SAMRIDHI

“To have at every moment integrally all what is needed” – that was Auroculture's explanation for Samridhi. And she added, “when I saw this noble french man devoting himself to that barrenness surrounding him, I gave him the flower Divine Love.”

With Divine Love many miracles happened: Samridhi had the most eroded and infertile ground: 60 acres of dried out terrain. For each seedling we had to dig holes and put in compost, and each seedling had to be watered by hand during the hot summer months. For this, we had two handpumps. The daily tasks were not only watering, but also to protect the young trees and the land from the herds of grazing cows and goats, and to create bunds so that during the monsoon the precious water did not run off towards the canyons into the sea. 

We led a basic, simple life, far away from prosperity. And still, I loved this kind of life, in spite of its daily hardship – whether the intense heat or downpouring rains. I ground our rice on the yandiram, cooked on wooden fire, slept on a mat I wove of grass, renewed weekly the floor of our hut with Sani, a mixture of cow dung and water. As a young person, one only sees the romance in a life exposed to nature when only each moment counted, and nights were filled with music. 

The 80s: Arrival of Alan, Diego and Michael

Our pioneer years ended in 1980 when we left. The work in Samridhi was carried on by other young and determined men - Michael, Alan and Diego. They divided their task in 3 stewardships. When I came back 7 years later, I could not believe how fast the trees of that barren land had grown into a forest. The men built windmills onto the existing wells. They had cows and bullocks, built more solid houses, and brought new skills to the place.

Diego started a small wood workshop. He educated young tamil boys in carpentry. After a few years coming regularly back to Samridhi, I proposed Diego to build a house together, a 3 years long project which taught the boys more skills in masonry and carpentry.

I bought one of the first stabilized mud presses from Aurosatprem, and my house became one of the first houses built with these bricks, and served as an example for many other houses built in the neighbourhood by Diego.

Slowly after many years I found the explanation of the meaning of Samridhi – spiritual prosperity starts with material prosperity – everybody living and working here may live with that quality - having at every moment integrally all what is needed.

The 2000s and Samridhi Today

We lived through cyclones, we saw destruction, we replanted, repaired, rebuilt.…. Life went on. Today the trees are growing, the forest gets denser; it has become one of the green lungs of our future city where people enjoy walking, jogging, cycling, relaxing. Samridhi shields the city of Auroville on the eastern side of all development taking place from the seaside upward into Auroville. 

Since many years we have Mani who grew into the perfect forest steward. He continues the work we started, and builds and plans further – the small carpentry workshop of long ago has become a self-sufficient unit and under his guidance another generation of young people find education and work with wood…. Another proof of the meaning of Samridhi!

If you wish to know more about individuals living in Samridhi, there is Ange and Paul, Annemarie and Alan, Dany and Martin, Karuna, Ricardo, Shona with her family, daughter of Michael. All have fantastic stories to tell. You can email and contact them personally if you want to know more. Or better – come and visit and see for yourself!

By Biggie (Pioneer and long-term resident of Samridhi)