusing on an important aspect of the town's life. A Green Belt consisting of forested areas, farms and sanctuaries with scattered settlements for those involved in green work is in its growth phase.

While much of the land is still to be acquired, Auroville presently manages over 80% of the total acreage within the town area. The situation in the Green Belt is less advanced, with a far smaller portion of the area currently belonging to Auroville. The present 'community' of Auroville consists of some 120 settlements of varying size, interspersed with and surrounded by lands owned by Auroville, by surrounding villages and by some temples.